What’s the Difference Between a Sunroom & a Conservatory?

The meaning of each of these terms, sunroom and conservatory, has become somewhat indistinct over time. If we look back at history, however, we can identify what makes each type of home addition unique. (Rest assured, if you choose an experienced home improvement contractor, you will get the indoor/outdoor room of your dreams, no matter what you call it. You can specify the details of your sunroom or conservatory.) That being said, let’s look at the different attributes of the conservatory and the sunroom.
Whether you’re looking to build a sun room or a conservatory, you can contact the experts at Stoneridge Outdoor Living or give us a call at 877-309-8445 today!

Sunrooms & Conservatories: How They’re Similar

Both types of room are meant to marry indoor living space with the outdoors while keeping you completely comfortable–even as the seasons and weather (outdoor temperatures) change. Both structures are typically added to the rear or side of your home, providing expansive views of your exterior landscaping and tons of natural light. These rooms provide a nice place to relax at the end of the day, in a comfortable chair with a book; or a place to have breakfast al fresco, without actually being outdoors. Conservatories and sunrooms can also offer a place to entertain friends or can even serve as your art studio or home office. You’re typically protected from insects, rain, and excessively hot or cold weather. Both types of structure can add value to your home and be designed to complement the style of your house.

The History of the Conservatory

Then: The conservatory rose to popularity in the UK in the 1800s. These protected outdoor rooms allowed British homeowners to grow beautiful, yet delicate, plants at almost any time of the year, even when the weather outside was less than ideal. The conservatory started as a basic greenhouse attached to the main residence, without any special features like heat or cooling. Now: Modern conservatories, sometimes called four-season rooms, typically include tempered, safety glass walls (and often glass ceilings as well). Conservatories are designed to extend your living space, allowing you to cultivate plants if you like–but you can do much more. Your conservatory can have high-tech features like remote-controlled blinds, climate control, sound system, TV, and more. In some cases, a conservatory can be completely detached from the main house.

Defining the Sunroom

Sunroom is a broader term, and these rooms can be a simple but lovely, screen-enclosed porch. If you prefer, the walls may be glass rather than screens, or both glass and screens. The sunroom typically does not have a glass roof, however. Instead, the home’s roof is extended, if necessary, to cover and protect the sunroom. Deluxe sunrooms may still include features like automatic blinds, specially designed lighting, climate control, and more. In some cases, a sunroom is known as a three-season room.

Designing Your Perfect Indoor/Outdoor Room

As you can see, there’s no universally agreed upon, set-in-stone difference between a sunroom and conservatory, so the best builders will work with you to understand your needs, desires, and goals. At Stoneridge Outdoor Living, we will consult with you to determine exactly how you intend to use the room, and then create a structure with the exact features you desire. If you’re considering adding value and recreation options to your home with a sunroom or conservatory, contact the experts at Stoneridge Outdoor Living today or give us a call at 877-309-8445. We’ll make sure you get the indoor/outdoor room you’ve been dreaming of!

Interior Design Ideas in Northern Virginia & West Virginia

STYLE YOUR SUNROOM TO MATCH YOU

Have you been browsing sunroom ideas and inspiration pictures for your dream home? Maybe you want a space to enjoy your view of Lake Holiday year round? Or a way to add extra living space to your Richmond home? With so many sunroom design options to choose from, finding the right one can be an overwhelming process. To make things more complicated, the thought of undergoing home construction usually brings on stress and uncertainty. From the early steps of compiling sunroom ideas to the finished product, the experienced professionals at Stoneridge Outdoor Living are here to minimize stress! There are many different sunroom ideas out there, so one of the first things you can do in the brainstorming process is determine what you will use your new room for. Do you want to use it year round? Then you should look into Four Season Sunroom design options. If you desire a space you can enjoy during the warmer months, a three season room may work best for you. A few common sunroom ideas include:

  • Add extra living space to your home
  • A way to keep bugs out
  • Create an area for entertaining
  • A place to kick back and relax
  • A way to enjoy the outdoors from indoors
  • Dining area
  • Space for plants
  • Office area

Once you have decided what you will use your sunroom, for it’s time for the fun part: looking for sunroom ideas! There are endless websites that you can use to find inspiration, such as Pinterest and Houzz. Bookmark the designs that you think might look great on your home so you have them saved when you talk to your sunroom professional. Sunroom companies will usually have photo galleries of their designs, so use that as a tool for finding inspiration during your search. Talk with your Sunroom Contractor and collaborate with them, their insight and your ideas and style will make for a wonderful addition to your home. Sunrooms come in many different styles, some including Straight Eave, Curved Eave, Soaring Cathedral and Traditional Glass Conservatories. While you’re browsing online for ideas, you will probably notice that you like one or two styles more than others. This will help you choose which type you want for your home. Another factor to consider is what style of home you have. Stoneridge Outdoor Living takes pride in preserving the style and integrity of your house and can work with you to draft designs so you can see what your finished addition will look like with the rest of your home. At Stoneridge Outdoor Living, we want searching for a sunroom to be fun, not stressful. Our experienced professionals are here to answer your questions along the way. Tundraland is proud to stand behind our home remodeling projects because we are confident in our quality, local, American made products, our experienced, professional craftsman and design work. We offer product warranties, free consultations, financing programs and both senior and military service discounts. Learn more about our commitment to exceptional quality and satisfied customers by contacting Stoneridge Outdoor Living today!

