Sunroom Addition – a essential part of your home improvement project

When deciding whether to add a sunroom addition or traditional addition to your home improvement project, Professional Remodeling group in Fairfax, Virginia, a class-A, Home Improvement Company, would like to share some important considerations when making this decision.

Sunrooms are often overlooked as a great addition to your home. First, sunrooms add space, but also natural light which can save on energy and the expenses associated with energy. In addition, sunrooms add a sense of sophistication into your home, where your family can enjoy outdoor living 365 days of the year regardless of whether conditions or other natural intrusions.

Oftentimes, people will overlook the fact that sunrooms may be used for many other uses other than a place of entertaining. For example, sunrooms may also be used as a home office or exercise room and can therefore be one of the most used homes in the house if the room is insulated with high quality class and thermally-efficient framing. New glass technoolgoes can cut down on harmful UVA and UVB radiation, and can therefore also protect your furniture from fading. Low-E (low emissive) glass is also self-cleaning and becoming one of the most popular choices for sunrooms, also associated with much lower heating and cooling costs.

In comparison to a traditional addition to your home, one of the main benefits of a sunroom addition, is that sunrooms may be built quickly with easy construction and therefore less disruption to your home. Traditional room additions are consistent of wood and other solid material and therefore may cost up to three times as much as even an insulated sunroom.

Also consider that sunrooms may be either three-season or two-season. Three-season sunrooms are usually constructed with single-glazed glass and screens which protects your home from only moderately warm or cool temperatures. If you would like a room you can use year round, solarium sunrooms made from double-paned insulated glass is more appropriate.

Finally, Professional Remodeling Group, Sunroom Addition contractors in Northern Virginia, encourages you to keep in mind that a sunroom addition, because of its uniqueness and if done with quality materials, will add resale value to your home. In fact, in comparison to the cost invested into building a sunroom, most homeowners will recoup up to 70% of the investment costs.

Sunrooms are a great way to add a special but useable touch to your home. Not only are they less costly than a traditional room addition, they are beautiful and energy efficient. Although often overlooked and sometimes misunderstood, a sunroom could be just the change and addition your home needs.

Vinyl Window Replacements – some tips from Northern Virginia based Home Improvement Company

Professional Remodeling Group is a Northern Virginia based Home Improvement Company. According to Professional Remodeling Group's window contractors………Vinyl window replacements have become increasingly popular in terms of home improvements. Their benefits include reduction in noise and energy use while increasing the value and curb appeal of the property. In addition, vinyl windows improve the general aesthetics of your home, and are a quick and affordable improvement to make.
In terms of energy efficiency, vinyl windows are mostly double-pane and therefore offer more sun protection than single-pane windows. A low e-coating will also decrease the allowance of UV rays which not only saves energy but protects your home and everything inside it from sun damage. A “low e-coating” means a low emittence of energy. This is in the form of a metallic layer which is essentially invisible but reduces the flow of heat.

Professional Remodeling Group advises that when choosing vinyl windows, energy efficiency ratings are very important. The U-factor tells you how quickly heat can escape through the window, therefore a lower U-Factor number is generally better. The R-Value measures the window’s insulation so a higher R-Value number is important. The SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) shows the window’s capability to block the sun’s heat and ratings should be between 0 being the best rating, and 1 being the worst rating. Finally, ensure that the AL (Air Leakage) rating is low.
Vinyl windows also offer significant noise reduction. The double-pane provides a barrier form noisy traffic and other street noises. They are also sturdier than single-pane windows and more resistant to breakage.

Finally, vinyl window replacements are aesthetically pleasing. Companies offer many styles and finishes to choose from so you can customize your windows to match your house in particular with colors, grid options, capping options, etc….. The resale value of your house will also increase due to this aesthetic change and can add anywhere between $20,000 to $30,000 to your resale value of a typical northern Virginia home.

Although vinyl window replacements come with many benefits, this is still a home improvement which must be looked into carefully. The first consideration to make is whether you should replace your home’s windows with new construction windows or retrofit windows. With new construction windows, the original window frame is completely removed. With retrofit windows, the window is installed on top of the original window frame. This option is faster, and less expensive.

The next step in vinyl window replacements is to gather estimates. This can be a lengthy process. Gathering estimates are important as you will see each company varies in costs. The most important things to remember are: read the warranty, ensure you see a sample window before committing, call up a list of references, and check the companies track record with various agencies.

Once you have received an estimate you are comfortable with, you may proceed to choose from the variety of styles and finishes available. Despite the process of home improvement and vinyl window replacement, you will find that this addition to your home is well worth it. The investment is worth the final increase on returned value, energy savings, and improves the aesthetics to your home.