How To Keep Your Arizona Sunroom Comfortable All Summer

Adding a sunroom can be a fantastic way to give your home an added functional living space. This is typically why they are some of the most desirable add-ons to a home. After all, they give a home a bright and cozy place to enjoy the outdoors without the downsides of actually being outside. However, to ensure that you are able to experience the benefits of your sunroom during the warmer months of the year, you will need to prep your sunroom accordingly. Otherwise, you will find it might get a little too hot for your liking. Below, we will be going over some of the best ways to keep your Arizona sunroom comfortable all summer long.

How To Keep Your Arizona Sunroom Comfortable During The Summer:

1. Adding Fans

As it would with other rooms in your home, any fans that you add to your sunroom can improve the comfort level during the summer months. Because a sunroom heats up due to the way the room is designed to allow maximum sunlight to penetrate, the room can get very hot. A ceiling fan or even fans strategically positioned around the room can help to cool the space. Unlike AC, fans aren’t intended to decrease the ambient temperature. Instead, they are designed to create a wind-chill effect around the body and on your skin which can increase the evaporation of sweat and make it easier for excess body heat to escape. This is one of the best options to consider with a sunroom because it is affordable and it can be very energy efficient.

2. Blinds And/Or Shades

Installing either blinds or shades can have a tremendous impact on the comfort level of your Arizona room during the summer. There are also plenty of different options to choose from. Blinds and shades work by either blocking or completely reflecting energy and heat from penetrating your windows and getting into the room. One of the most effective at reducing summer heat gain is highly reflecting blinds according to the Department of Energy [2]. Insulating blinds and shades can be an excellent functional and aesthetic addition to your sunroom because they can give you the option of added privacy, but they can also provide insulation to keep excess heat gain in your sunroom when you don’t want it. The key is figuring out how to position these blinds or shades properly to minimize direct sunlight and UV ray penetration. Because these only require a small add-on, they are some of the most cost-effective ways to enhance the comfort level of your sunroom without overly expensive additions. According to the Department of Energy, something as small as insulated cellular shades can reduce solar heat through windows by as much as 80 percent.

3. Insulated Windows

Windows have always been the weak spot for maintaining maximum home energy efficiency. If you are looking to make a significant upgrade to your sunroom to improve energy efficiency and comfort level, by far the best addition you can make is an investment in insulated windows. Not only can insulated windows block excess solar energy from getting into your Arizona room, but it can help hot air from escaping during the colder months. Therefore, it is an addition that can pay dividends year-round. These windows work by effectively providing more insulation through multiple panes of glass which can block heat transfer. You can expect to pay as much as $2,500 for insulated windows for your sunroom and they can result in a significant reduction in high temperatures in your sunroom even during the warmest months of the Arizona summer.

4. AC Upgrades

It can be very challenging to get your sunroom to the optimal temperature even when outside temperatures are average. After all, it is often an addition to your home that is likely to be hooked up to your home’s HVAC system. Likewise, it is a room that is purposefully designed in a way that makes it very susceptible to weather fluctuations whether hot or cold. This is especially true during the summer months when the Arizona sun is extremely hot. During this time, sunlight is capable of penetrating your sunroom causing excess solar and heat gain. This can cause the room temperature to skyrocket. This is what makes upgrading your AC a must. As long as you have a well-insulated sunroom, upgrading your AC can be a wise investment for the added comfort. You can either do this by tapping into your existing HVAC system by extending your ductwork from the main portion of your home, by adding a portable air conditioning system, or even by adding a ductless system to the room. A ductless mini-split can be one of your best options when it’s not possible to extend your current HVAC system to cool the sunroom. Mini-splits offer very versatile placement and they are both effective and efficient at cooling and heating which makes it an ideal option for an Arizona sunroom.

When you are designing and building out your sunroom, you should be looking for ways to minimize excess heat gain through its orientation. However, this is not always possible. If your sunroom is positioned in a way for maximum sun exposure, you will need to take necessary steps to properly insulate it and to add cooling solutions to ensure that you are able to make your sunroom a place where you can relax. By utilizing one of or a few of the options above, you should be able to do just that.

If you are looking for AC installation or upgrades, please contact us at 623-386-7804 for an estimate.