Why You Need a Sunroom This Summer

Adding a sunroom to your home can transform your summer. In fact, it can make every coming season better from now on. It could even increase your Northern Virginia home’s value. A new sunroom gives you more options for summer relaxing and entertaining than ever before. With a custom sunroom for your home in Virginia or West Virginia, you could enjoy all of this, this summer.

Imagine What Your Sunroom Can Become

Family Bonding Area

Tired of sitting in the living room for TV night, but it’s too hot for a picnic in the park? You can do either, comfortably, in your sunroom. You can enjoy the outdoors and family togetherness without leaving creature comforts. You can play board games with the family, screen a movie, or simply eat dinner in a place that’s more fun than the dining room. (And it’s free from insects, unlike the park.) As a kid’s playroom, the sunroom can’t be beat. Sunrooms offer a unique, natural setting that can bring new freshness and new options for family time.

Summertime Celebration Space

Throw the best summer birthday party or a neighborhood get-together with little effort needed. Your sunroom setting alone can make even the most casual, spur-of-the-moment summer event magical. Sunroom entertaining is easy and comfortable, whether you go all out or simply pull together a BYOB. This unique celebration spot, which brings nature right into your home, is perfect for any occasion.

Quiet Time Oasis

Your sunroom can be like a cool mini-vacation every time you step into it. Consider having a nice breakfast in your sunroom to start the day. Arrange a generously sized, comfortable chair next to a tea table. Grab a book (and maybe a snack) to enjoy a peaceful, calm afternoon. If you prefer an evening of quiet reflection, that’s no problem. Simply adjust your custom sunroom lighting feature. Raise or lower the blinds with your remote, and set your ideal temperature with selected features.

Romantic Summer Rendezvous

Porch swings have nothing on a sunroom for sweethearts. Watch the sunset together over a glass of wine, any day of the week. A sunroom addition can be a convenient couple’s getaway or hideaway. This space offers many options for keeping the romance in any relationship.

Your Custom Sunroom: High Tech or Back to Nature

Your sunroom options are endless with the team at Stoneridge Outdoor Living. You can opt for a fully featured sunroom, with sound system, UV protective glass, and advanced mist cooling. If you prefer, we can build a simple, rustic, enclosed porch version for your sunroom. Or, we can provide you a little of both. We’ll create the sunroom of your dreams, offering all kinds of design and functionality options to unleash your creativity.

Partner with Stoneridge Outdoor Living for a Dream Sunroom

A sunroom built by our team is one of the most cost-effective home additions to consider, with the most streamlined construction process. When you choose an experienced sunroom contractor, you’ll have a world of design options and custom features to choose from. Our experience means that your project is completed quickly, on budget, with little disruption to your household routine. Our commitment to customer satisfaction means you’ll enjoy your sunroom for decades to come.

Find Sunroom Experts in Northern VA & the Richmond Area

If you’ve been considering a new custom sunroom for your home, now is the time to build it. With all the benefits you’ll enjoy, you’ll wonder, “Why did I wait so long to build my sunroom?” At Stoneridge Outdoor Living, we’re happy to offer more information about sunroom home additions. Contact Stoneridge Outdoor Living by calling 877-309-8445 to get started on your new sunroom in Northern Virginia or West Virginia today!

What Is a LifeRoom?

A LifeRoom helps you make the most of everything your home should be. A home is, ideally, a place of comfort and relaxation. Adding a LifeRoom to your Northern VA home by enclosing a porch or patio allows you to enjoy nature in a new way. Your new LifeRoom home addition is created with glass walls and ceilings, windows and screens, or a combination of these elements. You can customize your LifeRoom with unique lighting options, custom shutters, arched glass eaves –and much more. With a LifeRoom, you, your family and friends can live an indoor-outdoor lifestyle in complete comfort year-round.

Expand Your Home’s Options with a LifeRoom

At Stoneridge Outdoor Living, we specialize in creating your perfect LifeRoom. We ensure that your new home addition’s design has all the qualities and features you’re seeking. Then we meticulously construct it with superior craftsmanship to add value to your home and transform your at-home lifestyle. Our projects are always completed on a short timeline, so you can begin enjoying your LifeRoom right away.

