Winter in Calgary has a bad reputation. When the colder weather starts to arrive, people immediately start thinking about the negatives of the season: seemingly endless shovelling, frozen windscreens and traffic delays everywhere. However, these Calgary residents forget that winter brings some positives too. There’s something magical about the way that snow completely transforms the city into a white and smooth landscape, and the sudden quietness of the morning after a big snow storm is rare in a city that always seems on the go.
Planning A Winter Sunroom
The trick to enjoying winter, therefore, is all about finding somewhere that you enjoy the best bits of the season while avoiding the negative aspects. A sunroom is the perfect solution to become your winter paradise. The main feature of any sunroom are the big glazed windows which give you unparalleled views out over your garden, meaning that you can experience the beauty of winter from right up close. A four season sunroom also connects to your home’s existing heating system, so you can get the best of being warm, cosy and indoors during even the bigger snowstorms that Calgary has to suffer through.
To get the most from your winter paradise, you should talk with your sunroom contractor about some of these design ideas:
- Skylights – with the shorter winter days, you’ll want to find ways to get as much additional sunlight into your sunroom as possible. Not only does it make for a more beautiful sunroom experience, but the glazed windows will also trap the sun’s heat in, keeping your heating costs down. Skylights are a fantastic way to bring more light into your sunroom, but they need to be carefully planned during the design phase as they can affect the structural integrity of your roof.
- Insulation – another benefit of a four season sunroom for winter is the amount of insulation you can pack into the walls which again will allow you to keep warm by the power of the sun. In your design conversations with your sunroom contractor, talk about different types of wall insulation to get the best bang for your buck. You can also find ways to add extra heat trapping devices like deep rugs and thicker drapes and curtains once the sunroom is built.
- Space for a stove – finally, to complete the indoor outdoor illusion, having a wood burning or pellet stove in your sunroom will make you feel like you’re round a campfire all winter long. Not only will it be a more natural source of heat in your space, but the smells will conjure up all sorts of comforting thoughts and feelings. However, no matter what type of stove you choose, you’ll need a dedicated space for it with a reinforced section of floor and a vent through one of the walls, so this is definitely something you need to incorporate into the initial design plans instead of waiting to change everything once your winter paradise is complete.
