Sunrooms vs. Room Additions: Which One is Best for You?

Sunrooms and room additions are excellent remodeling projects if you are looking into expanding your home’s floor area. Yet, which will work best for your home?

Key Differences

A sunroom is a recreational space intended to let the occupant enjoy the outdoors while staying in a comfortable environment. It is mostly made of glass to allow maximum natural lighting and is attached to the main structure, much like a patio. As sunrooms are often used during the day, electrical lighting and heating and cooling systems are not required. Sunrooms without heating or insulation are considered three-season sunrooms as they are suitable for use during spring, summer and fall. Four-season sunrooms are built with insulated glass, have heating and can be used during winter.

A room addition, on the other hand, is basically an extension of the indoor space. It could be a bedroom, a home office or a room for a specific purpose, such as a hobby room or a media production studio. It’s essentially an extension of your home’s footprint and is therefore requires a permit and compliance with building codes. Working with licensed new addition contractors can help ensure compliance.

Sunrooms vs. Room Additions

Sunrooms and room additions both expand your home’s living areas. The first thing you should consider is the reason why you want to have an addition installed. Is it for increasing your home’s living space, perhaps as a guest bedroom? Or, perhaps a quiet space that you can go to when you need to work or de-stress?

Another factor you should consider is whether you want to match the addition with the rest of the house. This is not a problem with sunrooms as they’re mostly made of glass, though you may want to consider matching the frame color with the existing house trim or roof. You also have to consider that you may need to match the room addition’s exterior with the rest of the house, which can present some difficulties if the same material is not available. Ultimately, it boils down to how you intend to use the addition. A capable remodeling contractor can help you plan and choose the right one for your home.

Design Build Remodeling Group of Maryland is your leading provider of home addition and remodeling services. Give us a call at (443) 230-4070, or fill out our contact form. We serve customers in Bethesda, MD, and surrounding areas.