Sunrooms a great investment for a home if done well – Daily Press

A sunroom can be a peaceful, valuable addition to a home. Or it can turn into a disaster.

Asking the right questions upfront and hiring an experienced, qualified contractor will help people avoid many common mistakes.

"You've got to do your homework to get what you want and not go down a bad path," says Robert Criner, president of Criner Remodeling in Newport News.

The first step is to decide if a full sunroom is better than other options, such as a partial structure for shade, a screened-in porch or an expansion or remodel of an existing room, possibly with new windows or skylights to add brightness.

Many sunrooms are built off porches, decks or patios, but that's not as simple as it sounds, says Dan Bawden, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers, a trade group, and a longtime Houston-based contractor.

Existing slabs and decks usually are too thin and weak to support a room with floors, walls, roofing, windows and doors, and original patios are designed to slope away from a home for drainage. Without replacing those structures with a flat, sturdier foundation, sunrooms will settle, pull away from a house and develop cracks and leaks. "Big problems can start happening within two years," Bawden warns.

A sunroom's roof should slope, he adds, because flat roofs will be vulnerable to leaks, mold and ice damage. Good-quality insulated doors, windows with energy-efficient glass and ceiling fans can keep a room from becoming too hot or cold, while having a door to the backyard is important for fire safety.

Another frequent issue is that the room behind a sunroom, often a den, can get darker; well-placed windows and skylights in an addition can help move light back into that space. Homeowners also should consider where they'd put furniture including televisions in a sunroom before they make final design decisions, Criner says.

Not surprisingly, the right contractor can simplify what can be a complicated process, from meeting local zoning and permit requirements to picking the right materials for a particular home, climate and budget. Check for licensing and designations such as Certified Graduate Remodeler or the higher Graduate Master Remodeler, both awarded by NAHB. Ideally, a company also should offer three-dimensional computer modeling to showcase exactly what a new addition would look like.

More tips: Ask about a contractor's experience with the specific project selected, look at pictures of past work, and check with at least two references. Previous customers will have important insights on timeliness, responsiveness, cleanliness and any bad habits such as playing loud music or smoking. Finally, be sure to have a start and completion date in any contract.

"Done right, a sunroom can really be a great investment," Criner says. "It will look like it was always part of a house, ready to be enjoyed."

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Sunrooms a great investment for a home if done well - Daily Press