Glass curtains, sliding windows, or retractable mosquito nets: which enclosure should you choose for your patio?

Choosing your solarium windows is deciding how you'll use your room for 20 years. Insulation, ventilation, impact resistance, maintenance, budget: here's what you really need to know before deciding between traditional glass and Ez-Sun memory polymer.

Understand what you are truly comparing

When a property owner from the Quebec City region calls us about a 3-season solarium, the same question comes up almost every time: «Does it require real glass, or is your polymer just as good?» The honest answer is that these are two products designed for two different uses. Choosing the wrong one means paying too much or not getting the most out of your equipment.

Traditional glass

This is the classic solution for a solarium: fixed or sliding glass panels, usually tempered, sometimes double-paned. Glass offers perfect transparency, excellent thermal insulation (especially with double or triple glazing), and a high perceived value. It's the logical choice for a Year-round habitable four-season solarium, where the room needs to retain heat in Quebec's winter.

But glass also has its limitations. It is heavy, fragile, more expensive to install, and offers only partial ventilation (only sliding or opening panels let air through). For a covered patio that you simply want to close off from wind and insects, it's often too much.

Ez Sun Shape Memory Polymer

This is where our expertise as a manufacturer really shines. Our windows Easy Sun use a shape-memory polymer film: a transparent, flexible, virtually unbreakable material that rolls itself up completely to release up to 75% of the ventilation surface. When you close the window, the polymer returns to its original shape without creases or deformation.

It's the ideal solution for transforming a covered gallery, gazebo, or existing patio into a true, bright 3-season room, without the structural and budgetary constraints of glass. And contrary to what you might think, it's not poor-quality plastic: the polymer is UV-treated, impact-resistant (balls, branches, hail), and suitable for Quebec's temperature fluctuations.

Glass vs. Ez Sun Polymer: The Complete Comparison

Here, side-by-side, are the criteria our clients most often consider before making a decision.

Criteria Glass Ez Sun Polymer
Thermal insulation Excellent (double/triple glazing) Good for 3 seasons, not habitable in winter
Maximum ventilation 30 to 50% (sliding panels) Up to 75%
Shock resistance Brittle (even when wet, can shatter) Practically unbreakable
Weight Heavy (reinforced structure required) Lightweight (compatible with existing galleries)
UV Protection Variable (optional treatment) Included (standard UV treatment)
Installation on existing structure Often impossible without reinforcement Designed for patio/gazebo renovation
Interview Regular cleaning, joints to monitor Soap and water cleaning, very simple
Winter usage Yes, if a full four-season solarium 3 seasons (unheated room in winter)
Relative budget $$$to$$$$ $to$ $

To remember: Glass wins for winter insulation and visual prestige. Ez Sun polymer wins for ventilation, impact resistance, ease of installation on an existing structure, and budget. These are not two competitors – they are two solutions for two different projects.

What really changes with Quebec's climate

A solarium window manufacturer based in Texas or Ontario doesn't face the same constraints as one based in Saint-Rédempteur, on Quebec's South Shore. The climate here imposes realities that few people anticipate before installation.

Temperature fluctuations

Between a January with temperatures of -30°C and a July with temperatures of +32°C, materials experience a thermal range of over 60 degrees. Improperly installed glass can develop internal stresses. Ez Sun polymer, on the other hand, was specifically designed for this range; it retains its shape memory regardless of the season.

Snow and ice

A solarium with glass windows must be designed to withstand significant snow loads, especially if the roof is also glazed. With our polymer windows installed on a suitable aluminum structure, the overall weight is considerably reduced, which simplifies engineering and often allows for the renovation of an existing sunroom without redoing the foundation.

Insects and pollen

What makes the real difference between a covered patio and a usable three-season room is the ability to quickly close it off against mosquitoes in June, pollen in May, and reopen it 75%% on sweltering days. Standard sliding glass doesn't allow for this instant transformation. This is exactly what our Ez Sun windows were designed for.

How to choose according to your project

Instead of giving you a generic answer, here's how we guide our clients in Quebec City and Lévis according to their actual situation.

✓ Choose the glass if:

  • You want a 4-season solarium that is habitable, heated, and used as a main room year-round.
  • You are building a new structure with a full foundation and insulation.
  • Resale value and a high-end appearance are top priorities.
  • The budget is not a limiting factor.

✓ Choose the Ez Sun polymer if:

  • You already have a covered gallery, gazebo, or patio that you want to enclose into a 3-season room.
  • You want maximum ventilation on hot days (up to 75%).
  • Do you have children, a dog, or live in an exposed area (branches, balls, hail)?.
  • You want a profitable investment without the costs of a full four-season construction.
  • The intended use is from April to November, not in the dead of winter.

If you're still hesitating, know that there are also hybrid projects Some clients choose glass for the main facade (view, prestige) and Ez Sun polymer for the sides they want to open in the summer. We regularly design this type of custom configuration.

Maintenance, lifespan, and replacement

A solarium is a 15- to 25-year investment. Here's what to expect regarding maintenance based on your choice.

For the glass

Standard cleaning with window cleaner two to four times per year. Annual inspection of silicone seals, especially after the first winters. Tempered glass panels cannot be repaired: if they break (impact, extreme thermal shock), they must be replaced entirely, which can take several weeks depending on availability.

For the Ez Sun polymer

Clean with lukewarm water and mild soap — never use abrasive or strong solvent-based products. The rolling mechanism should be visually inspected once a year. In case of localized damage, the polymer panel can generally be replaced individually, without having to redo the entire window. This is a major long-term advantage.

Our expert advice: No matter the material chosen, have your windows installed by a team that knows Quebec's realities. A good product poorly installed won't withstand the first freeze. At Solarium EZ Sun, we manufacture AND install—you deal with a single team, from the quote to the last screw.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Ez Sun polymer yellow over time?

No. The UV treatment is integrated into the material itself, not applied to the surface. This is an important difference compared to cheap plastic films found in hardware stores, which do indeed yellow after two or three summers.

Can we heat a closed room with our polymer windows?

For occasional use (auxiliary heating in spring or fall), yes. For continuous winter use with permanent heating, no: you need a 4-season solarium with insulated glazing. The polymer is designed for a 3-season room.

How much does the difference between glass and polymer cost for a typical project?

For a medium-sized gallery on Quebec City's South Shore, Ez Sun polymer typically represents 40 to 60% of the cost of a double-glazed glass equivalent. The exact figure depends on the dimensions, the number of panels, and the complexity of the structure. We offer a free detailed quote.

Do Ez Sun windows resist hail?

Yes. It's even one of their major advantages compared to glass. The polymer absorbs impact without cracking. We have installations that have weathered several major hailstorms in the greater Quebec City area without damage.

Do you need a permit to add windows to an existing covered patio?

In the majority of municipalities in the Quebec City and Lévis region, yes—as soon as an open space is enclosed, the nature of the structure changes in terms of urban planning regulations. We guide you through the process and provide the necessary plans for your application.

Can we combine the two materials in the same project?

Absolutely, and it's even a configuration we regularly recommend. Glass on the view side, polymer on the ventilation side: you get the best of both worlds depending on your property's orientation.

To go further

If you are currently shopping for an expansion project, these articles and pages will be useful to you: