Overall, I’m very pleased with this wall-mounted solarium and would give it a solid four stars.
It arrived extremely well packaged, and all of the parts, screws, and hardware were clearly labeled and organized. The metal feels substantial, the paint finish appears durable, and everything went together very well for the most part. Once installed, it feels sturdy and looks great.
There are a few important caveats. This appears to be designed for installation on a perfectly level patio. The doors and windows all sit within a fixed bottom track, and there is no real adjustability to compensate for a sloped surface. My patio slopes away from the house, so my contractor had to create custom supports from vinyl board beneath the track to raise and level the front, while also filling the gaps along the sides. It worked, but it added a considerable amount of custom work to the installation.
The nuts and bolts used to attach the panels along the bottom track were also frustrating. They are small, finicky, and difficult to see and tighten while working close to the ground. A few have since come loose, which is concerning because the internal bolts are no longer accessible once the structure is fully assembled.
The doors slide nicely and have a very strong magnetic closure. In fact, the magnets were almost too strong, so I added a few small pieces of stick-on felt to make the doors easier to open.
The windows pop in and out easily, and holders are included for storing them. However, the holders could really use a small lip or raised edge on the front to keep the windows from sliding out. I plan to mount the holders on my fence so the panels can be stored safely off the ground.
The gutter system is probably one of the weaker parts of the design. It also relies on the structure being perfectly level. Otherwise, water can collect in the gutter or spill over the front, which then gets the screens and windows wet.
They did make an effort to seal and bug-proof certain areas, but other sections were left with noticeable gaps. I will need to come up with additional solutions, likely brush-style weather stripping, to close those openings.
I also wish the windows were clear. Unfortunately, they are not. The smaller models apparently have self-storing windows, but on the 20-foot model the window panels have to be removed and stored separately.
Despite those issues, this has been an awesome addition to the back of my house, and I’m very glad I bought it. It was a significant investment and honestly a bit of a leap of faith because I was worried it might turn out to be cheap junk. Thankfully, it does not feel cheap at all.
The 20-foot model has two strong center supports, and we bolted the entire structure securely to both the house and the concrete patio. I’m hopeful it will hold up well through the winter as advertised. I do plan to add heat tape to the roof to help clear snow if we get a particularly heavy snowfall.
Overall, the quality and finished appearance are very good. It is not a perfect design, and installation may require extra work if your patio is not completely level, but it has still been a fantastic addition to my home.
