Sunroom Addition Evaluation | Sunroom Addition Home Value …

Sunrooms have come a long way from the glassed-in porches of the 1960s. Todays versions are full-fledged year-round rooms featuring cathedral ceilings, skylights, energy-efficient windows, tile flooring, heat, and air conditioning.

Also known as Florida rooms, sun parlors and solariums, sunroom additionsbring the outdoors inside but without the bugs and bad weather. As a result, they usually become the familys favorite hangout spot, says Atlanta architect Rick Goldstein. Heres how to evaluate whether a sunroom addition fits your house and your budget:

Whats a sunroom?

The defining feature of a sunroom is the vast amount of glass. Some versions, known as solariums and conservatories, consist of walls and a roof built entirely of windows that are held together by a strong cage of metal, wood, or vinyl.

But the traditional sunroom is built like any other addition using standard construction techniques and a roof that matches the rest of the house just with a lot more windows. A sunroom usually has 20 or more windows, plus skylights.

How much will it cost?

A 200-square-foot sunroom addition, including footings and slab-on-grade foundation, post-and-beam construction thats exposed on the interior, efficient windows, 10 operable skylights, a tile floor, window shades, and a ceiling fan costs an average of $72,179 according to Remodeling magazines 2013 Cost vs. Value Report. You can expect to get about $33,529 of that investment (46.5%) back at resale, according to the study.

Youll need to set aside at least 12 weeks for this project, plus time for planning, and will need the help of an architect or a design-build contractor to create a room that ties in well with the houses style, flow, and structure.

As with any addition, youll need a building permit from the town and youll need to follow zoning rules about how closely you can build toward property lines, how big your home can become, and other restrictions.

Where should it go?

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Sunroom Addition Evaluation | Sunroom Addition Home Value ...