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By Kevin Passon HOMES PLUS CORRESPONDENT N EW BERLIN – Old Man Win- ter continues to hold Wis- consin and much of the Midwest in his icy grip, but would- n't it be sweet to look him in the eye and laugh in his face – while staying nice and warm in your cozy sunroom? Four-season sunrooms continue to grow in popularity with home- owners looking to make an addi- tion to their house while taking advantage of the views or at the least the feel of the great outdoors. "The all-season sunroom is popu- lar because it allows in natural light, provides dramatic views and can be designed to match any style of architecture," said Chris Egner, owner and lead designer at Chris Egner Design Build Remodel/Four Seasons Sunrooms in New Berlin. "They are very desirable rooms. With all of the windows, you can enjoy the outdoors without the bugs or rain." Egner is a master certified remodeler, and a member of the board of directors of the Milwau- kee/NARI Home Improvement Council. His firm not only designs and builds three- and four-season sunrooms for them, Four Seasons is also the brand name of the prod- uct. "Four Seasons has been around from 35 or 40 years," he said. "We are the largest manufacturer of four-season rooms in the world. Previously, the challenge was to keep the room warm in the winter and cool during the summer. Today, our patented high-performance glass reflects the heat from the sun out of the room in the summer and reflects the heat provided in the room back into the sunroom during the winter. This high-tech glass allows you to feel as comfortable in a sunroom as any room in the house all year long." Homeowners have plenty of options when it comes to sunrooms – the generic buzzword for rooms with lots of windows. Many of them also have glass roofs. Some of the rooms are meant to be three- season rooms, while others are true four-season rooms that can be used even in the coldest months. "Three-season rooms have non- insulated glass and no controls over the heat gain in summer," Egner said. "When it gets really hot in the summer, so does the room, and you often can't use it. It will extend the use of the room into the spring and fall, but in the winter, it's like standing in your garage. You can use it to keep your soda cold, but that's about it. Spring 2 3 6 2 8 5 0 0 2 C O N T E N T S Consider these factors when building a sunroom ■ Lighting adds life to any home's room ■ MBA Spring Tour showcases homes ■ David Belman honored with state award ■ Tarragon named as this year's top herb ■ New technology helps with home projects ■ Four quick color tips to awaken your home Popularity of three-season, four-season rooms continues to grow with more options See SUNROOMS/Page 2 HOMES HOMES WAUKESHA + Your Guide to Homes, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden and MORE! A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • March 2014 Indoors and outdoors meet in sunrooms Indoors and outdoors meet in sunrooms

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