Are Sunrooms Insulated? A Quick Explanation of R-Value and U-Value

R-value and U-value are terms frequently used in construction and sunroom manufacturing. Both measure specific, important variables in a sunroom to help you better understand the quality of the product you are considering. However, they can be confusing to somebody who hasn’t been exposed to construction guidelines before. This post explains some of the terms surrounding the insulation value of materials and building products, to help you better equip yourself as an informed buyer. What is R-value? An R-value measures a material’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Every material used in a building component contributes to its overall R-value. A higher R-value indicates better insulation and greater thermal performance. It also translates to a more energy-efficient home. Meanwhile, a low R-value makes properly regulating your home’s temperature difficult. High R-value building materials may also be required by local and state governments for those living in heavy snow areas. Insulation requirements across the United States The U.S. Department of Energy presents a comprehensive map outlining those unique needs of each area of the United States. For example, those living in southern Florida or Hawaii only need sunrooms with R-values between R-30 to R-49. Meanwhile, those living in the Great Lakes region should consider sunrooms with R-values between R-49 and R-60. Insulation is also necessary for your flooring. Those in southern Florida or Hawaii only need to insulate the floors of their sunrooms with a minimum R-value of R-13. In contrast, those in the Great Lakes region need to insulate the floors of their sunrooms with R-values between R-25 and R-30. Traditional construction builds homes based off these values, and LivingSpace believes that the best quality sunroom exists within these confines. LivingSpace Sunrooms offers walls, floors, and roofs with R-values ranging between R-24 and R-52. Consequently, a LivingSpace sunroom is…

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Sunroom Skylights: Why You Should Fill Your Sunroom With Additional Light

What are sunroom skylights? Sunroom skylights are light transmitting elements that help form the roof of a home. They bring natural light into the sunroom through the use of glass or polycabronate materials. Open skylights were first used in the Pantheon during Ancient Roman times. The “oculus” is an 8.3 meter wide circular opening at the top of the building. Apollodorus built the oculus to bring light and air into the building. Furthermore, the oculus serves as the only source of natural light in the building beyond the entrance. The open skylight brought the elements into the Pantheon, but in some instances, this was welcomed. Rain cooled the building during Rome’s summer months. Skylights manufactured in the Industrial Revolution began to approach the sunroom skylights used in LivingSpace’s sunrooms. By this time, technology produced larger, more stable panes of glass that were glazed to better seal out the weather. Therefore, they were useful to people trying to naturally light their homes, and skylights became common in wealthy landowners’ homes. Today, skylights are more common, and technological advances have made them more efficient for homeowners. LivingSpace makes and installs state-of-the-art sunroom skylights for those who want to bring more natural light and enjoyment into a sunroom. Will a skylight reduce my sunroom’s insulation? Concerns suggest sunroom skylights can create a room that is unusable during the summer or winter because of poor insulation. For example, sunroom skylights made with low-quality glass provide poor insulation power and make a sunroom uncomfortably warm during summer months. However, LivingSpace exists to bring a true four-season sunroom to the market. Consequently, LivingSpace uses materials that let you enjoy your sunroom year-round. LivingSpace ensures their sunroom skylights are manufactured to function purposefully without corrupting the sunroom. The type of glass used to construct a sunroom skylight is critical to the insulation performance. LivingSpace’s sunroom…

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