How to heat an enclosed alfresco in a Melbourne winter

A Melbourne homeowner on a renovation forum described their covered alfresco as "almost useless for much of the year" before they glazed it. Glass walls fix the wind and rain. Heat finishes the job. Here's what works in a glass room, what it costs to run, and the order to do things in.

A glass room keeps heat that an open alfresco loses

An open alfresco needs a big heater because the wind carries the warmth away. Once the sides are glazed and closed, a smaller heater does the job, and the room holds its warmth for a while after you switch off. That changes the choice of heater: you're heating a room, not a patch of garden.

Electric radiant heaters: the usual choice

Ceiling- or wall-mounted electric radiant (infrared) heaters suit enclosed alfrescos. They warm people and surfaces directly instead of the air, so they feel warm quickly. They need no flue, and they can run on a switch, timer or remote. Far-infrared panels give a gentler heat that suits a closed room.

Each heater normally gets its own circuit, so an electrician should size the wiring.

What it costs to run

The maths is simple: cost per hour = the heater's power in kW × your price per kWh.

*Our estimate, using 2026–27 Victorian Default Offer electricity prices of roughly 26 to 32 cents per kWh. Your retailer and tariff set your real price.

A glass room needs the heater on for less time than an open alfresco, because the heat stays in. Double glazing helps further, and we supply it: it loses heat about half as fast as single glazing.

Power goes in before the glass

Plan the heaters, lights and power points first, and have the electrician run cables while the sides are still open. Fixing cable to beams and posts is easy before the glass goes in and awkward afterwards. Tell your glazier where the heaters will go, so the frames and tracks don't clash with them.

A word on gas

Patio gas heaters are made for open outdoor areas. A closed glass room is not an open outdoor area. Don't use a gas heater in an enclosed alfresco without asking a licensed gasfitter, and keep fire pits and open flames out from under the roof.

Don't forget fresh air

A sealed, heated room collects moisture from people, cooking and wet coats, which shows up as fogged glass. Opening a panel a few centimetres while the heater runs keeps the air fresh. We cover this in will a glass alfresco get too hot or fog up?.

Make the room worth heating

Heat works best in a room that seals well: glass panels that close against good seals, and a layout that keeps the prevailing wind out. Our alfresco enclosure ideas show how to arrange fixed and sliding glass, and our alfresco enclosure cost guide gives typical prices.

We build the glass and frames, and we're happy to work around your electrician's plan. We measure on site, quote in writing and price the job before we start. See our alfresco enclosures or ask for a quote.