Sun porches are very popular with homeowners for a variety of reasons. They add value and beauty to the home, provide additional living and entertaining space, and provide a relaxing space that feels like it is outdoors, but is still usable much of the year.

A sunroom porch can have a variety of uses. You can use it for just extra living space, or it can function as a dining room. It can be a sitting room/family room where you entertain close friends, or it can be an attractive part of your outdoor entertaining space.

You can enjoy viewing nature and wildlife from the comfort of your sun porch without the exposure to insects and elements that you'll find with an open porch or a screened porch. They also increase home values when it comes time to sell a home.

Sun porches can be three season (not heated or cooled) or four season (insulated, and on the household heating system) depending on your projected use for the space.

Some considerations to think about when adding a sunroom is that it can attach to or on your existing deck or patio, making it a low-cost home addition without site preparation charges or disruptions to your yard.

Sometimes it can be completed without permits, but that varies according to the local government. It is possible to construct your sunporch so that it converts from sunroom to screened porch in a matter of minutes. Some sun porches provide enough sunlight in winter that you can use the room for months into the cooler weather, and it may stay cool into the summer.

It can actually improve your health to have a sun porch, since our bodies need vitamin D that is produced through exposure to sunlight. Having a sun porch during the winter can also help avoid the winter "blues" that come from too little sunlight.

Consider whether or not you are able to construct the porch yourself. You can buy sun porch kits, but there are often problems with installations, and a professional builder will likely be able to adjust and alter any plans without trouble, whereas an inexperienced homeowner may not.

Carefully choose the location of your sunroom. A south facing room will collect sunlight all year – perhaps good in the summer, and a benefit if you are heating the room. Nevertheless, during the summer, it may be unbearably hot and make the room unusable. Research the climate in your area, and put the sun porch in a location that will give you the most use from the porch.

Sunrooms can be the perfect way to bring the outdoors indoors while giving you control over temperature and humidity. Research sunroom design so that you will find one that brings comfort both in winter and summer. You will want to discuss the benefits of different styles – full glass, glass windows only, metal or wood frames, etc, -- before you make a final decision about if and where to install you sun porch.

Interested in a sun porch for your home? Get your project started by submitting a free BuyerZone request for deck price quotes.