Sunrooms that bring the outdoors in while expanding your space

Is your home feeling a little cramped? Wish you had an ‘extra room’ where you could escape to enjoy some quiet time, or a room large enough to host Easter dinner for extended family? A sunroom may be the answer.

“Sunrooms bring the outdoors in–it’s a room where people can sit and relax with a cup of coffee and watch the birds, or watch the sunrise or the sunset,” said Paul Janssen, Owner and CEO of JDC Custom Homes in Orangeville. “It’s more of a meditation space. For clients who are established in their homes and want to stay in place, they tend to add these rooms to their existing home for family gatherings or to have a place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. I happen to be sitting in our room that’s attached to the house and enjoying a coffee while watching the snow fly.”

A sunroom expands your living space while adding a beautiful, multi-purpose room. Three season sunrooms can be used from spring to fall and closed off in the winter, while four-season rooms can be enjoyed year-round. Sunrooms are attached to a home’s exterior, usually built on a foundation, and are made of insulated glass. The roof is typically solid, although some atrium-style sunrooms have a glass roof.

Janssen admits there is a misleading perception that sunrooms are steaming hot in the summer and icy cold in the winter. Not so with the high-quality sunrooms designed and built by JDC Custom Homes, an award-winning company which has been designing, building and renovating homes since 1993. The concept to completion service includes getting the necessary permits.

Four-season sunrooms are designed to be enjoyed year-round with the addition of a gas or propane fireplace, in-floor heating and insulated, energy-efficient double or triple glazed windows that regulate temperature.

“Sunrooms, generally, don’t take that much to heat in the winter because they are smaller spaces,” said Janssen. “It’s typically a bit more difficult to keep it cooler in the summer because of all the glass, however window technology has advanced quite a bit in the last ten years. A film can be added to the inside and outside of all panes of a double pane window to provide multiple layers of efficiency. If you wanted to go to the next level, you would choose triple glazed windows. A good design considers the sun angles which are typically higher in the summer and lower in the winter. The design can accommodate how much sunlight gets through the windows with a larger overhang.”

Interior design choices can also help with climate control. Janssen said it is possible to add blinds to help block the sun.

“In a room where you would likely wear your slippers because it’s a little cooler, you might want to add carpet. There is some great vinyl plank flooring that offer the look of wood with the convenience of vinyl. Being able to wash it and have the pets run around and the kids play with their toys on the floor. Stone or tile would be great options if you have in-floor heat.”

When it comes to style and size, sunrooms can be customized to suit a home’s architectural style or a homeowner’s imagination.

“Most sunrooms are usually smaller rooms—12 by 16 feet or bigger, however one of our clients wants a sunroom that’s 14 by 25 feet,” said Janssen. “The sunroom can suit the style of the home or even the character of the client. We design with a client, and not so much for a client. It’s a collaborative process. We sit down with them and access their needs and wants. We design and build based on the lifestyle and wishes of our clients. Some people want a very modern sunroom while other clients want a room that complements and blends in with the home’s architectural style. It’s very much a personal choice.”

Janssen recommends that the sunroom foundation matches the foundation of the home. While some sunrooms are set on piers, this is only for three-season sunrooms because cold air can run underneath the room.

“Sunrooms can be built any time of the year, but this will depend somewhat on weather conditions,” he said. “If our clients want to use their yard in the summer months and prefer for construction to happen over the winter, we like to get the foundation built before Christmas so we can work on the sunroom over the winter months. In recent years though, it’s been easy enough to build all year.”

And now the million-dollar question: how much does a sunroom typically cost and how long does the process take from start to finish?

“It’s almost impossible to answer that without asking a lot of questions,” chuckles Janssen. “It’s like asking how much does a car cost? What kind of car do you want—a KIA or a Lamborghini? It really depends on what you want and how you want to enjoy the space. Do you want stone floors or vinyl? Do you want it to be warm in the winter? What size? It’s a difficult question to answer. Glass is expensive and the cost of construction materials has increased significantly from pre-COVID days.”

The concept to completion process also varies depending on where the home is located, the style and size of the room.

“Permit times vary by municipality and if the home is in a conservation authority area it usually takes longer. Give it four to six months, but sometimes it can take up to a year.”

Janssen recommends doing your research and getting references before choosing a builder or home renovation company for any size job, including sunrooms. This is where dealing with a local company has its advantages.

“Sometimes things go wrong, or warranty work needs done, and we are here for you when you need us.”

Janssen is the CEO, his wife Margaret Janssen is Manager of Corporate Affairs, and they currently have three of their adult children working in the company in various roles.

“What we love most is our niche—meeting with clients and designing to suit their needs and wishes to realize their dreams become real spaces for them to experience and enjoy,” said Paul Janssen. “We want to create good customer experiences. Many times our clients will shed some tears when the job is done, and they realize the team will no longer be on site every day. We want to be the best and the most sought-after design/build company in the region. A company who our clients will recommend to their family and friends. That kind of referral is the ultimate compliment. Our reputation is built on trust, collaboration and our core values.”