Building a Sun Room Guide
Sun room is also called greenhouse, patio room or solarium. It is a brilliant addition to a home that will surely increase its value and provide a space for relaxing and enjoying the beauty of nature. There are many ways to build a sun room. One way is to buy a sun room kit and assemble it according to the instructions. The second way is to purchase a pre-made conservatory from a manufacturer and the third way is to design and build the structure from scratch. Explained below is a stepwise guide to build a sun room.
When designing a sun room, it is ideal to take a look at pictures of solarium in catalogs, magazines, leaflets and brochures. Internet is also a good and fast way to search. There are a lot of designs which should be explored. The attractive features of different designs should be selected and added to the ideas for building it. The purpose of the room should be kept in mind while designing the sun room. It should be noted that greenhouse with a tilted front is the most easy design which can be personally done.
The basic purpose of the sun room is to store as much solar energy as possible. This is the reason that it should face towards the sun for the maximum time period. The windows and doors of the solarium must be facing towards the solar south. Help can be taken from a seasoned weatherman for finding the solar south because it is different from compass south. Sun rooms that face towards the solar south produce reactive heat during the winter months. Furthermore, they also allow the plants to grow throughout the year.
The structure of the sun room should be energy efficient. For ensuring this, it is important to use the right kind of building materials. The best materials considered are thermal mass materials because they efficiently conduct and store energy and release it when it is needed. Brick is also one of the good thermal mass materials. A water pond with duckweed and water lilies give a beautiful look to the greenhouse and will also dramatically reduce the electricity bills. Light colored roof and wall will also make the sun room more energy efficient.
An ideal building material for the sun room is pressure-treated wood. It is also good to use aluminum. It is better to paint and stain wood before using it to build the sun room. It is best to use double glazed windows because they are not only durable but they also decrease glare providing a perfect insulation. For provide outstanding stability and flexibility, the frame of the sun room should be constructed on a lump foundation.
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You might also be interested in learning how to build a stucco house and how to build a sun room
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