Sunrooms allow homeowners to connect with the outdoors — without the insects

Andrew and Emily Buschmeier love the nature surrounding their Horsham home. They have a large yard that backs up to spacious woods with a scenic pond and lots of wildlife. But they weren’t counting on the insects that share their space.

“I’m big on being outside, but we’re crushed by mosquitos,” Andrew said.

So in February 2023, they hired Beaver Building & Remodeling, based in Chalfont, to add a large four-season sunroom with windows filling every wall, and a deck where they can enjoy the outdoors when the bugs aren’t biting. The 20-by-16-foot addition has become the family’s favorite spot to hang out.

“We practically live in there,” Andrew said. “We eat meals, watch TV, and play with the kids there. We absolutely love it.”

The sunroom’s cathedral ceiling is a richly stained pine, and the wood-patterned tile floor is heated. Stone lines the bottom of the walls below the windows, and mini-splits provide heating and air-conditioning. The project took about three months and cost $185,000.

While the Buschmeiers enjoy their large addition all year, sunrooms come in many shapes and sizes and may be used seasonally. The global three-season sunroom market is expected to grow from $325 million in 2022 to almost $600 million by 2031, according to Business Research Insights, a digital marketing firm.

Sunrooms allow homeowners to feel like they’re outdoors, without worrying about insects, weather, or keeping the space clean of pollen and dirt.

“A sunroom or patio enclosure is a great way to maintain your view because our rooms are 98% glass,” said Melissa Skinner, Cleveland-based vice president of marketing for Patio Enclosures, which has a Bensalem location. “Open the windows to feel the breeze and enjoy the outside from the comfort of the inside.”

While windows and sliding glass doors are the mainstay of a sunroom, it’s important to plan ahead. One common mistake homeowners make is not preplanning how they will furnish and decorate the room.

“People want a lot of glass, but don’t take into consideration leaving some wall space for artwork, light switches, furniture, and the television placement,” said Kevin Focht, owner of Beaver Building & Remodeling. “We take into consideration the room’s position and how the sun moves, to come up with a creative solution to avoid glare on the TV.”

The configuration of your sunroom will be determined by your space, budget, and how you want to use it. A three-season sunroom is physically separated from the rest of a house by a sliding glass or French door and is not designed to be climate-controlled all year. A window air-conditioner, space heater, or electric fireplace may be sufficient for your heating and cooling needs for much of the year.

For four-season use, you’ll need to insulate the walls and ceiling, and install heating and air-conditioning. That might involve expanding your home’s current HVAC system to the addition or adding a dedicated unit such as a mini-split, which doesn’t require ductwork.

In 2018, Jim and Laura Kulcyk hired Patio Enclosures to add a 15-by-20-foot three-season sunroom to their Marlton home. The aluminum and glass structure cost about $40,000 and took under three months to build.

“It added an extra 300 square feet with a southern exposure so the sun hits it nicely in the afternoon,” Jim said. “It’s an extension of the kitchen and family room.”

They installed a bar, television, and comfortable furniture to the carpeted space, which has sliding doors on every wall. Electric heaters and ceiling fans control the climate, which is sufficient for most of the year.

The custom sunrooms Focht builds cost between $100,000 and $225,000, and all of the work is done on-site. He estimates that a year-round structure will cost about 25% more than one made for three seasons.

Patio Enclosures’ custom sunrooms, which are measured on-site, made in their factory, and then assembled on-site, range in price from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. In some cases homeowners already have covered patio space, which can be enclosed.

“We have enclosed things as simple as a one-wall breezeway between a home and garage to a three-story sunroom that wraps the entire back of the home,” Skinner said.

If you’re handy, consider a prefabricated kit from an online store such as Wayfair. Costs can range from a $4,000 prefabricated gazebo to a several hundred thousand dollar four-season addition.

Choose a licensed contractor, ask for references, and then actually call those references, Focht said. Have the contractor provide you with a certificate of insurance.

Ask for timelines up front and ensure that all of the particulars are provided in writing. Be sure the contractor will be in charge of following any township rules and will handle any necessary variances, permits, and inspections.

Your sunroom should bring a 49% return on investment, meaning it will increase your home’s value by about half of the cost of the addition, according to HomeAdvisor, a digital marketplace that connects homeowners with local service professionals.

The actual return will depend on the state of the real estate market at the time, experts say. In any market, a sunroom will add square footage to your existing home and allow you to enjoy the outdoors more comfortably.

The Buschmeiers are thrilled with their sunroom.

“We’re now using the house and property the way we envisioned when we bought it,” Andrew said. “It feels like we’re immersed in the backyard.”

Have you solved a decorating, remodeling, or renovation challenge in your home? Tell us your story by email (and send a few digital photographs) to properties@inquirer.com.