A sunroom features large, energy-efficient windows that provide natural light into your living space while keeping out cold drafts in the winter. Consider turning an unused room or backyard into a sunroom for the whole family to enjoy throughout the year.

Different types of sunrooms can accommodate your budget and property size. A year-round sunroom offers the maximum energy-efficiency, while a screen room is a cost-effective way to take advantage of the outdoors. Compare sunrooms to find one to enhance the aesthetic and functionality of your home.

Year-Round Sunrooms

Year-round sunrooms allow you to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors in all seasons. Whether you like sitting by the fire watching the snow or hosting indoor barbecues in the summer, take advantage of the summer, winter, fall and spring with this new addition to your house.

Benefits of a Year-Round Sunroom

Year-round sunrooms feature insulated glass with no visible fasteners for an attractive and dramatic look and a regulated temperature. Check out these benefits to discover if an all-season sunroom is right for your house:

  • Versatile: The custom design of a year-round sunroom can fit any architectural style, color, material or design. Our professionals at Garrety Glass considers the number of stories and decks your house has to figure out how to design the sunroom. Depending on the room’s intended purpose, you can decorate with either indoor or outdoor furniture.
  • Comfortable: Heating and cooling in an all-season sunroom accommodate a pleasant temperature all year long. With this new addition, blend the indoors and the outdoors and add square footage to the house to create an open concept. You’ll be able to stay cozy in the cold Pennsylvania winter while watching the snow through large, insulated windows.
  • Sturdy and reliable: An all-season room features durable sliding glass doors, insulated windows with impenetrable screens and sturdy roofs, making it a safe addition for any property. It can also accommodate most flooring materials for a unique look and function.
  • Efficient: Electricity runs through the sunroom to create more indoor living space for your home. Energy-efficient heating and cooling throughout the house will regulate the temperature without drastically increasing the utility bill. The insulated windows also prevent heat transfer from the sunroom to the outdoors.
  • Beautiful: Natural light enhances the aesthetic of any house by providing a welcoming atmosphere for your guests and family. Sunrooms allow sunlight into an indoor space with insulated windows and glass walls instead of opaque, standard drywall.

Disadvantages of a Year-Round Sunroom

While all-season sunrooms have many benefits, consider the drawbacks of adding a full sunroom to your house. Think about getting a home addition or a screen room instead for the following reasons:

  • Additional cost: Year-round sunrooms tend to be more expensive than other options for the house. Along with the base cost to add a sunroom, this addition could also increase property taxes, insurance rates and utility expenses to keep the temperature regular in your space. Keep in mind that the sunroom resale value and the invaluable benefits of an all-season room far outweigh the money you spend.
  • Limited privacy: Compared to a regular house addition, all-season sunrooms don’t offer as much privacy from your neighbors. To hide the room when it’s not in use, you could buy custom blinds or shades that cover each window.
  • Slow installation: Unlike screened porches and porch enclosures, all-season rooms can take weeks to install. Make sure you schedule enough time to complete the installation process.

Three-Season Sunrooms

As an alternative to year-round sunrooms, three-season sunrooms are appropriate for getting the most out of the summer, fall and spring in Pennsylvania. Use a three-season sunroom to protect yourself and your guests from pests and rain throughout the year. To use this space at all times of the day, decorate with outdoor furniture and lighting.

Benefits of a Three-Season Sunroom

While it’s slightly less insulated than an all-season room, a three-season sunroom is a long-lasting outdoor entertainment space. You can set it up according to your particular design preferences while seeking shelter from the elements. Consider these benefits to find out if having a three-season sunroom will improve the value of your property:

  • Durable: The aluminum frame around the sunroom is resistant to wear and tear, including fading, chipping, scratching or peeling. Three-season sunrooms also include interlocking frames that make it a durable, long-lasting structure.
  • Comfortable: The sturdy glass windows in place of screens keep away rain, wind and bugs to enhance your outdoor experience in the backyard or porch. Use this space to read a book or take a nap in the sun. If you appreciate connecting with nature, you can also watch the wildlife outside or admire the rain falling on the window.
  • Entertaining: If you like to entertain, a three-season sunroom will help make parties more fun and efficient. Whether you host a yearly summer barbecue or want to have a campout with friends, the party doesn’t have to stop because of bugs or rain. With a three-season sunroom connected to electric power, you could even install a television to watch movies or sports in the great outdoors.
  • Spacious: If you feel like the house is a little cramped, and you have some extra space in the backyard, make it a functional three-season sunroom. This room can serve as a second living room or a home office for getting work done. You could also create a designated play area for the kids, where they can safely play outdoors.

Disadvantages of a Three-Season Sunroom

Along with the benefits, a three-season sunroom also comes with its drawbacks. Consider these disadvantages before placing an order for a sunroom:

  • Lack of insulation: You cannot use a three-season sunroom all year round because it doesn’t have insulation or heating and cooling. Since it doesn’t prevent heat loss, you must use outdoor wicker furniture and treat the sunroom more like it’s part of the backyard than an addition to the home. If you decide to install a heating and cooling system, keep in mind that you would be spending more on HVAC energy costs because the warm air would leak out in the winter.
  • No privacy: Like all-season sunrooms, three-season sunrooms don’t offer any privacy from your neighbors. A set of custom curtains or blinds will help keep out nosy neighbors while you’re using a different part of the house.
  • Cost: The materials for a three-season room can be expensive, but you’ll save money on utility expenses if you choose not to put heating and cooling. You might see an increase in your insurance rates and property taxes, along with the price of installation for a three-season sunroom.
  • Slow installation: Like a full sunroom, installing a three-season room may take weeks, so set aside time in your schedule to dedicate overseeing this project.

