If you’re an Austin homeowner, you already know that there are a lot of ways to enjoy the unique Texas weather. Winters are on the mild side, and fall and spring can be delightful.
Summer can be wonderful, too, especially if you can mitigate the heat with an all-season Austin sunroom. At Nu-View, we’ve built and installed hundreds of sunrooms for homeowners in the Austin area, and in this blog post we’ll walk you through the basics and tell you most of what you need to know.
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All Season Sunroom: The Basics
The best way to think of an Austin sunrooms is that it’s an extra room for your house that allows you to be outside will still being indoors, or vice versa.
All season sunrooms are enclosures that are climate controlled, but they’re made with so much high-quality glass that it almost feels like you’re outside. You can use them year round and still be protected by the occasional bad weather in Texas.
Typically, an all-season sunroom is an extra room that you add onto your house, but all season sunrooms can also be made by converting an existing porch if your porch meets the specific construction specifications.
Benefits of Four Season Sun Rooms in Austin
- Extra light. With the right kind of design and lower transoms sunrooms and upper transoms sunrooms, an all season sunroom can add to any attractive views your home offers, and they can also add plenty of natural light.
This is especially important in the winter when light is scarce, and they can even help with depression caused by seasonal affect disorder.
Typically, all season sun rooms have at least one wall that consists entirely of glass, but that glass can be extended to cover as much as 80 percent of the wall space.
In an all season configuration, the electricity and heating and cooling they offer can make them more than a convenience. They add to your home’s value as well as the amount of usable space you have at your disposal.
Versatility. For many homeowners, it’s important to be able to maximize enjoyment of their homes year round, regardless of the temperature or the weather conditions.
All season sunrooms make it easier to do this, and with some minimal design additions on your part they can improve the appearance of your home, too.
Added value. All season sunrooms add square footage to your home, which increases its value and attractiveness. If you’re looking to sell, this is an important benefit.
Improve your Austin home space. When it comes to the needs of homeowners, every all season sunroom is different. Some are used as relaxation spaces, while others function as home offices. Still others work as a playroom—it all depends on individual needs and how they want the space to be defined.
Design and attractiveness. While many people don’t have the space or the time to redesign different rooms in their home, an all season sunrooms can give them the opportunity to stretch out and add some design features.
The size of the windows, their configuration, and even the basic definition of the room itself all represent opportunities.
Social benefits. Many people want to plan outdoor events, but bugs or weather can be an obstacle. For these people, an all season sunroom represents an ideal solution.
Gardening. While most people who garden would consider a separate greenhouse a luxury they can’t afford, the same isn’t true of an all season sunroom. You can start with plants and seedlings, then move the latter outdoors when they’re ready.
How an All Season Sunroom Adds Value to Your Austin Home
The construction process itself is a big part of the value an all season sunroom can add to your home. These sunrooms have extra insulation, as well as higher thermal resistance. They’re also usually made from stronger materials, and the windows are double-pane.
That means they’re real rooms, so you’re adding square footage with genuine value. Getting an all season sunroom will pay off when you go to sell your house, and you can use the equity you’re adding to borrow more if you want to make more changes and upgrades.
But value isn’t just about square footage. The lifestyle improvements that many all season sunrooms add doesn’t come with a price, and many homeowners consider them invaluable.
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Four Season Sunrooms, Patio Enclosures or a Porch: How to Define Your Needs
- All season sunroom. If you’re looking to add space, enjoy the outdoors while remaining inside and staying comfortable when you do, all season sunrooms are the ultimate solution.
- Patio enclosures. These enclosures provide protection from sun and rain, but you’ll still be exposed to outside temperatures. They’re a great way to increase your outdoor enjoyment in good weather, but more limited out of season.
- Porches. Porches come in many sizes with plenty of possibilities. The best case scenario is that you have a large porch that’s well built, to the point where it’s easy to convert it into a sunroom.
You may also be able to do that with a smaller porch, but some porches are more limited when compared to all season sunrooms.
How to Extend Your Porch Into a Four Season Sunroom
While it is possible to extend your porch into an all season sunroom, the process can be tricky. Some porches have intrinsic limitations that prevent this kind of extension from being cost effective, so it’s important to take that into account.
In addition, it’s important to hire a company or a contractor with all season sunroom experience to do this kind of job. Some contractors present a great sales pitch, only to get stuck halfway through the job when they realize that they’re in over their heads.
The Difference Between an All Season Sunroom and a Porch enclosure
The biggest differences between an all season sun room and a porch enclosure are versatility and comfort. A porch enclosure is a great way to up your game when it comes to the ways you use your porch, but you may not be comfortable when the seasons change or the weather turns bad.
With an all season sunroom, that won’t happen. These sunrooms have extra insulation, heating and cooling capability, and upgraded electrical systems. They can easily be used year round, which means they offer more comfort and lifestyle improvement possibilities.
Get the Best All Season Sunroom for Your Austin Home
To find out more about all season sunrooms, you can call us at (512) 918-8904. You can also contact us at support@patioaustintx.com, where you can talk with our Friendly Phone Lady or book a custom patio consult. We’ll help start you on the road to getting an all season Austin sunroom and all the benefits it can provide.