How We Customize Your LifeRoom: Popular Features

Your life isn’t like anyone else’s, so your LifeRoom must also be unique. Available atmospheric and comfort features can allow you to:

  • Enjoy mid-summer comfort with cool mist temperature control or soft breeze technology to dry and cool the air.
  • Create the right mood with adjustable lighting options.
  • Increase privacy or open up the view, on demand, with remote control blinds.
  • Let outdoor sounds and breeze in (or shut out inclement weather, as needed) by adjusting expansive glass windows and/or screens.
  • Keep out insects and allergens and gain significant protection from the sun’s harmful UV radiation, even if you opt for LifeRoom motorized screens only.
  • Adjust your environment conveniently from your seat, as most features are operated via remote control and move into place silently at your command.
  • Comply with HOA guidelines and construction guidelines, if any.
  • And more!

Creative Ways to Use Your New LifeRoom

  • Enjoy outdoor views and landscaping in complete comfort, nearly any time of year.
  • Entertain guests and celebrate with nature all around.
  • Watch a rainstorm from your LifeRoom.
  • Eat breakfast in a lovely, quiet setting before starting your day.
  • Take a break and read a good book in your favorite chair.
  • Let indoor pets enjoy fresh air and a natural setting.
  • Play board games with the family or even screen a movie.
  • Have a romantic dinner with someone special.

LifeRoom Design & Construction in VA, WV & MD

Stoneridge Outdoor Living is your local LifeRoom specialist. Our team has constructed LifeRooms throughout Virginia, DC, and Maryland for over a decade. Ready to make your home unique and increase its value with a LifeRoom home addition? Contact Stoneridge Outdoor Living online or call 877-309-8445 today!

What Is a Four Season Room?

Do you ever wish you could enjoy the outdoors in complete comfort any day or evening of the year here in the Washington, DC or Northern VA area? A four season room is the perfect solution that allows you to be outdoors, in nature, in almost any weather–without leaving the comfort of your Richmond-area home. A four season room provides you safe, comfortable shelter and complete climate control along with an uninterrupted view of your surrounding landscape and breathtaking skyline. This versatile living space is an expansion of your home, done in a creative, effective manner–by enclosing a porch, deck, or balcony. The straightforward construction of a four season room makes the indoor-outdoor room a great investment. It’s a relatively low-cost, quick home renovation that expands your living space, giving you more usable square footage to enjoy. Your four season room adds value to your VA, WV, or MD home, providing a unique, enviable home space for you to enjoy and share with others.

Building Your Four Season Sunroom

If the idea of a complicated, inconvenient construction project seems daunting, you’ll love the rapid, organized construction process of your new four season room. As expert local contractors specializing in creating four season rooms, sunrooms, conservatories, and screened porches, Stoneridge Outdoor Living builds your new four season room around your existing porch or balcony area. We don’t need to pour a new foundation, add messy insulation, install wall studs, etc. We can create your new sunroom quickly and efficiently. The glass we use provides excellent insulation and, of course, a stunning 360-degree view for you to enjoy in all seasons.

Features of Your Four Season Room by Stoneridge Outdoor Living

Your new addition, built by the leading four seasons room contractor in Virginia, may include:

  • Tempered glass construction for beauty and strength
  • Fully retracting, silent, remote controlled screens
  • Energy-efficient structure that can shut out the elements and block a significant amount of UV radiation
  • Variety of styles, including conservatory, cathedral style, straight eave, curved eave, and more
  • Mood lighting
  • Misting system or soft breeze cooling
  • Lifetime warranty (transferable if you sell your home)
  • Senior or military discounts
  • And more!

How Can You Use a Four Season Room?

You can bring nature into your home with a four season room, giving you a place to relax quietly alone, spend time with family, or host friends for special occasions. You can use your four season room year round, in any way you desire. Imagine the possibilities and create your own traditions in your spectacular new space.

Install a Four Season Room in DC, Northern VA & the Richmond Area

At Stoneridge Outdoor Living, we’ll help you create your ideal four season room, built to the exact specifications you desire. The four season room experts at Stoneridge Outdoor Living will ensure that your new indoor-outdoor room blends seamlessly with the rest of your home’s architecture. Contact our team today by calling 877-309-8445 to learn more about the options for your new four season room!

