If you want to add to the value to your home, build that sunny relaxing room to drift away in, or simply make your home more beautiful, a sunroom addition might be just what you need. Lovely, efficient, and generally more inexpensive then adding a full room, a sunroom will help you get the most out of your precious time at home.
Varieties of Sunroom Additions:
Screened Room or Screened Porch – is an economical option for your sunroom. It has completely meshed walls that are meant to allow a natural air flow sans the insects. Typically considered only for spring through fall use, unless you are situated in a very warm climate.
Seasonal Sunrooms are typically built to be used from spring to fall in most climates, and use either a simple pane glass or some manner of screen for their walls. As far as budget would go, these sunroom additions are going to be of the least expensive. They are not designed to be air conditioned or heated, so throwing in a space heater would likely be inefficient.
Knee-wall Rooms are an increasingly popular option, and consist of a short, generally decorative wall up to windowsill height, and then continue into large insulated glass windows. This allows privacy, wall outlets, but maintains a wide open view of your surroundings.
Conservatories and Solariums represent the higher end of the cost scale. They are fully incased rooms that allow a panoramic view, but made of insulated glass and are heated and air conditioned. These sunrooms need permits in full accordance with a room addition. Ceilings are glass, often sloping, to allow a stream of soft light in all day long and a view of the stars at night.
Other Elements of Sunroom Additions:
Wall Materials
Aluminum- Not very good for insulation, but fairly strong and relatively inexpensive.
Clad- A composite metal that usually runs in the middle of the price-range. It is a good insulator and low maintenance than wood.
Wood- Generally considered the most beautiful, traditional look. However, depending on the kind and quality of the wood, it can require heavy maintenance and a lofty price tag.
Vinyl/PVC- Is rather inexpensive and a pretty good insulator. However, it lack strength and usually requires some sort of steel or aluminum support.
Types of Glass
Single Glazed- is simple single pane glass. It is basically a very bad insulator and only meant to be used in seasonal sunroom additions.
Double Glazed- is made up of two separate levels of glass filled with either air or gas. This is the most basic form of insulated glass and it is the standard minimum for any home or building.
Triple Paned- is, unsurprisingly, three layers of glass. It is much more energy efficient then lesser levels, and contains twice the insulation.
Low E-Glass- are glass panes coated with incredibly thin layers of a metallic oxide that provides a window “sunscreen” which blocks most harmful ultraviolet rays.
Argon Filled Glass- is double or triple glass, filled with the dense, non-toxic gas argon. It will improve the energy efficiency room with a greater level of insulation.
Tempered Glass- is more popularly known as safety glass. It is a heat treatment that has the effect of breaking into little pieces rather than dangerous shards, if the window is damaged. It is exactly like your car’s windows.
Sunroom additions are more than just a way to better utilize your home and property space, they also add value and give you a unique custom feature to set your home apart.