Glass roof sunrooms offer homeowners many benefits including their dramatic impact on your home, unparalleled styling and elegance, and architectural flexibility. They create a brighter, more cheerful living and working environment than can be achieved by conventional construction. Sunrooms almost always become the most popular and most used area in the house. Capturing light is simply one of the most common reasons for making your addition a glass roof sunroom.
But there are many reasons for adding a sunroom. Every year, on average, between October 1 and May 31, eastern Ontario and western Quebec receive over 1100 hours of sunshine. Ask yourself – - how many of these do you actually enjoy? With a glass roof sunroom you have the opportunity to enjoy the entire 1100 – - right in the comfort of your own home.
Sunrooms add space. Solarium/sunroom additions can be used for every conceivable purpose including kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, exercise rooms, foyers, home offices, all year tropical living space, and enclosed swimming pools. Enlarging an existing room by removing an existing wall, or a portion of that wall, and adding as little as 3 to 5 feet with a glass roof extension can significantly change the character, usage patterns, and your enjoyment of your entire home. Bump-out sunroom additions can add critical square footage and turn existing average or poorly lit rooms into larger, sunny and pleasant environments.
Kitchen renovations that incorporate solariums are becoming increasingly more popular. One new owner of a Four Seasons solarium/kitchen reported that the real joy of a sunroom addition was the sensation of being surrounded by nature. “When I’m in the kitchen I feel like I’m in the middle of my garden . . . and it’s beautiful and sunny whatever the season.” Another has commented, “it’s the kitchen I always wanted – - and never want to leave!”
With age, our pupils usually shrink and our lens becomes less transparent, thereby reducing the amount of light reaching the retina. In fact, the retina of a 65 year old person receives only about one third as much light as its 20 year old counterpart. In other words, for a 65 year old to see as well as a 20 year old when reading, he or she needs three times as much light. Glass roof sunrooms can provide that extra light. And as we age this need for extra light only increases.
We are constantly reminded of the need to exercise. Many of us join gymnasiums while others choose to set up their own exercise rooms, usually in a basement recreation room. As home renovation specialists, our sales professionals have the opportunity to visit many homes, and to observe the usage patterns with these home gyms. From our experience and discussions with these homeowners, it is obvious that most people with basement exercise rooms are spending far less time on their equipment than originally planned. For many, after the initial few months, this equipment is simply left unused or transformed into a drying rack. On the other hand, equipment placed in areas where there is an abundance of natural light, such as a sunroom, is almost guaranteed to see significant and continuous usage. It’s a simple fact – - we all love natural light. It’s invigorating!
Independent studies show that well-designed glass roof sunrooms represent one of the highest returns for all home improvement options. Glass roof sunrooms do make a design statement. Well designed sunrooms built with high performance glass will not only enhance your enjoyment of your home, and its value, they increase its resale potential. Today’s home buyers look for a bright sunny environment!