Today we do a short and quick chat on Sunrooms and Greenhouses. We took a little from our own experiences and some from our staff research.
(Photo from HGTV)
The definition of a sunroom is a normal insulated room with many windows and skylights held together in a structure that can be made of aluminum, metal, vinyl, or wood. The professionally installed sunroom has the biggest return on investment in the West and in the South. These rooms are also known as Florida rooms, they are year-round rooms usually with skylights, energy-efficient windows, tile flooring and heating/air-conditioning. True sunrooms have at least four hours of sun per day. Sunrooms that are constructed well and decorated nicely usually become gathering places for the family and are usually found off the kitchen or living or great rooms. Not many people realize, but the structure option and window option drastically changes how the sunroom will end up. With the structure, as stated earlier, people have a choice of vinyl, aluminum, clad, or wood with a window choice consisting of single pane, double pane, triple pane, Low E, Argon gas filled panes and tempered glass. The structure and window choices made will serve as to what type of sunroom it will be. Information and Designs can be found at Better Homes and Gardens, HGTV, and Wikipedia (for quick info).
(Photo from HGTV)
Greenhouse. The word makes the mind burst with images of the top gardener, wonderful plants, and yearlong vegetables. The truth is it comes with a commitment to time, money, space, and a large dose of responsibility. Now the people that have greenhouses have a large number of abilities and choices to make. They have the ability to have seedlings grow, winterize their plants until the last freeze is over, and constant growth for the year-long haul of vegetables and flowers. However, the choices are just as many as the sunrooms above. Where some come in large greenhouses, others small, then either freestanding or connected to the side of a house. Then comes material questions, if they want glass plating or plastic but there is also flexible plastic which can be relocated and put up and down depending on the season of the owner's wishes. The accessories that the owner must consider purchasing include ventilation, heating & cooling, mist and fog systems, shade covers, and possible lighting systems which may affect certain plants. On the subject of ventilation, there multiple ways of getting air in and out of the greenhouse. You can have an exhaust fan, intake shutters, and exhaust shutters, and roofing vents (manual or electrical), electronically controlled ventilation as well as ventilation in general will provide fresh air, prevent pest infestation, and encourage pollination. However, unventilated greenhouses have the capability of harboring viruses within. Air that is stagnated is makes for a strong breeding environment for viruses. Greenhouses usually have a high depreciation. Usually for home resale it goes along with property at no value. Tyler Matteson of Grower Talks magazine said "A greenhouse is strange hybrid, it looks like a building, for tax purposes it is a fixture, and for evaluation purposes it is like a tool. And according to Tyler, the IRS takes off 100% of the book value of the asset. The best thing to know about Greenhouses is that it can be expensive, you need time, a sense of responsibility, and be able to do upkeep. HGTV has a good write up on Greenhouses.
Sunrooms and Greenhouses provide a bit of glamour into the homes. Both come with their own style and uniqueness, but both also come with the thought that like everything else in the house, it will need upkeep.
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