The Top Flooring Choices for Your Sunroom

With spring in the air, many homeowners like to focus on outdoor projects, like revamping their patios or sunrooms. Although a sunroom is fully enclosed, as the days get longer and those sun rays get stronger, you’ll want flooring that won’t fade or crack. But, of course, the question becomes, which flooring can handle direct sunlight and extreme temperature variations. Read on to find out your options and determine which is the best fit for you. 

Plus, if you’re looking to hire flooring installers in the Greater Toronto Area to help you update or install new sunroom floors, then give The Brothers Flooring a call for friendly, trustworthy help. 

What Kind of Sunroom Do You Have?

Surprisingly, the type of room you have determines your flooring requirements. The following three main types of sunroom are the most common options, and identifying which type you have will help narrow your flooring options: 

• Sunroom: Typically, a sunroom is an insulated, window-wrapped and heated room.
• Three-season space: A three-season space is uninsulated and unheated, so the temperature fluctuates with the season. 
• Enclosed porch: An enclosed porch is a room with screens as windows. It is also not usually insulated and more vulnerable to the elements.

You’ll want to identify the space you have as the needs of an enclosed porch differ wildly from an insulated sunroom.

The Best Flooring Choices for Your Sunroom

If you’re looking into flooring installers near you to help you update your sunroom floors, these are the best flooring choices for your space. 

Laminate

You’d be hard pressed to find a homeowner that doesn’t love the look of hardwood flooring. But when it comes to your sunroom, whichever type you have, it is not the ideal choice as heavy sun exposure will cause boards to fade, and water damage will compromise the floor’s integrity. 

One of the most common hardwood alternatives is laminate, as it’s water-resistant, comes in hyper-realistic, wood-look finishes, is more affordable and won’t fade in the sun. However, laminate is not ideal for all outdoor living spaces as harsh Canadian temperature swings, and humidity can warp boards. So if you’re going to hire flooring contractors near you to install laminate flooring, make sure your space is insulated and heated to prevent warping. Overall, laminate works best in sunrooms. 

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

When we say vinyl, we’re referring to plank flooring, not the peel and stick variety. Vinyl plank flooring is like laminate, but  it’s waterproof and made of plastic. Even better, vinyl flooring is affordable, comes in a realistic wood or stone look, is durable, can handle humid environments, and you can purchase boards with UV protection, so they won’t fade. Luxury vinyl typically works best in a three-season space. 

Porcelain Tile

When homeowners think of mud rooms or areas that will come into contact with moisture and dirt, they almost always think of using tile flooring. So if you’re shopping around for a flooring installer near you to lay porcelain tiles in your heated sunroom, this flooring makes an excellent addition to your space! Porcelain tile has a ton of great features: it’s affordable, it comes in a medley of patterns like wood-look, you can opt for a textured finish to prevent slips, trips and falls, tiles are easy to clean, and porcelain is waterproof! Porcelain is a great option for traditional sunrooms. 

Concrete

If you’ve got an enclosed porch that isn’t heated, one of the best flooring choices is concrete. Nowadays, homeowners don’t have to settle for poured concrete; instead, you can hire a flooring installer near you to pattern the concrete for added interest. Concrete is easy to clean, durable, retains heat, inexpensive and can be made waterproof with epoxies. 

Engineered Hardwood

For homeowners that must have hardwood, skip the traditional hardwood and go with engineered. Engineered hardwood’s top layer is made of real wood, while the bottom layer is fiberboard or plywood, making it more durable, affordable, water-resistant, UV-resistant, and less likely to warp from humidity. Because engineered hardwood has a real wood component, it means you’re getting the real wood look, just tougher. Engineered hardwood is the perfect fit for a sunroom or a three-season space. 

These are all great options for different types of sunrooms and will be your best bet to long-lasting flooring that you continue to love the look of, year after year. 

The Best Flooring for Your Sunroom

Ultimately, there is no universal flooring for your sunroom. Instead, it’s a matter of assessing your needs — budget, type of space, etc. — and finding the best match for your specific sunroom. Your biggest consideration is understanding and buying appropriate flooring for your space. 

For instance, an unheated screened-in porch is vulnerable to the elements, so you wouldn’t buy hardwood flooring and expect it to last! So, consider your space and then sync that to your budget to help you arrive at the best flooring for your sunroom. 

If you’re not sure which is the best flooring for your sunroom and want a professional opinion, call The Brothers Flooring for a free, no-risk consultation! We’ve been in business for over 20 years, so we are confident we can help you make sense of your flooring project.