When you’re looking at installing a new sunroom, it can be easy to get caught up in the big picture, planning out what to do with all the extra space and how you’ll entertain throughout the year with all the natural sunlight. However, you need to bear some attention to details, and one of the most important of these is the style of sunroom roof that your space will have. There are two main styles of sunroom available: a studio roof and a gable roof. Each comes with its own set of benefits and decision factors.
Studio Roof
A studio roof is a single sloped roof style; that is, it is simply higher on one side than the other to allow water, snow and debris to fall off. The higher end is typically at the end of the sunroom that is attached to your home. Benefits of a studio roof include:
- Only one side of guttering – given that the slope of the studio roof runs in one direction only, you’ll only need to install guttering on one side of the sunroom which will save you money.
- Flat internal ceiling – the single slope means that the internal ceiling of studio roof sunrooms tends to be flat. This allows for many more lighting options than the gable roof option, including track and spotlighting. The lower ceiling also makes it much easier to heat and cool as the volume of air in the sunroom is considerably less.
- Low profile – finally, while you’ll be proud to show off your new sunroom to your friends and family, the new space will change the profile of your home. A sunroom with a studio roof will have a much lower profile and will blend into your home better.
Gable roof
A gable roof has a double slope which meets at an apex in the middle; think of a triangle shape and you’re in the right ball park. The height of the gable roof can be altered to match your home, and most people choose to orient it so that the flat end of the triangle faces the home. Benefits of a gable roof include:
- Ceiling skylights – the main reason that people choose a gable roof is so that they can install skylights in the sunroom. These add an extra level of sunlight coming into the room and make the whole sunroom feel brighter and more airy.
- Space for signature artwork – in a studio roof sunroom, there is only small wall spaces for artwork. With a gable roof, you gain two massive spaces for signature artwork or mirrors to allow you to truly personalize the sunroom.
- Dramatic lighting – finally, the height of the gable roof allows you to install some seriously dramatic lighting, such as a chandelier or uplights buried into the roof.
For many people, the choice of sunroom roof between a studio roof and a gable roof is down to cost. A gable roof tends to be a little more expensive as it requires more materials, and many people choose to expand their costs with additional skylights.
