Fall in Love with a Custom Sunroom Built by Expert Sunroom Builders

Fall in Love with a Custom Sunroom Built by Expert Sunroom Builders

There’s always something magical about fall in Calgary. The heat and bugs of summer are slowly fading away, but the cold and snow of winter are still a few months out. What you’re left with is a series of warm sunny days matched with cool evenings which help to bring out the natural stunning fall colours across the city. However, it’s not as easy (or as warm!) to hang out on your deck or patio to enjoy fall, and the days get shorter surprisingly quickly. It makes sense therefore to make this the year you invest in a custom sunroom to enjoy the best that fall has to offer.

Why Choose A Sunroom

A custom built sunroom is the ideal home improvement project for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gives you a whole new room to play with, so whether you’re looking for somewhere to admire your outside scenery, or a new dining room with a view, a sunroom gives you a blank canvas to play with. Secondly, you can build a sunroom quickly and easily, especially if you have an existing deck or patio to build on top to save digging new foundations. Finally, a sunroom has plenty of big windows to let lots of sunlight and warmth into your space. This means that it’s naturally heated, and with glazed windows, it’s naturally insulated too. This can help save on heating bills while giving you the perfect cosy spot this fall to snuggle up and enjoy the views.

Custom Build Sunrooms

Here at Desert Sun Patios, we know that every Calgary home is unique, and that every sunroom project has a specific set of goals and desires to meet. This means when you work with our team of expert sunroom builders, we will help you build your ideal custom sunroom that will meet your space, needs and budget. 

Design Choices

A custom built sunroom is the best way to get your dream home extension completed. While the format will be the same (i.e. a large open space that sits on your deck or patio with plenty of big windows), you have some important choices to make for your custom sunroom this fall:

• Roof shape – the biggest decision you’ll make is the shape of your roof. There are two main options: A frame or studio (or flat). This will dictate how you light your sunroom from above, and you’ll want to take the existing shape of your house into consideration here. An A frame roof will make your sunroom feel bigger, and will give you the opportunity to install sloped skylights and a ceiling fan to keep warm air circulating during the colder fall evenings. A studio roof is best for a low profile home, or if you want a more cosy feel to your sunroom. You’ll probably choose recessed lighting here combined with some wall or free standing lamps to provide the right vibe. 
• An external door – next you’ll need to decide if you want to have an external door, turning your sunroom into a seated corridor to the outside, or to leave it closed in, turning your sunroom into a fishbowl style sun trap. An external door does add additional gaps for cold air and water to seep in, but some good weather proofing and draft excluders at the bottom of the door will keep you warm and toasty while giving your sunroom easy access to your garden. A fishbowl sunroom gives you more opportunities to put big windows, as well as an additional wall to put larger items of furniture against. This is a great option if you want to use your custom sunroom for something like a guest bedroom or a home gym. 
• Window layout – finally, you’ll want to think about whether you want windows that go floor to ceiling, almost feeling like a conservatory or greenhouse, or if you want wall space in between to create a new living room or dining room vibe. In some circles, the former idea would be called a solarium, and you will need to work with your expert sunroom builders to make sure the large panes of glass are protected from the first frosts of fall. For a sunroom with solid walls, you should talk with your contractor about adding insulation between the wall frames to keep your sunroom warm and cosy without adding to your home’s heating bill. 

Fine Detail Customization

Of course, one of the biggest factors that your expert sunroom builders will factor in is the overall footprint that your new sunroom can occupy. If you are building on top of an existing deck or patio (a smart way to save money by not digging and installing foundations), your sunroom dimensions will already be set, but otherwise the world is your oyster. Once you’ve talked through the major design considerations above, you’re then down to the fine details of how you want to customize your sunroom further:

• Transom and kickplates – if you’ve chosen a three season sunroom or more of a solarium vibe, you can add a transom to the gap between the top layer of glass and the roof, and a kickplate to the bottom edge of your sunroom wall. These give you a little extra protection from the fall weather as well as some privacy if your neighbours live close by. 
• Roof design – if you’ve chosen a studio roof, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of roof designs. A common decision is between a V-pan and a W-pan roof, both of which are designed to allow for water run off. You can also choose a fully insulated roof, perfect if you’ve gone for a three season sunroom.
• Number of skylights – finally, you can choose the number of skylights you want installed. This will in part be limited by the overall dimensions of your sunroom ceiling, as well as the amount of natural light that hits your current deck or patio. You can also go all in and choose an all Lexan design where the whole ceiling is made from skylights!