Going Green Goes Great With Sun Rooms

by | Aug 20, 2012 | Home Improvement

Sun room Herndon

Sun room Herndon

A sun room adds light, space, and a comfortable place for the family and friends to lounge, with mild temperatures to enjoy the whole year. These benefits seem somewhat less attractive when you consider the huge energy loss that can happen with a room full of windows. Thankfully there are things you can update in your existing sun room, ways you can be more “green,” to help reduce energy losses and make it so you can enjoy your sun room in Herndon free of cares.

One key factor in keeping things cool in the summer and helping maintain a fresh air feeling in your sun room is ventilation. Some older sun rooms were not designed to take advantage of natural air flow. Thankfully, you do not have to tear down your sun room in Herndon and start over. You can install artificial ventilation with ceiling fans to move the air around your room and push the hot air out that lingers there on hot days. Using this technique will be cheaper than installing and running AC during those hot summer months.

Another important item to maintain good energy retention is insulation. When you have very little ceiling insulation in a sun room in Herndon, the warm air you want seeps out in the winter, upping your heating bills. Most contractors recommend at least four inches of insulation in a ceiling. Sun room experts usually say to double that amount, to compensate for the energy leaking out of the extra windows in the room. Insulation is often not too expensive, making this an affordable change that will have big returns in the long run.

Sometimes you have to think outside of the problem to find the solution. If you find that your sun room is too hot in the summer, resist the urge to press that AC button. Instead, consider installing some deciduous shrubs and trees outside your sun room, especially outside the West and East-facing walls. That way, they will shield you from the sun during the toasty months, and there will be no leaves in the way to shield out the scarce sun in the winter months. Not to mention, they will create a more beautiful view to enjoy from your sun room in Herndon.

While it may not be an obvious thing, the flooring you have in your sun room makes a big difference in how “green” your sun room is. Vinyl flooring can emit fumes when heated, which are carcinogenic and especially dangerous if your sun room does not have great ventilation. Consider installing some brick, ceramic tile, stone, or decorative concrete, which all hold in heat and are much easier to clean than carpet.

Sun room Herndon  Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes is a remodeling company, focusing on complete kitchens, bathrooms, basements & sun rooms remodeling of with home additions & renovations services in Herndon.

Sun room Herndon

Sun room Herndon

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