Sunrooms have been popular with American homeowners for decades. But as an architectural phenomenon, they have existed for hundreds of years and have roots that go back as far as sixteenth century Italy.
The modern solarium descends directly from greenhouses. Europeans built to shelter cold-sensitive plants like citrus trees or exotic flora explorers brought back from their travels. Experts believe that Italians were the first to build crude versions of these buildings, which took the form of pergolas or storerooms made of wood.
From Italy, the concept spread all over Europe. People in northern countries built wood, brick or stone enclosures, which included one, south-facing wall made of tall, vertical glass windows. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Dutch and the English added their own refinements. These included, respectively, the use of sloping glass to bring in more light and later, the use of heating technology within the actual greenhouses.
Greenhouses become especially popular among members of the wealthy classes, who built them in their backyards. As the science of botany developed, they became common fixtures on large university campuses as well. In England, greenhouses became known as conservatories while in the U.S., they became known as hothouses.
As modern scientists discovered how greenhouses benefitted plant life, they also realized that the same concept could benefit human health. Hospitals began using solariums to help people recover from illnesses like pneumonia, pleurisy and tuberculosis. Homebuilders also added sunrooms — which typically had three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows — to the houses they built.
Today sunrooms are as diverse as the homeowners who use and/or build them. At Sunshine Sunrooms, we offer North Texas clients looking to upgrade their home with a beautiful new solarium a variety of options. Whether you’re looking for a simple patio cover or a Florida room that’s as unique as you are, we can help. For quality, reliability and an unbeatable track record of customer satisfaction, Sunshine Sunrooms is the one!
To get your new Sunshine Sunrooms sunroom, call us today at (972) 243-5390 or fill out the form to the right for an estimate.
