Designing the Best Sunroom for Calgary

Owning a Desert Sun Patios Sunroom is a fantastic investment for you and your family. Not only does it greatly increase the value of your home, and has one of the best return to value rates of any large home improvement projects, but it also gives you a whole extra room to expand into. There is no grouping of people that couldn’t benefit from more space, whether you choose to use it for entertaining, dining or even a home spa or gym. There’s nothing like relaxing in your new sunroom with the light streaming in, especially when you know you’re fully protected from the elements.

Calgary Specific Design

However, not all sunrooms are created equally, and particular thought needs to be given to the design of a sunroom that will stand the test of the weather extremes that Calgary will throw at it. From the high winds throughout the year to the cold and long Alberta winter, designing the best sunroom for Calgary means you should consider the following options as you plan your new home expansion:

• Studio style roof – the first design concept to consider to make your sunroom ready for the Calgary seasons is the roofline shape. While a gable may look better aesthetically, many Calgary sunroom owners opt for a studio style roof, where the sunroom roof slopes from the house down and away from the home in one continuous line. This helps to keep snow moving along the roof line and also tends to help the sunroom blend into the house better.
• Extruded aluminum exteriors – the harsh Calgary winters can wreak havoc on most external fixtures across the city; a combination of snow, ice and freezing temperatures can often cost sunroom owners a lot in repairs come spring time without the right external materials. Again, many Calgary sunroom owners opt to install extruded aluminum for all exterior fixtures; this material is largely weatherproof against anything that a Calgary winter can throw at it and is relatively easy to touch up and maintain during the warmer months.
• Alternative door locations – finally, all Calgary residents know the trials and tribulations that come with living in a windy city. You should work with your sunroom contractor to make sure you know where the wind blows most frequently around your proposed sunroom site and position the doors appropriately. In many cases, this means putting the doors on a different side to where the wind blows strongest. Not only will that avoid them blowing around when you have them open, but it will stop cold breezes and drafts coming in throughout the winter months.

Find a Calgary Based Contractor

The best advice for designing the best sunroom for Calgary is to avoid an off the shelf sunroom design from one of the big box stores and find a locally based contractor. Not only are you more likely to get better service and a cheaper price, but their local knowledge of Calgary’s weather and climate will help you make sensible design choices for your sunroom.