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HOMES PLUS MARCH 2014 2 Distributed by: ©2011 by Conley Media Waukesha County Homes Plus is published monthly by Conley Media - Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. A publication of Conley Media Sales Director: Jim Baumgart 262/513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Editor: Dwayne Butler 262/513-2626 dbutler@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com Graphic Designer: Joe Orth 262/542-2501 #2411 jorth@conleynet.com Homes Plus Volume 4 ■ Number 2 ■ March 2014 It seems that more and more sunrooms are popping up these days or at the very least, are on the minds of home- owners who are consid- ering having one installed at some point in the future. A sunroom is a quaint place to relax and enjoy a good book, give your plants the sunlight they need to grow or soak up the area views thanks to the vast number of windows it features. This month, Homes Plus writer Kevin Passon talks with local experts about sun- rooms' popularity and what you should consider when building one. Also this month, Homes Plus offers tips on how lighting adds life to any room, what paint colors are trends this year, the top herb for 2014 and more. Enjoy! – Dwayne Butler Homes Plus Editor Sunrooms shine brightly these days Butler 236095001 and fall are really the best seasons for three-season rooms." Egner said homeowners are now learn- ing that for a little extra, they can have a true four-season room for less than or about the same as a standard room addi- tion. "From the 1970s until about 10 years ago, sunroom technology didn't change much. The windows were airtight, but the aluminum walls they were constructed with didn't retain the heat in the room," said Jude Tindall of S.E. Wisconsin Sun- rooms in Twin Lakes and Brookfield in a Milwaukee/NARI news release. "Today, they are constructed with different mate- rials like vinyl that are insulated with foam. "Customers have been seeking all-sea- son sunrooms for some time, but some saw it as a high-ticket item. Middle- income people ended up buying do-it-your- self versions that didn't offer a variety of style options. Now that there is trend of people staying in their homes longer, homeowners view sunrooms as an invest- ment." Like any room addition, the size, mate- rials, design and features can vary, all affecting the final cost. Egner said he sees typical rooms run between 12 feet by 12 feet to 20 feet by 20 feet, but he has built some smaller and some larger than those measurements. A glass ceiling will also make a differ- ence in how it affects the adjacent rooms. "Many people add sunrooms to the back of the house, off the kitchen or dining room, because that's where you have room and usually the better natural views," Egner said. "But when you add a room with a standard ceiling, all of that natural light that used to come into the kitchen or dining room is now blocked. So, a glass roof on the sunroom keeps that light com- ing into the adjacent rooms." Computer technology has helped design and build firms show their clients what the room will look like before its gets built. Those graphics can show how it will look from the inside and the outside, allowing for comfortable furnishings and matching the existing home's exterior, respectively. "Today, people can choose from a vari- ety of options for their sunrooms. It is not a cookie-cutter business," Tindall said. "Modern all-season sunrooms come in a variety of styles, including wood finishes, with drywall and siding. These options allow you to match the existing home's style so well that it looks like they were built as part of the original home." Scott Bear of Bear Sunrooms in Mequon said sunrooms bring the best of the indoors and outdoors together. "Many people choose to build sunrooms to enjoy their hobbies and favorite recre- ational activities inside and are surprised when it quickly becomes the most used room in the house." continued from Page 1 Sunrooms

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