Vinyl Porch Enclosures

Transform your porch or patio into a weatherproof space with a four-track vinyl porch enclosure. This system features stackable vinyl windows that cover an exposed part of the house to create a stunning sunroom at an affordable price. Customize the appearance of the porch enclosure to accommodate your outdoor living area’s architectural and design style.

Benefits of Vinyl Porch Enclosures

A vinyl porch enclosure will protect you and the family from UV rays and other unpleasant weather conditions in the yard. Check out these benefits to find out if this home addition is a wise investment for your property:

  • Versatile: Choose custom sizes to enhance the aesthetic of your outdoor living space. Install the panels horizontally or vertically to change the appearance of the enclosure. We’ll measure the exact area where you plan to install it to figure out how many windows to order and the size of each panel so that the design creates the right look for this part of the house.
  • Spacious: Once you install the vinyl porch enclosure, you’ll have additional space to entertain guests outdoors at a fraction of the price of a room addition. Besides having an enclosed area for barbecues, you could also create an outside playroom for the kids or set up an entertainment center to have fun and take in the natural beauty in your yard.
  • Better air quality: Each window comes with a full fiberglass mesh screen that captures the breeze and brings it through your porch. Snap the window out of the frame to get some fresh air while enjoying the protection of the screen. These panels also feature 75% ventilation to improve the air quality of your living space.
  • Durable: The vinyl panels from the porch enclosures are resistant to impact damage. Since the windows are vinyl instead of glass, these panels are flexible to resist dents from golf balls or debris from trees. Even if it does happen to break, we provide a five-year warranty on it to replace right away.
  • Protection from UV damage: The vinyl glazing of the window panels reduces glare and prevents furniture and decor items from fading due to the sun’s harmful UV rays.
  • Quick installation: Installers only need a couple of days to set up a vinyl porch enclosure on the house. Once we measure the space, we schedule the installation and work with minimal disruption to your schedule and home.

Disadvantages of Vinyl Porch Enclosures

While a vinyl porch enclosure will protect an outdoor living space from UV damage and other weather conditions, it doesn’t add much resale value to the house. Before you think about buying a vinyl porch enclosure, consider these disadvantages:

  • Incomplete: Unlike full sunrooms, a vinyl porch enclosure doesn’t feel like an extension of the rest of your house. It’s not properly insulated and doesn’t accommodate indoor furniture.
  • Temperature: Since it’s not adequately insulated, keep in mind that it can get hot quickly. As a result, it may get expensive to regulate the temperature of your house.
  • No resale value: If you’re trying to make improvements to sell your property in a couple of years, invest in a full sunroom or three-season room instead. Even though a vinyl porch enclosure adds value to an existing patio or porch, it doesn’t increase your home’s property value.

Screen Rooms

As the most cost-effective option, a screen room offers the protection of an all-season sunroom for a limited budget. You could always convert the screen room into a year-round sunroom if you change your mind in the next couple of years. This system features retractable motorized screens to create a barrier or an open porch, depending on your needs. Turn a patio, porch or garage into a comfortable living space with a functional screen room.

Benefits of a Screen Room

The cost to add a screen room is cheaper than other different types of sunrooms. Here are some of the benefits of a screen room to help decide if it’s right for you:

  • Insect protection: The motorized screens protect your living space from insects and other pests, and create privacy and shade in an exposed area of the backyard. Breathe in the fresh air and admire the nature outside without worrying about bugs or debris. When you’re not using the screens, you can safely store them away.
  • Custom design: Betterliving screen rooms are available in various sizes and colors to enhance the appearance of your property. We’ll measure the space where you want to install the screen room and create a product according to your design preference.
  • Durable: A screen room features insulation and built-in gutters that keep it secure for years to come. The aluminum frame keeps out pests and other intruders while staying strong against the elements. Along with the durable components of this product, Betterliving also offers a 15-year manufacturer’s warranty for peace of mind.
  • Quick installation: Like vinyl porch enclosures, installing a screened-in porch takes a matter of days. You could also easily convert it to a three-season or all-season room at any time.

Disadvantages of a Screen Room

You can add a screen room to your patio, porch or deck, but you can also build it onto an entirely new space. Along with the benefits of a screen room, consider the drawbacks before ordering a brand-new screen room:

  • Lack of insulation: Since it doesn’t have a way to regulate the indoor temperature, you cannot use it year-round. Instead, you could use a screen room as an outdoor patio over the summer.
  • No weather protection: A screen room lacks the protection from the weather that you can get from insulated windows, so keep in mind that it can get hot quickly.
  • Lack of privacy: When you install screens instead of windows, your neighbors can see and hear your activity from the outdoor patio. Screen rooms can also obstruct your view of the backyard from inside.

Order Your Sunroom Today From Garrety Glass

Whatever sunroom you decide to use for your house will improve your property’s value and create a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. At Garrety Glass, we offer Betterliving sunrooms for your house in Pennsylvania or Maryland. We provide high-quality products and excellent customer service for the best experience you can have while ordering a home addition.

We see our company as a team effort, and we value every customer who contacts us for our products or services. For more information about getting a free estimate for a sunroom today, fill out a contact form or call 717-741-9949.