Sunshine is proven to be good for your mental and physical well-being and in winter we can often see too little of it. A home’s sunroom can be a great place to enjoy the outdoors while staying indoors, but if your sun room is drafty you might not be using it as much as you could.
Here’s a few tips to help you improve the energy efficiency of your sun room so you can enjoy it all year long.
Find the leaks
- Find the leaks in the frames. Because this room is exposed to more of a temperature change than other areas of the house, weather stripping on the windows and frames of the structure can expand and shrink. Use a clear caulk to make repairs.
Install a fan
- Install a ceiling fan and invert the blades during cold months to help drive down warm air. You can swap them in summer to do the opposite.
Tint the windows
- Tint windows to minimize glare and block the sun’s ultraviolet rays. A tint with a low-E rating will keep radiant energy from escaping from the room in winter.
Control the temperature
- Consider a mini heating or air conditioning unit to help regulate the temperature of the room.
Orientate your sun room south
- Ideally, your sun room should face south but it can deviate 30 degrees to the east or set of due south
Hang temporary window coverings
- You don’t want to cover up windows in your sunroom because frankly, it defeats the purpose of having the room. But you can buy an inexpensive insulating version to hang temporarily during the winter. Keep them open during the day to capture the sun and close them in the evening as another insulating layer for the room.
Design for insulation
- Design your new sun room with a ceiling instead of being an entire glass enclosed room. This will enable you to insulate the roof.
Replace windows with Energy STAR-qualified windows
- A sun room contains a large amount of windows installed closely together which makes it even more important to have windows that are energy efficient and built to withstand rain and wind. Thompson Creek Windows exceed the 2018 Energy Star criteria and our quality materials and superior installation improve the energy efficient of your sunroom. Plus a Thompson Creek window is AAMA tested to withstand rainfall of up to 8 inches per hour and wind tested to withstand category 4 hurricane windows, so you can feel safe your sun room will give you a window to the weather not a front seat to the storm!
If you are looking to for replacement windows for your sun room, consult our Thompson Creek Window Comopany experts. Because we design, build and install our windows we can help you create the most energy efficient project. And, if you have a sun room with drafty, ill-fitting windows, our Thompson Creek Window professionals can provide a free in-home consultation and a no-obligation quote to help you start enjoying time in your home’s sun room again!