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Classic Virctorian conservatory linked to the main house by a glass walkway. (Photo courtesy of Tanglewood Conservatories, Denton, MD)

Solariums
A Place in the Home to Luxuriate in the Sun
By Janice Booth

Morning-my favorite time of day, and I'm enjoying my favorite spot-our sunroom. A pot of steaming tea, my cats stretching lazily, a chickadee singing, the early sunlight filtering through the leaves. For a few moments, I can imagine myself a girl in her tree house, sheltered from life's obligations.

You may already know the luxury of having your own sunroom or solarium. Perhaps you have had a grand conservatory or lush greenhouse in a previous home or as a guest have enjoyed a host's sunroom. If you are presently without such a delightful living space, here is an opportunity to investigate the pros and cons of adding one of these sun-catchers to your home. The issues to be considered are those faced when making any significant financial investment: purpose, initial and long-term expenses, and benefits-the intangible pleasures as well as measurable advantages.

Choosing the right room for your setting

Solarium, sunroom, conservatory, or greenhouse, what's the difference? Solarium is the general category, a room with walls of windows to catch the sunlight and the view. Unlike a porch, which is protected only by a roof and, perhaps, screened walls, a solarium includes glass windows to protect the room's interior from wind, rain, and airborne debris.

A sunroom is a type of solarium. Functioning as part of the house to which it is attached, a sunroom is of a traditional room size and shape and covered by a roof. It may have sliding walls of glass, called sliders, or jalousie or casement windows set on low supporting walls, called knee walls. A sunroom may be three-season, not designed for cold weather use, or four-season, with heating and perhaps air-conditioning as well. Sunrooms are innovations of the mid-twentieth century, gaining popularity with the introduction of thermal-pane glass as well as aluminum and vinyl, or PVC, material in home construction.

A more elaborate and expensive solarium is the conservatory. The distinguishing feature of a conservatory is its glass roof, ceiling, or both. Conservatories may be unusual in shape, semicircular or octagonal for example. And they may be open on one side to the main house. For example, a wall may be removed in a dining room and the conservatory added to extend the dining area.

Architect Alan Stein, who specializes in conservatories, points out that they have enjoyed a respected role in architectural design dating back to the Renaissance in Europe and flourishing during the Victorian era in Great Britain. Think of those illustrations of grand manor houses with elaborate glass confections extending into the gardens. Victorians elaborately trimmed their conservatories with wrought-iron or wood decoration along the ribs supporting the glass panels. The effect was not unlike a frosted, crystal wedding cake sparkling on a green lawn.

A conservatory designed specifically to house plants is called a greenhouse. In a greenhouse more attention is given to humidity control, watering devices, and sunlight modulation than to the placement of couches. Unlike commercial greenhouses, such as those used on farms and in nurseries, a solarium greenhouse customarily is attached to, and ties in architecturally with, its house. The greenhouse also emerged during the Victorian era, when amateur botanists in the comfort of their mansions and country houses wished to experiment with seedlings and exotic plants gathered from the far reaches of the British Empire.

A view of the pool and backyard can be seen from this snroom solarium. (Courtesy of Bob Lehman of Creative Deck Designs)

If you are drawn to the greenhouse as your dream addition, here is a cautionary tale. Residents of Saefern, Fran and Marty Rosenberg began collecting exotic and rare orchids a few years ago. To accommodate their precious beauties, they added a greenhouse three stories tall to the sunniest side of their house. The latest methods of thermostatic heating, cooling, and humidifying were installed. Timers controlled everything-everything except the unexpected. While they were out of town, a January storm and power outage left them without heat and withered their orchids. The greenhouse was green no longer. "Sometimes I hear the rain and remember just standing in the greenhouse, surrounded by my lovely orchids, watching the rain roll down the glass roof and walls. It was as though I was looking out from under a gentle waterfall," Fran recalls.

And which door and walls and windows do you choose?

If that hasn't scared you off, it's time to move on to the "nuts and bolts" of solarium -selection.First, every professional I spoke to cautions: "Decide first what purpose you want the solarium to serve." Will it be a summer porch with protection from bugs and rain? Do you want it to be a family room where everyone gathers or a quiet haven to escape the household bustle? Will you be entertaining there? Do you want an addition that is historically and architecturally appropriate to your house? You may have to accept some compromises; for example, your solarium budget may demand that you choose between air conditioning and plumbing the room for a wet bar.

And so to the budget: The cost for a solarium can begin at $15,000 or $20,000 for a three-season sunroom. However, you may find the cost for your dream room quickly climbs to $40,000 or $50,000 when it becomes a four-season room with all the amenities. And, should you choose a conservatory in the "grand manor" style, you may spend easily as much as you might for a new Mercedes S-Class or Porsche 911 to park outside your exquisite glass room.

Still interested? Tanglewood Conservatories, nationally renowned designer and builder of conservatories, is located right here in Maryland, in Denton, on the Eastern Shore. Recently the Rockefeller Center's Flower and Garden Show in Manhattan commissioned Tanglewood to design and construct three conservatories for its prestigious show. [ Alan Stein, architect and woodworker, directs his artisans as they translate the elegance of his European-influenced designs into uniquely American solariums, replete with modern conveniences discreetly enfolded in mahogany, tile, and glass.

Should you decide on a less grand version of the solarium, there are still many attractive alternatives. David Wilks of Long Fence Company points out that we now have more options in energy-efficient sunrooms than ever before. He recommends that after you decide on how you will use your sunroom you consult with your builder on exactly where to locate the addition. If you're building the solarium on top of an existing deck you will have different costs and benefits than if you construct from the ground up, by pouring a concrete slab or a crawl space. If the sunroom faces south, you'll probably need air conditioning and only a small heater. A northern exposure may mean you can get by with open windows and shades to stay cool in the summer but will require a reliable, thermostatically controlled heat pump. Wilks also recommends that you visit showrooms with models of the sunrooms you are considering. He points out that most sunrooms are built from prefabricated wall and window units assembled by your contractor. You can tell your contractor what you like based on the models you see, thus improving the odds that you will be satisfied with the completed sunroom.

A custom solarium featuring a central octagonal gallery and a single slope roof on each side with arch-top windows. (Photo courtesy of Tanglewood Conservatories, Denton, MD)

Because sunrooms are constructed from prefabricated pieces, Bob Lehman, of Creative Deck Designs, stresses the importance of an experienced and skilled contractor. How the sections are put together will define the quality and longevity of the finished sunroom. For example, is the electrical work up to county code? Are the windows properly seated so there will be no water stains from undetected, slow leaks? Is every wall plumb and are the corners square? As always, know the company with whom you plan to do business. Ask for references: clients who have used the builder's services and will talk to you about their experiences.

And when you're budgeting for construction costs and long-term expenses for your sunroom or conservatory, don't forget about those intangibles, the aesthetic and emotional benefits. Will you delight in bird songs and sunlight as you sip your coffee and read the morning paper? Will you sit up reading a good book late into the night, listening to the crickets and watching the fireflies and moths tap against the screens? Can you imagine hosting your daughter's bridal shower on a balmy afternoon, with guests in summer dresses gathered in the conservatory against the backdrop of lush oaks and boxwood beyond the windows?

I'm not sure how these daydreams weigh in your calculations, but sometimes our extravagances turn out to be wise investments indeed. So, "Let the sun shine in."

Janice Booth is a freelance writer and adjunct professor at Anne Arundel Community College, teaching public speaking and journalism.