If you’re trying to enlarge the living area in your home, a screened porch or sunroom may be a good option. The two rooms can be rather dissimilar, and you’ll need to consider several factors before making a choice.
In this article, we’ll show you how to convert a porch into a sunroom.
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Porch vs. Sunroom
A porch enhances the façade of a property while blending in perfectly with the house’s original construction. The purpose of a porch is not to detract from a home’s inherent charm or individuality but to enhance it. Porches not only offer beauty to homes, but they also bring functionality.
A sunroom is an indoor space that features many windows to optimize natural light and highlight views of the outside. Sunrooms—alternatively called solariums, garden rooms, or Florida rooms—frequently include plant and furniture adornments. Sunrooms can be erected on top of an existing patio and function as an extension of the main house, bringing the outdoors inside. Sunrooms are a popular type of home addition because they add value to the home and give homeowners an additional living room or home office to work, entertain, or curl up with a good book.
How to Convert a Porch to a Sunroom
Consider the following. Would you spend more time on the porch if it were a sunroom? Wouldn’t it be nice to have another warm, sunny room in the dead of winter? Have you budgeted for home renovations? You would be wise to convert your screened porch into a sunroom if you answered yes to any of these questions.
A new sunroom in place of a screened porch can completely transform the personality of your home. Converting the area into a usable portion of your home undoubtedly adds value to you and may boost monetary value.
If your home already has a screened-in porch, transforming it to a four-season room with glass panels is quick and easy. Most sunroom conversions can fit simply a three-season space that may be enjoyed during the spring, summer, and fall in many homes. However, if a qualified contractor constructed your screened-in porch, the structure may be capable of being converted to a four-season room.
Step 1: Design and Planning
Before anything else, you’ll need to decide on a design for your sunroom. An architect or designer can be consulted here to assist you. Additionally, they may decide whether the porch’s frame can support the structure of a sunroom or if it has to be replaced. Additionally, these professionals may assist you in obtaining a building permit if one is required for your area or the style you like to have.
Step 2: Screen panels removal
If the frames or pillars on your porch are adequate to hold the sunroom’s walls, windows, and doors, the next step is to remove the screen panels. The wood stops that hold the screen panels in place must be removed, and the panels can then be gently hammered out of position.
Step 3: Construction of walls and flooring
Some parts of the porch may be equipped with walls, and it is to these that the sunroom’s windows and the door will be attached, depending on its design. Similar to any exterior wall of the house, the walls are constructed. With top and bottom plates, studs running through the middle, and plywood covering the exterior, walls are normally constructed.
Before installing the wall insulation, the electrical wiring along this structure must be placed. The inside drywalls are finally installed over the insulation and its protective layer. The next step is to apply the necessary interior finishes.
To protect the sunroom from the weather, it is common practice to use water and air barriers to cover the entire building. After that, the shingling would be applied to the outside and painted to complete the project.
Even if you don’t want to, you can choose a floor covering for your sunroom that matches the one in your house to maintain the space feeling more open and airy.
Step 4: Window installation
The installation of the sunroom windows and glass doors is the most exciting element of the procedure. This distinguishes the sunroom from an enclosed porch or an ordinary room. It’s time to install the crisp, clear glass fittings that will transform this space into the bright, protected area of the house that it was intended to be.
Low-E vinyl windows are a good choice for sunrooms due to their ability to adjust the room’s temperature and low maintenance requirements. If you choose a glass door, you should also look for a low-E glass door. The windows and doors are similarly installed – with a weather-tight seal to strengthen the sunroom’s defenses against the elements.
Factors to Consider
Three-season or four-season
Utilizing unused space typically prompts people to consider adding a three-season room to their home. A three-season sunroom may have floor-to-ceiling windows or a bottom panel with windows higher up. While a three-season room can be utilized for most of the year, it is not ideal during exceptionally cold or hot months due to the lack of insulation. A heater cannot efficiently heat or cool a three-season room. However, when the weather is conducive to a three-season space, your sunroom windows can shield your furniture from up to 99% of dangerous UV radiation.
Like three-season rooms, four-season sunrooms add additional living space to your home. Since four seasons sunrooms are used all year, they require insulation during construction. Additionally, they allow for the use of current air conditioning and heating systems to assist in maintaining a comfortable temperature during inclement weather. These additional benefits increase the time you may utilize your space but are more expensive to build than a three-season room.
Additionally, four-season sunrooms can create the illusion of a true extension of your home. They are not required to have an exterior door and can be open to the rest of the house.
Purpose
Screened-in porches and sunrooms have very different wall finishes. Mesh screens are used as the walls of a screened porch, a roofed construction. On the other hand, a screened porch will allow fresh air into the space while keeping out the bugs, making it feel more like you’re outside.
A sunroom is a glass-enclosed structure with a roof that is covered. With a greater view, your sunroom is more like your living room. Adding air conditioning and heating in the summer and winter months is likely because it is enclosed.
Cost
The chosen windows play a significant role in the cost of a sunroom, as they are one of the greatest expenses for this room addition.
Numerous factors influence the cost of a sunroom addition or screened porch conversion to a sunroom, including the economics of your unique location, the room’s size, the options made, and the difficulty of linking the addition to your home. Often, homeowners believe the cost of such an addition is well worth it to improve their family’s lifestyle, especially if the house is situated on a lovely lot. Your contractor should discuss actual costs during consultation.
Contact Paragon Remodeling to learn more about how to turn a patio into a sunroom
Sunrooms offer a haven of tranquility for your family, as the beauty of nature is visible from indoors all year. Sunrooms are typically four-season rooms with several windows, interior furnishings, and heating and cooling equipment.
Generally, the scope of a screened porch conversion can be overwhelming. The services of a reputable contractor can expedite and, in certain situations, reduce the cost of the task compared to do-it-yourself projects.
Paragon Remodeling is here to help in your porch project! We offer screened-in porch services and help you make a careful consideration of the factors involved.
