Should You Get a Sunroom?

Answer: Yes. They’re awesome.

Okay, fine, we’ll elaborate. Sunrooms are accurately named for the huge amount of light let in the room thanks to walls of windows, and in some cases skylights. Screened-in as a covered patio or closed in with windows as an extra living space, sunrooms add value and wow-factor to homes.

Screened-in

In regions where the temperature can reach triple digits, it may not be ideal to have a room with little to no protection from sunlight — in the height of summer, it’ll be like an oven. Screened-in sunrooms, also called screened-in porches, are the best of both worlds, offering a comfortable outdoor living space without mosquitoes, flies, or birds getting all up in your business.

All glass

It’s an indoor room with an outdoor feel, the perfect space to read a book or just relax all year round, rain or shine. Since glass is the main component here, choose something that’s energy-efficient, requires little maintenance, and has UV protection so that the furniture and decorations you keep within the walls doesn’t get faded from all that light.

Frame options

Panels form the walls of a sunroom, and everything is held in place by a frame. Typically there are two options for frames, vinyl and aluminum. Vinyl frames are easier to clean and tend to hold up in looks for longer than aluminum. If your home has vinyl siding, choosing a sunroom made of the same material will allow it to blend in. With aluminum being one of the strongest materials out there, you can expect serious durability from frames made out of it — plus it’s resistant to rusting, warping, and rotting.

Top it all off

If you already have a covered porch, you’re ahead of the game. Most professionals can install panels to existing covered areas in order to form the sunroom. But if you don’t already have this, you’ll need to decide on a roof style and material that’ll keep your new addition safe from strong winds, hail, and snow.