All You Need to Know About Sunroom Roofs

It’s always the right time to think about home improvement, but it can be hard to make significant changes on a budget. Of course, superficial changes like repainting the outside of your home or remodelling the bathroom will give a quick fix, but adding extra space is a surefire way to add value to your home. A brick and mortar extension can be expensive, as you need to dig the foundations, pour concrete and effectively dismantle the back of your home. However, adding a sunroom to your existing deck or patio can be quick, cheap and even energy efficient with the right choices. 

Once you’ve taken the decision to install a Desert Sun Patio sunroom this winter, you’ll be faced with a wide range of choices to make sure that you get exactly the room you need and desire. The decisions facing you will depend on what you’re looking for from your sunroom. For example, if you’re looking for a formal entertaining space, then your decisions will center around the interior aesthetics; lighting, window size and so on. You might be looking simply to get some extra space, in which case you’ll need to think about room dimensions and access to your existing rooms. Finally, you might be more concerned about keeping energy costs down, in which case you’ll be talking about glazed windows and wall insulation. 

It sounds strange, but one of the biggest decisions that you’ll need to make is about the construction and makeup of your sunroom roof. This is because it has an impact on the overall construction of the rest of the sunroom. Some roofs are heavier than others, and different roof types have different standard widths. Your planning session will likely start with a discussion about sunroom roof choices and work downwards. 

Here are some of the questions that you should be asking your sunroom contractor to get the most out of your Desert Sun Patio sunroom:

Should I have a studio or a gable roof?

A studio roof is a flat roof, while a gable roof has an A-frame structure. Most Calgary sunrooms are the studio style as they fit any home and are generally cheaper to install. A studio roof offers a lower profile, which is particularly beneficial for smaller homes or on second stories. The main downside of having a studio sunroom roof is that it allows snow, water and leaves to collect easily, which can lead to weathering problems as the years go by. It will be important to inspect the roof each spring for damage, and to try to find ways to keep it clear of debris. 

A gable roof helps the snow roll off and provides more ventilation as there’s more room for air to circulate. The higher ceiling often requires a fan to help move the air around and the type and size of ceiling fan will be a decision to be made as you discuss your sunroom roof options. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the fan, the more load bearing timber your roof will need. One drawback is that the increased height of a sunroom gable roof doesn’t always work with the shape of your house and can be more costly. 

How many skylights do I need?

One of the biggest selling points of a Desert Sun Patio sunroom is the massive increase in the levels of natural light in your home. With all that glass a skylight is not needed, however, some people love to look up and see sunshine through, so the question is “how many are too many?” With either roof, you’ll want to make sure you have an equal number on both sides, and the typical guidance is for one 3 foot wide skylight for every 10 feet of ceiling space. The bigger your sunroom, the more skylights you can have.

What thickness of solid roof should I have?

Finally, you need to talk about solid sunroom roof panels. A solid sunroom roof is made up of a series of laminated roof panels that are made with polystyrene foam centers. Each panel is covered with tempered aluminum stress-skins which makes them pretty much invincible against even the harshest Calgary winter storm. They snap together tightly which create a solid protective surface. These construction properties also carry a great insulation benefit, allowing you to use a three season sunroom for longer, and to spend less money to keep a four season sunroom at the best temperature. 

The big question is about the thickness of the roof panels. At Desert Sun Patios, they come in 3, 4 and 6-inch thicknesses. The insulating properties of the panels increase as the thickness increases, as does the overall cost involved. Your sunroom consultant will discuss what’s best for your room, which will take in the direction it faces, tree cover from your yard and how exposed that side of the house is. Typically, south facing sunroom roofs need thinner roofs as they will naturally get hotter with more sunlight to heat them. Sunroom roofs that are more exposed to the elements tend to need thicker roof panels to offer increase protection against the elements. 

Armed with these questions, you’ll quickly have productive sunroom roof conversations that will get you the perfect sunroom just in time for winter. Discussing the options with someone else ahead of time will clarify what it is important to you, especially if you’re working on a tight budget. Above all, make sure that your final sunroom roof choice will match the rest of your house, both in terms of shape and materials used. You want the transition from house to sunroom to be as seamless as possible, and your sunroom roof will be one of the key factors in making this transition. All of these decisions will help you save money in some areas while making sure that you invest in a roof that will last for the years to come.