Top 4 Differences Between A Sunroom And A Screened Porch -- What You Need To Know

So, you have made the decision to add an outdoor room to your Nashville home. The only problem is, you don’t know which type of outdoor room is the best fit for you and your family. This can be a tricky place to be. Archadeck of Nashville builds sunrooms, screened porches, and three-season rooms through the use of our Eze Breeze convertible porch systems. Part of making your decision is knowing you want to enjoy the benefits of the outdoors (views, fresh air, etc) but you also want protection from the elements. Though this may sound simple, just this confirmation means you are off to a good start!

While all of our outdoor rooms offer access to the great outdoors while also providing protection from hot and humid Nashville days and bothersome insects. Beyond that, each type has different benefits. Which type of room is best for you? Archadeck of Nashville is here to help you decide. When a client comes to us on the fence between choosing a sunroom and a screened porch, we ask these 4 basic questions in order to recommend the best outdoor room addition for their individual needs. These are:

1) Do you want a room that is open to your home or a room that can be closed off?
2) Do you want a conditioned space — meaning a room that is insulated with heating and A/C?
3) What type of flooring would you like to use in your addition?
4) Do you plan on using your room during the winter months?

As part of our consultation process, we make a recommendation based on our clients’ responses. As is the case with any custom outdoor room addition, there are always exceptions. However, by sharing basic differences, advantages, and possibilities for each we can help you choose between a screened porch, sunroom or 3-season room.

Nashville Screened Porches

A screened-in porch is an outdoor space that is adjacent to your home, covered by a roof, and enclosed by screens. The roof offers protection from the hot summer sun, wet weather or the cascade of falling autumn leaves. The screens allow you to enjoy outdoor breezes while keeping out unwanted pests and insects, such as mosquitoes. Of all the room possibilities, screened porches offer the greatest access to the soothing sights, sounds, and scents of outdoor living, with minimal view obstruction into your landscape.

Screened porches are what we consider an unconditioned space, this means they are not insulated nor do they require heating and A/C systems. Screened porch designs are accessible to the home through doors that can be closed off from the interior of the home. This makes it easy to close off the porch during the cooler months or when not in use. You may extend the time you can comfortably spend time on the addition with the use of ceiling fans or a space heater.

Many amenities can be added to our porch designs to make them more like an outdoor living room. With the addition of recessed lighting, you can utilize your space well into the evening. By adding an outdoor fireplace, wet bar, or outdoor kitchen you can increase dining and entertainment functionality. You can even hang your HDTV under the protection of the roof, to enjoy watching your favorite shows or sporting events in an outdoor setting. A screened porch is a wonderful option for clients who want the greatest access to the outdoors with some protection from the elements but who know they will use their addition mainly during the outdoor living season.

Nashville Sunrooms

A sunroom is an interior room addition that is designed with a focus on the outdoors. From a design perspective, sunrooms are an interior room that is composed of many windows allowing unfettered views of the outdoors and plenty of natural sunlight. Compared to screened porches, sunrooms are a more complicated home renovation project that involves HVAC systems, insulation, and electricity. The complexities of adding a conditioned space open the door to more design options, as most interior room finishes can also go can also be used in a sunroom, these include hardwood floors, ceramic tile, sheetrock, wallpaper, wood moldings, indoor ceiling fans, and decorative light fixtures. A sunroom is your best option if you are in need of additional indoor living space, and want unlimited views of the outdoors. Sunrooms can be used just like any other interior living space for year-round use and open to the interior of the home.

The Exception We Referred To Earlier…

Earlier in our story, we pointed out that is the case with any custom outdoor room addition, there are always exceptions. When it comes to choosing between a screened porch and a sunroom, Archadeck of Nashville does have one more trick up our sleeve for homeowners that want to enjoy a few of the benefits of a sunroom while retaining all of the benefits of a screened porch!

A Nashville Eze Breeze 3-season porch HTTPS is the exception. Eze-Breeze is a vertical sliding panel of vinyl windows that are backed with screens. This system makes it easy to convert an existing screened porch to an Eze Breeze outdoor room, or we can design any new screened porch addition to include the system.

This 3-season room system works by allowing you to pull the windows down for a screened porch feel, and pull them right back up when it’s raining or when you want a more protected space. The panels are custom-made for your project and available in a variety of colors to make sure they complement your home perfectly. The vinyl window is lightweight to make the sliding easy and still provides the same view as regular glass.

So, there you have it! If you are thinking of adding a screened porch, sunroom or 3-season porch to your Nashville home Archadeck of Nashville is here to help you sort through the options to find the outdoor room that best meets your needs, design aesthetics, and budget.

You can reach us at the phone number on the right, or send us an email at nashville@archadeck.net.
We look forward to working with you!