This is one of the most common questions regarding outdoor living design: “What exactly is the difference between a 3-season, 4-season room, and sunroom?”
The differences in a 3 to 4 season room involve much more than one season. A 3-season room does not have glass to block wind, nor insulation or heat. In some areas of the country a 3-season room is commonly referred to as a screened porch, or even a sun porch. Screened porches can be outfitted with a plethora of amenities much like an interior room. Ceiling fans, recessed lighting, and even a place to mount your outdoor TV are common. You can even upgrade your screen porch by adding more luxurious amenities such as an outdoor fireplace or a sliding window system such as an Eze Breeze window system. These Eze Breeze windows enable you to turn your screened porch into a 3-season room to better utilize the area for more time throughout the year.
A 4-season room takes the principles of a 3-season room a step further by adding glass windows. A 4-season room can also be called a 12-month room and is really a room addition to your home.
Sunrooms and four season rooms generally involve creating an insulated, heated and cooled space that allows you to maintain a consistent temperature year-round. Since these additions deliver functional interior space, they have to be constructed with that in mind. One benefit of a four season room or sunroom addition is the greater realm of interior finishing choices that you cannot get with other outdoor living structures. Finished sheetrock walls painted in your favorite hue, and hardwoods usually saved for interior rooms can be used in these outdoor rooms.
In order to convert your deck or porch into an outdoor room it is crucial to use a licensed professional. These rooms all include a roof. The introduction of a roofed structure in itself will add a great deal of weight to your existing space. In order to prevent problems your deck or porch must first be cleared to accommodate the weight of a roof. Many decks are not built to withstand this weight.
Archadeck of the Piedmont Triad can perform an assessment of your existing deck to see if it is a candidate for an outdoor room conversion, and what would be involved in amending it to make it a viable candidate.
Another consideration when determining which outdoor room is right for you is certainly price. Screens are cheaper than windows. Insulating and installing an HVAC systems will also make the bottom line price of your addition substantially higher. There are no exact guidelines because there are so many other variables. There will be more of an investment for a 12-month room over the others. A lot of the finishes and trim options will also make the price higher such as hardwoods, ceramic tile and interior finish options.
Choosing the right outdoor room conversion to complement your home, deliver your desired function and stay within your budget is important. Archadeck of the Piedmont Triad has been in the business of building outdoor structures such as these for over 20 yrs. here in the Piedmont Triad area.
If you are considering adding a 3-season or 4-season room, or a sunroom to your home, Archadeck of the Piedmont Triad would like to be your building partner. Give us a call for a free consultation at (336) 568-8230, drop us an email or fill out a contact form on this website. We look forward to your call.
