Planning Your Sunroom Design
Sunroom Designs & Installations by Local Pennsylvania Contractors
For a brighter, more cheerful sunroom, we recommend a vinyl sunroom design. Vinyl is energy efficient, long-lasting, and requires little maintenance.
As an added benefit, vinyl sunrooms cost about 31% less than wood designs.
Planning a new sunroom is exciting! From the shape and color to its interior design and decoration, the possibilities for your space are nearly endless.
To make the most out of your sunroom, you'll want to have a solid plan about what the room will be used for, how much space you'd like, and what materials you'll use in the design.
That's where we come in. At Total Basement Finishing of Pittsburgh, our sunroom design specialists are fully trained and ready to help you make an informed decision on your investment.
We offer free, no-obligation sunroom design quotes to homeowners within our Pennsylvania service area.
Sunroom Energy Efficiency
At Total Basement Finishing of Pittsburgh, we recommend that you install a double-paned (also called double-glazed) windows for your sunroom. Double-glazed, insulated sunroom windows will have double the insular R-value (R-4), saving energy in your home.
Thermal breaks and insulation should also be integrated into your frame, and all glass should be Low-E coated to protect it from UV rays in the summer while also adding insulation value in the winter.
To conserve energy in your home, you may also want to consider isolating your sunroom from the rest of the housing envelope. American Dream Homes Magazine recommends planning two different entryways in your sunroom -- one to the home itself, and another leading outside.
Sunroom Designs For Your Region
In Cold, Northern Climates: Your sunroom should let in the maximum light and heat from the sun to keep it warm in the winter. A southern-facing room will bring in the most heat, and is therefore ideal for this area.
In Warm, Southern Climates: Consider an opaque roof on your sunroof to block out the heat of the midday summer sun. In the south, a southern-facing room might prove to be too warm.
Design Tips For Sunrooms
Sunrooms are a luxury upgrade for your home, and you'll get the most out of your space by spending some time on the little details. When you're designing your sunroom consider these points:
Sunroom "Curb Appeal"
When choosing your sunroom design, ask yourself: "Will this match the rest of my house?" How well your sunroom fits the architectural design of your home makes a big impact on the overall look of your home and its resale value.
Sunroom Lighting
Sunrooms are bright, beautiful spaces in the daylight, but you will want to use your space in the evening as well.
Along with strategically placing accent lighting around the room, enhance your space in the evening by installing track lighting around the room.
If you have an opaque ceiling installed in your sunroom, you can let additional lighting into your home with strategically-placed skylights over bars and dining tables.
Be careful not to direct the skylights towards your TVs (to prevent glare) or anywhere you might want to take a nap.
Heating & Cooling Options
If you plan on using your sunroom year-round, then you're going to need to provide heating and cooling options for the space.
Electric floor heating can be a fantastic way to keep your floors comfortable underfoot during the cold winter, when cold can come up from the ground below.
Fireplaces are also very popular in sunrooms, providing both heat and a cozy atmosphere.
Keeping your sunroom cool in the summer may be as simple as installing a ceiling fan or windows that open for ventilation.
A professional can also install air conditioning in the space that will help to keep your sunroom cool and relaxing.
The Ambiance
Sunrooms provide a wonderful combination of elegance with a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere. Enhance that feeling by bringing in wicker furniture, sweet-smelling flowering plants, and by using acrylic fabrics that resist fading in the sun.
For fancier finishing touches, you may want to consider customizing your sunroom further with a fountain, a hot tub, or even by creating a spa enclosure. Whether you're creating a home office, a play room for your children, or you just want a place to read and relax, don't forgo the little details that make the space your own.
The Cost Of Sunroom Installation
Sunrooms can be installed in just a few days, and at about half the cost of an addition. If the sunroom includes heating and cooling, it can be considered living space when you sell your home.
Like all home additions and remodeling projects, the cost of installing a sunroom depends on the size of the structure, the materials used, and the installation time.
Another thing to consider when factoring the cost of your sunroom are which structures are already in place. If you're interested in enclosing an existing patio, for example, your cost may be lower.
If your roof requires extensive renovations before the sunroom can be built to code, then that might increase the cost of the installation.
Four-season sunrooms, which include heating and cooling systems for year-round use, can be much more expensive, but depending on local code, they may also be appraised as additional living space for your home.
This style of sunroom will also be much more desirable for the home buyer.
Investing In A Sunroom
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry has reported that you can expect to recoup between 70% and 110% of the value of your sunroom. And in a report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sunrooms were ranked higher for home buyers than a media room, exercise room, or in-law suite.
Sunroom installation isn't just a luxury addition to your home -- it's a wise long-term investment. for you and your family.
One Last Tip: With interest rates at an all-time low, the time has never been better to finance a home improvement like a sunroom addition. If you're planning on building a sunroom anyway, there's no time like the present.
Professional Sunroom Installation in Pennsylvania
At Total Basement Finishing of Pittsburgh, we specialize in custom sunroom installations for homeowners throughout the Pennsylvania area. We pride ourselves on our quality products, first-class service, and professional installations.
If you'd like a free, no-obligation sunroom installation quote, we're available to meet with you. We serve the Pennsylvania area, including Beaver, Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington, and nearby areas such as West Moreland, Greene and Butler. Call or e-mail us today to get started!
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