As we enter the final phase of summer for this year, it’s time to start thinking about what has been affectionately dubbed as ‘cozy season’. With fall now right around the corner, it won’t be long until winter’s icy grip is upon us once more, which is why it’s so important to keep our homes as energy-efficient as we possibly can.
For sunroom owners, a sunroom isn’t just a relaxing space where you can enjoy the beauty of your garden from the comfort of your own home, it’s an extension of your home as a whole. Sunrooms don’t just protect you from the elements, and from nature in general, they’re designed to keep you warm, comfortable, and cozy.
That’s all well and good, but what about if your sunroom feels more like an ice box during the winter? Well, if that is the case, it’s almost certainly not going to be energy-efficient, and that will be a real problem all year round. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help.
From sealing gaps to preventing drafts and everything in between, here are several energy-efficient sunroom upkeep tips you may wish to follow.
Check for Obvious Signs of Damage
To begin with, before you start looking at your sunroom doors and windows in closer detail, quickly go around and inspect the whole thing to look for any visible signs of damage.
If you can see a visible crack in one of the seals for example, or if one of your windows is cracked or chipped, cold air will be able to get in, and warm air will escape. If the damage is visible to the naked eye, it will obviously be fairly extensive, though easy to spot at least.
Weatherstrip Windows And Doors
When it comes to keeping your sunroom energy-efficient, it’s important to check your windows and doors, and seal any gaps using good quality weather stripping.
Feel around the seals of your windows and doors and see if you can feel any drafts, or any air getting in at all. If so, not only can cold air get in during the winter, but warm air can also escape. This means that you’re literally wasting your money to try and heat your sunroom in the winter.
Even during the summer, things can get expensive, especially if you’re running an air conditioning unit to bring the temperature down. This way, warm air is let inside, and cold air will escape. Again, this is money wasted.
If you can feel, or see, any gaps around your doors or windows, go ahead and apply a good quality weatherstripping seal. This will help to maintain a comfortable temperature and will help make your sunroom more energy efficient, and more cost effective as a result.
Check for Leaks After Rain
Even if you can’t feel any obvious drafts when you check the seals on your sunroom doors and windows, that doesn’t mean that they don’t need replacing. Sometimes, the damage is not yet extensive enough to be noticeable.
Another useful tip when it comes to making your sunroom more energy-efficient, is checking around the seals for any leaks or signs of water following heavy rain. If you notice water where it shouldn’t be, even if it is only the tiniest amount, it’s obviously getting in from somewhere.
If water is able to get in, so too will cold air. To make matters worse, if water is able to get in, during the winter it could freeze and expand, before contracting as it thaws. This is a sure-fire way to wreck your sunroom door and window seals.
If you notice any signs of water, or water damage, go ahead and get those seals replaced with high quality seals/weatherstripping, before the problem has chance to get any worse.
Take Temperature Readings
It may seem like an unnecessary step, but every so often, it’s worth taking the time to take a few temperature readings to ensure your sunroom is the temperature it should be.
If you’re heating your sunroom, check the temperature and see whether it remains stable and where it needs to be. If you turn up the heat, check to see whether or not the room actually heats up. You should also measure how quickly the temperature drops.
Taking regular temperature readings means that you’ll be able to see whether it remains stable, and compare notes. If one winter, you find that your sunroom is considerably colder, despite the weather not being drastically different, cold air could be getting inside. If this is the case, figure out where, and get to work on setting it right before things get any worse.
Utilize the Sun for Warmth
Sunrooms, as the name suggests, are rooms designed to allow us to enjoy the sun in all its glory. This doesn’t just mean amazing views outdoors, it also means natural warmth.
Sunrooms are generally designed with large glass windows, doors, and even sometimes ceilings as well. The glass doesn’t just provide unobstructed views of the great outdoors, it also helps to magnify the sun’s rays and provide natural warmth.
During the winter months, on days when it is sunny, open up the curtains or blinds and allow the sun’s rays to gently heat the room. As soon as it starts to go dark, close the curtains or blinds to help seal in the heat, and you’ll be amazed by just what a difference it can make.
Allow Plenty of Ventilation in the Summer
While most people think of keeping a sunroom warm during winter as far as energy-efficiency goes, it’s equally as important to keep your sunroom cool during the summer, especially during a heatwave.
Sunrooms are designed to magnify the sun’s energy and heat the room, so during the summer, the heat can sometimes become unbearable. When this happens, not only is air con a blessing, but so too is natural ventilation.
Consider installing vented skylights, sliding doors, or larger windows that allow more fresh air inside when you need it. Cooling the sunroom naturally means you don’t need to rely on air con, plus it means your energy bills will be less as you won’t need to run the AC to bring down the temps.
