Basics Of Temo Sunroom Designs

An overview of the basic decisions that will have to be made regarding sunroom design choice.

The design of your sunroom should be personal to the needs and desires of your family. You will want to design the sunroom depending on what you are planning to use it for. If you think it will be used mostly for entertaining, then a more lavish design with extra space and more control over the lighting options may be necessary than if you were to just use it for the occasional sitting room for you and your family. You will make a number of decisions when you are planning your sunroom design, and each of them will require that you have at least some forethought regarding the use of the new structure. As you read the rest of this article, as yourself the following questions: what would make the most sense for your situation? What aspects of the design are most important to you?

Time of Use and Sunroom Designs

The first decision you will want to make is whether or not you want to be able to use your sunroom throughout the entire year. Sunrooms are usually divided into 3 season and 4 season types. The 3 season room is designed to be used in all but the most extreme part of the winter. It is normally not hooked up to your home’s heating and cooling system, but is rather temperature controlled by other means. If you are planning to use the sunroom just 3 seasons out of the year, then you will normally heat and cool it by portable units or by fans. You could also use an outdoor fireplace, provided that you have proper ventilation in place to allow the fumes to escape. These sunrooms are usually less expensive to construct as compared to a four season sunroom of the same size and design. However, they will be out of use during a portion of the year.

On the other hand, four season sunroom designs are made to be used the whole year long. They are often connected to your home’s heating and cooling system and are temperature controlled just like any other room in the home. Because of this, they will require that the contractor use excellent insulation methods and high grade insulated or glazed glass. Otherwise, they will not be energy efficient when heated or cooled. This makes the four season sunroom more expensive to build, but it does give you and your family full use of the room in a comfortable environment all year round.

Types of Sunroom Designs

When you are considering the type of sunroom design that you would prefer, there are a number of aspects to consider. First, you should take into account any existing exterior structures that you have. Often the easiest and least expensive option for building a sunroom will be to build it on top of an existing deck or concrete slab. However, this does limit the size of the sunroom to the size of the existing structure. If you don’t currently have one, then you will be looking at the added expense of leveling and grading the selected area to prepare it for the foundation.

Materials Used and Cost in Sunroom Designs

Once the area has been chosen and you have decided on whether or not you would prefer a 3 season or a 4 season sunroom, then you can begin to get more specific on the design itself. The materials that you use to build the sunroom will be the next big decision, and will greatly affect the cost of the structure as well. For example, if you choose to build an aluminum sunroom on an existing structure, it will be less expensive than building a block foundation sunroom with all wood siding and framing. Aluminum and vinyl siding sunrooms are less expensive than wood framed ones, and have the added benefit of being lower in maintenance costs over time than wooden sunrooms. However, with a wooden sunroom you can select the exact color that you would like to use, because vinyl and aluminum sided sunrooms come in limited colors, depending on the manufacturer. Wood will take more maintenance because it will have to be painted occasionally and there is always the possibility of rot or termite issues. However, if your home is all wooden or you simply don’t like the idea of an aluminum sunroom, you might still want to use that material.

When you are designing the sunroom, one think you will have to decide is how many windows to include. You may not have considered having skylights or even having the entire ceiling be glass, but both are certainly options for you. When considering windows, you will also have to consider the glazing that you will use in order to prevent harmful rays or glare from entering. Then, you will want to consider how to guard your privacy if you choose an entirely glass room. You may want to add window treatments or shutters to the design or at least allow some funds to be able to do so in the future.

No matter what sunroom designs you are considering, you certainly do not have to make these decisions on your own. Look for sunroom manufacturers in your area that may have showrooms for you to visit. That will help you to get some ideas for your own sunroom design. After that, the companies themselves will be more than willing to share their own design ideas with you. And you can also ask for onsite quotes from the manufacturers based on your design and then choose the one that offers the best quality for the money.