Summer in Calgary is something you have to experience to understand. The city is known for its high number of sunny days, and it can feel like summer is never ending at times. However, the city is also known for its strong winds and big summer storms. The combination of both of these trends makes it hard to plan to spend time outside at your trailer or park model home without having to worry about what to do with your furniture when the weather changes. This is where considering a permanent sunroom add on could be a game changer for your home.
How Does A Sunroom Work?
A sunroom is different to any other home extension project out there. Firstly, it’s a single room addition that attaches directly to your home. This helps to keep the cost of the project down as you only need to build three walls, and you can often use the deck or patio outside your park model as a foundation for the structure. Secondly, it’s designed to let as much light in as possible. To help this, you’ll have large glass framed windows instead of solid walls. While this can make your sunroom feel a little like a fishbowl at times, it means that you’ll get natural sunlight all day long, and the room will act as a heat trap even in spring and fall. Finally, your trailer or park model sunroom connects to your existing HVAC system (unlike a screen room or screened in porch), meaning that you can use this indoor outdoor space all year long. You’ll also find that the heat retention properties of the sunroom can actually heat up the rest of your park model home, helping to save on your energy and heating bills.
How To Use A Park Model Sunroom
The addition of a new room in your park model or trailer home can feel overwhelming, especially when you’ve finally got used to living in a smaller space. It’s important to have a purpose for your sunroom so it doesn’t just end up becoming a storage or junk room. Some top tips for making your sunroom feel like part of the outdoors include:
- Face the windows – it’s tempting to put your furniture in the usual formation so that everyone can see each other. Change the paradigm by facing the furniture towards the windows so that you’re sat next to each other looking outside.
- Bring plants inside – a park model sunroom is the best place to keep your houseplants. Not only will you gain the health benefits of living plants inside, but you’ll also create a blurred boundary with the outside world.
- Minimal lighting – finally, you need to allow the natural sunlight coming in through the big sunroom windows to be your main light source. Small side table lights or uplights in the corners should be enough to make the outdoors the central focus of your park model or trailer sunroom.
