Our mild Charlotte area climate offers many outdoor living opportunities throughout the year. As the premier Charlotte outdoor living designer and builder, Archadeck of Charlotte addresses the question, “What is a 3-season room?” The answer is not as simple as you might think.
A deck is certainly a deck. A patio is a patio. A porch, however, comes in a few iterations, including that of a 3-season room. Does a porch require Eze-Breeze windows to be considered a 3-season outdoor room? Is HVAC required? Well, no…and no!
Charlotte Eze-Breeze 3-season room
A Sunroom Is Not a 3-Season Room.
Many times, sunrooms are mistaken for 3-season rooms, as they serve a similar function. Sunrooms are rooms with lots of windows for natural light entry. The difference in an Eze-Breeze three-season room and a sunroom, is that sunrooms are actual home additions with insulation and HVAC. They are climate-controlled with the feeling of being outdoors all year long. Sunrooms are 4-season rooms!
Charlotte sunroom
Is a Screened Porch a 3-Season Room?
In Charlotte, a screened porch is three-season room. What constitutes this designation? Well, simply put, screened porches are usable in the Charlotte area for all or part of three seasons per year. Typically, a Charlotte screened porch is usable for nine months out of the year – March through November. While some days in some of the transitional months might be too cool to utilize a screened porch in the Charlotte area, others lend themselves beautifully.
Charlotte screened porch/3-season room
What’s more, it is not necessary to have Eze-Breeze windows on your porch to get three seasons of use. While an outdoor fireplace can create a cozy space on cool days, it is not necessary to have one on your screened porch for it to be considered a 3-season room. With a fireplace and space heaters, a screened porch could even get use in the winter months, which would technically make that screened porch a 4-season room.
Sun Porches Are Not 3-Season Rooms.
Sun porches are not as common as they were many years ago. These are simply enclosed porches with fixed windows, which were built for one reason – soaking in the sun when the air temperature outdoors is too cool to enjoy without bundling up. Because sun porches are not climate-controlled or insulated, they are best in cooler seasons, and will be rendered unusable on warm or hot, sunny days, as they create a greenhouse effect with the sun that is trapped within the space. We would liken it to entering your car, which has been parked in direct sunlight all day! Sun porches are also not usable on cold, overcast days, as full sun is required in cool weather to get optimum effects.
Which Type of 3-Season Outdoor Living Design Is Right for You?
Each of our projects at Archadeck of Charlotte is custom-designed to fit the specific home and outdoor living style of our clients. Some families might prefer their 3-season room with windows. Others might only wish to have screens. There is no wrong answer – just the answer that is right for your home and family!
If you are considering building a 3-season room, Archadeck of Charlotte will create the perfect outdoor room for your home, lifestyle, and budget! Give us a call at (704) 850-6104.
