Sunrooms are becoming ever more popular, as they are a stunning way of enhancing your home and increasing your living space while creating a feeling of luxury that a conservatory could only ever dream of! The visual effect of a sunroom with its typical vaulted ceilings with their Velux roof windows, and sliding bi-folding doors are breathtaking.
The reality of sunrooms is they are usable everyday rooms; whether in the throes of summer or the winter freeze, the internal temperature will stay constant with your house temperature. Sunrooms have very little in common with their cousins the “conservatory” – in fact the only thing a conservatory has in common with a sunroom is it creates extra light and space in your home.
Why Sunrooms are better than Conservatories?
It is a well known fact that conservatories are far too hot in the summer (they has been known to melt candle wax in extreme sun) and unusable in the winter unless you have electric heaters. By law you cannot have your main gas central heating system in your conservatory, (and why would you want to? If the heating is not on all the time and we get severe cold weather you may find a frozen burst water heating pipe has leaked all over your conservatory floor), also by law you must have exterior grade doors separating the house from the conservatory (this is down to a conservatory not requiring planning permission and its thermal U-Values, among other things). Conservatories are classed as temporary structures, and over time will require more maintenance and not have the same life span of a properly constructed sunroom. They will also cost a lot more in energy bills if you use it all year round.
Sunrooms are a “properly” constructed extension to your house that comply with all current building regulations; during the erection phases they will be inspected at certain points like any normal extension would be by Building Control, and all sunrooms will have to meet the stringent thermal U-values which are necessary for any modern day home. One thing to consider if you intend on having a large amount of glazing is that Building Control may require thermal SAP calculations to see if your proposed sunroom will meet the required heat loss figures.
Because of the permanent nature of sunrooms, the initial build costs slightly more as you will need some plans drawn up, you will have to have building control involved, and you may need planning permission. This obviously is where the cost difference starts to come in; the plan/design needs to be paid for, as do the building control fees, furthermore all that extra insulation (for a increased U-value) that makes the room the room usable brings in added costs not to mention any structural work you may require to make the sunroom open plan.
When budgeting for a sunroom as opposed to a conservatory the initial cost will be greater but over the life of you home that cost will be more comparable.
The Benefits of Sunrooms
- Overall saving on energy bills due to greater thermal U-value.
- Sunrooms require less maintenance.
- Greater acoustic values.
- A sunroom creates an open space with no need for internal exterior doors.
- Gas central heating where applicable.
- Sliding bi-fold doors to allow full access to the garden.
- A sunroom will add more value to your home when you come to sell.
- Sunrooms are permanent structures that will last as long as your house.
At CJK Builders, Consett we offer a full range of sunrooms and sunroom extensions at a fixed price which includes your bespoke design, building control, and constructions fees. We will come to your home for a no obligation consultation, and can tell you the price before you commit to any work so you will know how much the sunroom will cost. For moreinformation contact CJK Builders Consett by email or telephone us on 01207 580851
(We have added more information on the benefits of Sunrooms on our dedicated Sunroom page)