People often ask, “what is the best type of flooring for an unheated sunroom?” A sunroom is clearly an additional room with a focus on sunlight, including lots of windows and direct entry to the outdoors.
The type of flooring you decide depends upon the extremes in the elements. The traffic your sunroom will receive also determines the type of flooring to choose. By considering these factors, you’ll be able to assess the advantages and disadvantages of each type of flooring.
The best type of flooring for sunroom includes carpet, laminate floors, ceramic tile, vinyl tile, epoxy flooring or a concrete floor. While these flooring type gives your sunroom a cozy feeling, they are also low maintenance type of floors.
Read: What color of floor goes with dark furniture
Best Type of Flooring For an Unheated Sunroom
Table of Contents
Carpet
Carpet is considerable for all the four seasons, such that it will not get too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
The carpet will give a good cushion underfoot. In the winter, it will maintain some heat, and in the summer, it won’t become too heated.
The high exposure to sunshine may prompt carpet to fade over time, so consider choosing a lighter print.
Unlike ceramic tile or laminate, carpet needs to be more maintained because you must vacuum and sweep it regularly to remove dust and dirt. Let’s look at the best types of carpet for a sunroom
Types of Carpet for Sunrooms
Carpet comes in a diversity of colors to correspond with any décor. One of the disadvantages of carpet is that you must put it in a room that does not have any moisture.
Polypropylene Carpet
This stain-resistant synthetic gives a classic wool-like look at a cheap price. It’s elegant, dries very fast, and resists mold and mildew.
Polypropylene has been in use in basements for many years and is very popular in sunrooms and porches because of its short, easy pile style.
Most polypropylene products can be washed with a hose, or even power washed to keep them looking nice.
Sisal
This beautiful natural fiber made from an agave plant and a cousin to seagrass carpet. It is known for its super-strong fibers which are also used in marine ropes.
It’s extremely durable, water-absorbent, and non-toxic. Sisal’s lovely brown and beige shades offer your space natural beachy appearance.
Sisal carpet is not the plush, gentle-on-the-feet you might like in an indoor room, but it’s perfect for an enclosed porch.
Hardwood
Hardwood flooring is aesthetically pleasing in a sunroom. It is very easy to maintain and clean hardwood floor, and you can make use of a rug in the winter for warmth underfoot.
Hardwood flooring is a popular option for flooring and it is loved by most homeowners. Homeowners choose hardwood for its beauty and to invite attention.
With proper care and maintenance, your hardwood flooring will maintain its durability and look for many years.
Note that hardwood flooring is a natural product that will respond to different humidity differences.
This implies that even though the wood has been dried, cut, and refined into flooring material, the hardwood may expand because of mist.
You will have to be cautious of moisture, and fading is prompted by bright and persistent sunlight.
And, with a variety of color and style choices, you can choose a lighter tone that will stay looking good for longer in the sun.
Because of moisture, hardwood is not a great choice for an enclosed porch or sunroom.
And if you do choose this type of flooring for your sunroom, be sure to care for the wood flooring to avoid sun damage.
Laminate
Laminate is a good substitute for hardwood. Laminate flooring is very popular in most homes. Laminate gives the look of hardwood but is much less costly and simple to maintain. It is also easy to install.
Laminate is made from a composite wood backing similar to a hardwood image on top, covered with a durable synthetic layer.
Read: Best Steam Mop for Laminate Floors
This renders it more moisture resistant and scratch-resistant than hardwood. Laminate flooring also prevents fading from the sun so it can be suitable for a budget-friendly sunroom.
However, cheaper laminate can peel after a little exposure to the climate conditions, so you certainly want to go with solid quality and professional installation to avoid peeling and warping.
Laminate flooring is available in many finishes, from tile to stone to wood, making it easy to find the exact look for your sunroom.
Also, moisture is a problem, then laminate may not be the ideal option. For example, an accidental spill from watering plants can cause your laminate floors to start to warp or bubble, especially if not taken care of immediately.
Also, laminate can fade in the sun. A UV protected laminate will be protected from fading and extend the life of your laminate floor.
Tile
Tile is low maintenance and has a water-resistant and scratch-resistant surface that is easy to be cleaned and repaired. This is a great option for high traffic in a sunroom.
Tile flooring can be a great choice in unheated sunrooms. It’s hard-wearing and resistant to moisture.
However, they are hard to lay and can become hot in the summer, you may use rugs underfoot throughout the year. Unlike other flooring options, they can be more expensive as a flooring selection in a sunroom.
However, because tile is naturally energy-efficient, it can retain high levels of heat and cold when exposed to the outdoors.
Selecting tile of a light-colored design can help to decrease this issue in the summer.
Luxury Vinyl Tile
Many homeowners choose luxury vinyl tile as their flooring. Luxury vinyl tile also offers you the stylish, realistic look of hardwood or stone at a cheap price.
Also, their water-resistant design makes them easy to maintain despite the potential moisture in more humid climates.
Read: How to get scratch out of luxury vinyl flooring
Linoleum flooring
Similarly to laminate, linoleum is simple to install. It’s also a cost-effective solution, easy to clean and maintain, and durable.
Unfortunately, it fades in bright and consistent sunshine. Therefore, you need to purchase linoleum that is UV protected.
Conclusion
What is the best type of flooring for an unheated sunroom? The decision is ultimately yours and depends on your budget, preference and climate.
Regardless of the type of flooring you choose to install into your sunroom, the most essential thing is to keep your sunroom comfortable, dry, neat and protected.