If you’re intrigued by the title of this story, chances are that you’re considering the addition of an outdoor room to your home. You may have heard the various types of terminology that describe different outdoor rooms, such as a three or four season room, screened porch or sunroom. We realize as a homeowner, It is often hard to decipher what the differences are between the various choices. Screened porches, 3-season, 4-season rooms and sunrooms are very popular in the Nashville area. As your choice screened porch builder, Archadeck of Nashville is here to ease your mind by clarifying the differences and make choosing the right outdoor room easy!
Typically, outdoor rooms can be classified in four different ways — all of which are composed of a roofed structure.
Screened porches consist of a covered porch made up of screened openings instead of windows. The screen serves as a barrier from bothersome insects and inclement weather. Having a screen porch will give you the opportunity to have an “outdoor” room without the exposure to the harsh elements. Screened porches are shade structures because they are built under the cover of a roof. They offer that necessary respite from the sun and heat on our warm Tennessee days.
Nashville 3-Season Rooms
Screened porches are sometimes referred to as three season rooms here in Tennessee. These type of porches can be finished with a variety of flooring options such as traditional wood, tongue and groove flooring and low maintenance composites like AZEK, TimberTech, and Trex. The added protection from the screens affords interior finish options that lend an interior room feel to your space. Among the long list of options are beadboard ceilings, electrical packages, sound systems, integrated outdoor fireplaces, TV mounts and much more.
Nashville 4-Season Rooms
Taking the 3-season porch a step further is a 4-season room. A four-season room is similar to a sunroom but is not considered an interior room addition and can be easily closed off when not in use.
Archadeck of Nashville uses the EZE Breeze convertible porch system on our 4-season rooms. This innovative sliding panel system enables you to turn your screened porch into a 4 -season room to better utilize the area for more time throughout the year. It works by allowing you to control the amount of screen you leave exposed, from half screen and half sliding panel, to closing the panels completely and creating a room with the feel of a sunroom without the extra installations required to have a sunroom. By pairing this enclosure system with a space heater you can make use of the screened porch beyond the typical Nashville outdoor living season, even through the winter months!
— Nashville Eze Breeze Porch
Nashville Sunrooms
A sunroom is a room addition. A sunroom is attached to the home and has insulation as well as heating and air conditioning. While many homeowners think they want a sunroom, given the price tradeoff and the temperature protection a multi-season room provides, often a 3-season or 4-season porch is a much better bet. Here in TN, our winters are mild. Compare the cost of a space heater for a multi-season room to the cost of insulation and installing HVAC to a room.
— Sunroom and patio combination space
Sunrooms are more complicated to build because they require the same construction fundamentals that an interior addition requires. A sunroom addition does open up a greater realm of interior finishing choices that you cannot get with other outdoor living structures. The materials include ceramic tile, hardwoods, wooden detailing and moldings, and more. Since the use of sheetrock comes into play with a sunroom, you can use paint, faux finishes, wainscoting, and even wallpaper to show off your personal style. The possibilities are endless. A sunroom will often have a dual entry from the interior of your home as well as the exterior via a patio or porch to offer you the ultimate in convenience for indoor/outdoor entertaining.
One common misconception is that all-glass windows are required to have a bright and sunny room. As long as your porch or season-room has wide openings and is positioned well to the direction of the sun, you can essentially have as bright and airy of a room as you desire.
Choosing an outdoor room design that is the best fit for your home’s architecture, your desired function, and your budget is important. This is why consulting with an experienced outdoor room builder is crucial. Archadeck of Nashville has been designing and building custom outdoor rooms for homeowners all over the Nashville area for many years.
If you are thinking about the addition of an outdoor room, or other unique outdoor living space, contact us today to learn more call (615) 640-3628, or contact us online.
