Sun Rooms

Sunrooms or Summer rooms are rooms that are designed to let in as much sunlight as possible. For this to happen they are normally designed to contain as many windows as possible. This may include having large patio doors and roofs that are made or glass. It is now becoming quite popular for sunrooms to be added to the existing house as an extension which under the new regulations that came into effect on 1 October 2008 can be considered as a permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission. The Sunroom must however be within the following limits and conditions:

• It must not be more than half the area of land around the original house.
• It must not extend forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
• The extension/sunroom must not be be higher than the highest part of the roof, which isn the case of a sunroom being one storey high would probably not affect this condition.
• The maximum depth of the sunroom must be three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
• The maximum height of a single-storey rear extension/sunroom of four metres.
• The maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.

Description

In general sunrooms are designed to let in as much sunlight as possible. In order to do so they tend to contain as many windows as possible. This may include having large patio doors and roofs that are made or glass. It is extremely common for owners to use their sunrooms as an extension of the home and extra living space, which can be used as a greakfast room, reading room, toy room or playroom for the children. Not all sunrooms can be used all year round unless they are fitted with heating or cooling systems which should be incorporated at the planning stage. The main difference between the a sunroom and a conservatory is that a sunroom has a solid traditional roof which keeps the temperature more insulated, making them cooler during the summer months and warmer during winter.Conservatories tend to have a pitched glass/synthetic roof.

Advantages and Benefits

Sunrooms are becoming increasingly popular especially in the UK. The extra space created from an extension of this kind is ideal for a breakfast room where you can enjoy your breakfast read a paper and relax in the sun without going outside. Ideal on a sunny spring day when it is not warm enough to enjoy having a meal outside.The main advantage of staying indoors in a sunroom is you can benefit from the warmth of the sun and the natural light that comes with it. An added benefit is that the room even if it is connected to the heating systems on the house will benefit from the warmth of the sum so should not lead much higher heating bills.

Cost Of A Sunroom

The cost on have a sunroom added to your house will depend on the design and work involved. Existing walls can be used but extra time on a project may be involved in connecting the sunroom to the existing heating and cooling systems of the house. Saying that, they are cost effective and cause a lot less disruption to the house when it is being built. Average Costs would be around £10000-£15000, but this does depend on the size of the sunroom, the construction methods used, whether it has a timber frame or is a more traditionally built extension to create an extra room on the house.

Project Timescales

Only approximate timescales can be given here as it depends on whether or not this is a self build project which make take a long period of time due to ones work commitments or whether a builder is hired. In general the timescale for building an extension or sunroom is 6 to 12 weeks depending on your construction requirements and local regulatory standards.