Thermally Regulating Glass Spaces
Overview: Thermal Considerations for Glass Structures
We are frequently asked by prospective customers about the thermal efficiency of our custom glass spaces. “Will the addition of a custom glass space significantly increase my home’s heating bill?”
It’s a fair question! The majority of Sunspace Design’s clients hail from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Maine. Residents of these states know a thing or two about battling the elements. New England’s weather produces idyllic summers and punishing, snow-laden winters, making thermal regulation a top priority for any major home improvement project undertaken in the area. Since our founding in 1981, we have pioneered the engineering of four-season glass structures that thrive in this regional climate.
Glass is a crucial thermal component, and we ensure every project achieves peak performance through a combination of superior materials and rigorous design principles. This extends from our glass roof systems to the various spaces like conservatories, sunrooms, greenhouses, and pool enclosures which feature them.
Choosing the Right Glass for Your Custom Design-Build Project
Glasswork is the heart of what we do. A glass space is nothing without the glass itself, and it is the function of that glass to let sunlight in while keeping the weather “outside”. We use only the best-performing glass from the country’s top manufacturers, such as Vitro’s Solarban 70 (formerly Solarban 70XL) Low-E Glass.
These units meet the visual requirements of any space, and the price-to-performance ratio makes them a perfect choice for most residential glass projects. Solarban 70 touts spectral sensitivity via the presence of microscopic, invisible layers of metallic oxide that reflect infrared heat while allowing visible light to pass through. The result is glass with a color-neutral appearance that meets the highest performance metrics:
- Visible Light Transmittance (VLT): At 63%, it maintains a bright interior while mitigating glare.
- U-Value: A rating of 0.24 represents a 50% reduction in winter heat loss compared to standard units.
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): At 0.26, it blocks nearly three-quarters of external solar heat, eliminating the “greenhouse effect” in summer.
- UV Protection: It blocks up to 94% of ultraviolet energy, protecting your artwork, upholstery, and hardwood floors from fading.
Many of our triple-pane insulated units are filled with dense inert gases like argon. Gas-filled insulation layers are crucial for projects in high-wind or extreme-cold zones. These units offer enhanced acoustic insulation and eliminate winter condensation, ensuring your view remains crystal clear even when the thermometer drops below zero.
Glass technologies have seen remarkable improvements in the years since Sunspace Design began operating throughout New England. We’ve kept up with these changes. The glass we use ensures that your space is thermally insulated, protected from unwanted solar heat gain, and presents a neutral appearance that allows for high degrees of light transmission.
Ensuring Structural Integrity
A Sunspace Design custom glass structure is engineered from the ground up to address your site’s unique solar orientation and architectural style. Because we are a New England company, we choose framing materials that can handle our specific stressors—from coastal salt spray to massive snow loads.
Known for its high cellular density and dimensional stability, mahogany is our premier choice for most glass spaces. For more expansive or complex glass roof spans, we engineer with concealed steel framing to provide unmatched load-bearing capacity without sacrificing elegance.
We also commonly use corrosion-proof aluminum frames. Finished with a molecularly-bonded powder coating, these frames are impervious to salt air and UV degradation, and can be especially useful for properties adjacent to the coastline.
Heating, Cooling, and Environmental Automation
Depending on the intended use of your new space, we will generally recommend a Mitsubishi Ductless-Split System. This gives you total control over the thermal functioning of your new space without requiring you to adjust the thermostat for the entire home.
For specialized spaces like natatoriums (pool enclosures), we integrate heavy-duty dehumidification and HVAC venting. These systems manage the extreme humidity and high temperatures of an indoor pool, preventing condensation on glass surfaces and protecting the building from the “tropical” interior environment.
Sunspace Design designs, engineers, and builds our custom glass products with the intention that they will provide usability and comfort throughout the year. Your space will be heated per your needs, and you won’t be wasting money on energy when you’re not occupying it.
Selecting Thermally Efficient Windows and Doors
Our commitment to quality materials is evident in our choice of materials vendors. We most commonly use Andersen or Marvin units. A window or door should offer peak performance for years after installation without requiring that you sacrifice style, versatility, or construction quality. These companies offer products that achieve that high standard.
Marvin’s Integrity line is a perfect example of this. These units feature the Ultrex Low-E coating, which meets or exceeds federal ENERGY STAR guidelines and can reduce window heat loss by up to 34% in cold climates. Whether it’s a sliding door for a sunroom or a custom casement window for a greenhouse, Marvin’s units ensure your investment is protected. Winter sun is absorbed and conducted into the home’s interior in the winter, while summer sun is filtered and reflected during the hotter months.
Insulation, Walls, and Roofing Engineered for Performance
We typically use Bayseal closed-cell X (CC X) spray-applied polyurethane foam insulation. This advanced polymer expands to fill every seam, crack, and void, creating a continuous air and vapor barrier. This insulation product offers considerably high R-values (a measure of thermal resistance) and generally helps guard against the infiltration of air and moisture over time.
While we ensure our wall R-values meet a minimum of R21, we can reach as high as R34, with roof sections achieving an astonishing R55. This level of insulation is critical for preventing ice dams—the frozen accumulation of meltwater that can destroy a roof. By thermally isolating the interior heat, we ensure snow melts naturally and uniformly, protecting your home’s structural integrity.
We also offer the option of using standard fiberglass insulation when the frame structure allows its use to meet insulation codes.Our team includes a top notch unit of construction experts and client requirements are rarely out of scope.
Offering Great Thermal Performance 365 Days a Year
The decision to build a glass space is an investment in more than your property’s value. In New England, short winter days can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Biophilic design—the practice of connecting human biology to nature—addresses this by maximizing natural light exposure. Daylight stimulates serotonin production, elevating mood and cognitive function. A Sunspace conservatory can be a sanctuary aligning your body’s circadian rhythms with the natural solar cycle, providing a “passive health apparatus” right in your home. Our construction standards and thermal regulation expertise allow you to enjoy these benefits year-round.
Any home improvement project requires a considerable investment of time and resources. We take that as seriously as you do. Our custom glass products are offered in any configuration to achieve your goals. We’ll carefully manage the entire process from start to finish so that you’re never left with unanswered questions. We use different design approaches on a project to project basis. A partnership with Sunspace Design will leave you with a gorgeous glass space that perfectly fits your home while achieving the specific level of thermal performance you require.
We’re a New England company with New England standards. Are you ready to learn more about how one of our beautiful and thermally efficient glass spaces can transform your home? Reach out to us and let some light in. We can be reached via our contact form, through email at info@sunspacedesign.com, or on the phone by dialing 1-800-530-2505.
Original Post Date: 2017-01-04
Last Updated: 2026-04-04