Sunroom

1, What is sunroom?

The term sunroom is usually defined as a recreational space bridging indoor and outdoor living areas, usually with a considerable amount of wall space dedicated to glass - often as much as 80 percent.

2, Sunroom Roof and Wall Ideas

Sunrooms are walled with glass and roofed with glass or polycarbonate(a tough, transparent thermoplastic).

Glass walls should be silicone double-sealed, A-rated, and labeled "tempered safety" to meet building code requirements. The best choices are as follows:

     * Double-glazed glass

     * Double-glazed glass with low-emissivity coating

     * Double-glazed glass with argon filling and low-E coating

For polycarbonate components, look for these options:

     * 6-millimeter twin-wall polycarbonate

     * 20-millimeter and 25-millimeter twin-wall polycarbonate

3, Crawl Space Foundation

A sunroom is a great way to expand your living space, so you will want to use the foundation footprint to its best advantages. There are advantages and disadvantages to this common sunroom foundation choice. It is typically the most expensive. However, it provides enough room for insulation, plumbing and any ductwork and wiring that needs to snake through the crawl space to make the sunroom comfortable year round.

4, Convert a Deck to a Sunroom

A wood deck has piers and footers that typically can not hold a sunroom on their own. Additional joists can be included for extra strength, and a new carrier beam can bring a deck up to code to hold a sunroom.

5, Convert a Porch to a Sunroom

A common way to modify an existing porch is to create a sunroom, which is an enclosed porch that is surrounded by windows and sometimes even clear window panels on the roof above as well. This allows you to take advantage of the views from your porch as well as remain sheltered from the weather, providing you with a warm sitting room year-round.