Upgrade Your Flooring

Installing a hardwood floor can take longer than a weekend, so choose a material that’s less time-consuming. Start with anything that comes in a roll, such as sheet vinyl, which looks better and lasts longer than it used to.
#weekend #DIY #homeimprovement #upgrade #budget #summer #handyman Installing a hardwood floor can take longer than a weekend, so choose a material that’s less time-consuming. Start with anything that comes in a roll, such as sheet vinyl, which looks better and lasts longer than it used to.
#weekend #DIY #homeimprovement #upgrade #budget #summer #handyman

Spice Up Your Stairway

Add drama to a staircase with distinctive railings or embellishments. Architectural-salvage and reuse centers are hot spots for ideas and materials.
#weekend #DIY #homeimprovement #upgrade #budget #summer #handyman #stairway #drama Add drama to a staircase with distinctive railings or embellishments. Architectural-salvage and reuse centers are hot spots for ideas and materials.
#weekend #DIY #homeimprovement #upgrade #budget #summer #handyman #stairway #drama

What to Do If Your Deck Is Rotting

Most homeowners choose to build their decks with wood for a variety of reasons, including the large selection of wood available and the strength and durability of wood over other materials. Though it’s true wood may be stronger and longer-lasting than other materials, it won’t last forever and it’s certainly not indestructible. Over time, you may begin to discover that your wood deck has begun to rot. When this happens, it’s important to address the issue before it turns into something much more difficult to deal with. A rotted deck can be hazardous for you and your family and a huge risk during severe weather, and it ultimately can look unappealing to say the least.

Why Do Wood Decks Rot?

You can do everything possible to keep your wood deck clean, such as making sure to clean between the boards, but sometimes deterioration and rot can still occur. Pressure-treated wood decks usually prevent rot for longer, and certain types of wood are less prone to rot and have a longer lifespan, but wood rot can be a slow process and you may not notice until it’s too late. There are a number of factors that can contribute to the rot of your wood deck, but these are the most common:

  • Termites – These tiny creatures can have a big impact on wood. There isn’t a 100% proven method for making wood termite-proof yet, so it can be difficult to prevent an infestation of these insects from devouring your deck.
  • Weather – Northern Virginia isn’t exactly the Arctic, but the temperature can often dip below freezing during the winter. During these low temperatures, what is known as the freeze-thaw cycle can occur. The wood in the deck expands in the cold and returns to its original size when it gets warm again. This vicious cycle can eventually cause cracks in the wood coating and weaken its basic structure over time. Melted snow and ice can enter these cracks and begin to cause rot.
  • Standing water – Having a slightly uneven deck surface can cause water to pool in one spot. If this water stays in that location too long, there is a chance rot can occur. This can also happen in any areas where the wood may dip down, creating a small valley for the water to collect.
  • Untreated wood – If your deck’s wood is untreated, this leaves it much more vulnerable to the effects of weather. Precipitation like rain and snow will leave your deck wet for longer, and the melting snow creates excessive moisture. This extended wetness combined with the sun’s radiation will slowly cause damage and rot to your deck.
  • Debris between boards – When you don’t clean between your deck’s boards as often as you should, leaves and other debris can become trapped. This debris begins to rot over time and organisms like fungi and bacteria begin to grow, eventually eating away the wood.

How to Repair a Rotting Wood Deck

Once your deck has begun rotting, it can be very difficult to repair the damage it has already caused. It is much easier to address any wood rot damage if you can catch it early, but your best bet is to prevent the rot from occurring in the first place. That being said, it can be possible to repair your deck from rot without replacing the whole thing if you discover the issue early on. Here’s what you can do:

Contact Stoneridge Outdoor Living for Wood Deck Rot Repair

Catching rot early and addressing the issue before it spreads is the best way to successfully treat rot damage. But it’s not always easy to spot the signs of rot before it becomes a problem. Our trained deck specialists at Stoneridge Outdoor Living have the knowledge and experience to diagnose the symptoms of invisible rot. They also know what solution works best for different types of wood in order to effectively create a stronger deck that is more resistant to rot. The team at Stoneridge Outdoor Living has years of experience dealing with rotting decks, and are standing by to help solve your rot problem. Our professionals will come out to perform an inspection of your home’s wood deck, and if they find an issue, we can get to work to prevent any further damage. If there isn’t any rot, we can put preventative measures in place to help make sure you won’t need to call for rot repair in the future. Contact us online or give our team a call at 877-309-8445 to learn more about our deck services, or to schedule wood deck rot repair today!

Replace an Appliance

If you bought your refrigerator before 1993 or your dishwasher before 1994, when the federal energy-efficiency guidelines for each went into effect, consider replacing them with more efficient models. Some newer models use at least 15 percent less energy than required by current federal standards and 40 percent less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001.
#weekend #DIY #homeimprovement #upgrade #budget #summer #handyman #energy #efficiency If you bought your refrigerator before 1993 or your dishwasher before 1994, when the federal energy-efficiency guidelines for each went into effect, consider replacing them with more efficient models. Some newer models use at least 15 percent less energy than required by current federal standards and 40 percent less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001.
#weekend #DIY #homeimprovement #upgrade #budget #summer #handyman #energy #efficiency