Regardless of where you live, it’s likely that you want to make the most of your home’s outdoor space. Intense climates with scorching summers and freezing winters make it difficult to enjoy being outside. In addition to weather, mosquitos, flies and other pests often send people right back indoors. People are looking for ways to enjoy being outside without its nuisances. Sunrooms are an excellent solution.

The addition of a sunroom creates a middle ground between being indoors and outdoors. Though there are variations of each, the two main types of sunrooms are those with glass paned walls and those with screened walls. Both sun and screen rooms allow you to be outside while offering you varying amounts of protection from insects and weather.

Screen rooms are the most basic and inexpensive form of a sunroom. Built onto decks or porches, the walls of a screen room protect people from insects and other pests. An enclosed roof offers shade from the sun and a cover from the rain, but for the most part, screen rooms are subject to temperatures and weather. While they can’t be temperature controlled, screen rooms can come with electricity for lighting and ceiling fans. Screen rooms are most enjoyed when the weather is comfortable.

Stepping up from a screen room, a traditional glass paned sunroom offers considerably more. Basic sunrooms provide protection from rain, snow and wind and increased protection from temperature. Electricity for ceiling fans and lighting are available as well as full temperature control for higher end models. Because they are less subject to weather, sunrooms can be enjoyed during more parts of the year.

Like a typical room addition, sunrooms are a construction project. Before anything can begin, a plan must be made and building permits obtained. Once that’s in order, a foundation can be laid, walls put up and roof placed on top. With the installation completed, sun and screen rooms become a permanent addition to a home.

Whether you opt for a simple screened version or an advanced glass paned one, sunrooms are a great addition to any home. Every sunroom adds valuable and usable living space to a home. Sunrooms make excellent home offices, game rooms or art studios. The natural light of the sun with protection from insects and weather make sunrooms the perfect place to entertain guests, enjoy breakfast, or simply kick back relax.