Sunroom Design Ideas And Tips

It’s easy to get lost in daily life which leaves little to no time to enjoy the outdoors. Sunrooms allow you to experience nature in your home by bringing in natural light, a view of the outdoors, and a space for you to wind down from a busy day. This multi-functional room lets you admire the day from sunrise to sunset in the comfort of your home while keeping the bugs and allergens out.

Like other home expansions, make sure to do some research on building permits and codes before you start constructing your sunroom. When consulting your contractor it helps to know what you want out of your sunroom so that they can help you determine the best place to build, as well as help create a layout that follows local building codes while still sticking to your plans.

Although all sunrooms provide you with the beauty of the outdoors with the comfort of being indoors, there are three different types of structures; the three season sunroom, four season sunroom, and the solarium. It is important to know exactly what you want out of your sunroom so that you can pick the structure that best fits your needs.

A three season sunroom, provides you with a space that is ideal for the spring, summer, and fall. It is generally unusable during the winter because the structure is not insulated and does not have a built in central air system. This also means that during the warmer months the structure will not provide air conditioning. However, you can easily solve this issue by using portable heaters during colder months, and portable fans and air conditioners during the hotter weather.

A four season sunroom can be used all year round. Unlike a three season sunroom, this structure is properly insulated and has a built in central air system for heating and cooling. Whether an office room or a kids playroom, a four season sunroom is as functional as any other room in your house, allowing you to transform it into any type of living space.

A solarium is a room in which it’s walls and ceiling are all constructed of glass. This modern style room is also referred to as a conservatory, as it gives you a view of the outdoors from almost every angle. Like a three season sunroom, the structure has no insulation or a built in central air system. However, insulated glass and seals allow you to have an enclosed space that can improve the room’s heating and cooling.

Tips And Tricks:

1. Have your contractor put ceiling fans in your three season sunroom or solarium to keep it cool during the warm weather.
2. You can build your sunroom off of an existing deck or patio.
3. Connect your sunroom to areas where people tend to gather more, like the kitchen, dining area, or living room.
4. Instead of building onsite, try prefabricated sunrooms that guarantee that the structure is built in climate controlled conditions; preventing material from becoming weather damaged, assuring proper installation of insulation, and decreasing the chances of weather related delays.