Len, Here in the Northeast, Four Seasons brand is quite popular and very expensive, but most important they are well established and there when you need them. I took a look at Betterliving's site and read abit of the technical data and it seams to be a well thought product. You also mention the contractor is well established as well. Thats a plus. My only concern would be the type of glass cartridges they come with. These rooms can get as hot as an oven without the proper glass and ventilaton. I'd look into glass choices, low E with argon gas? Perhaps a reflective glass coating? Not sure. Depends on the room's exposer and your climate. Good Luck, The PorchGuy Here is a link that might be useful: My Album

Hello, Maj. You do not mention the climate you live in. I know nothing about pre-fab 4-seasons rooms, but from the info you provided, I can make a few comments. You said the prices were too high but this one at $5,500 seems to be affordable to you, so I think you answered your own question about the price. That sounds like a decent unit (from the specs). I built a sun room 8 x 14 and it costs a WHOLE LOT more than $5,500 (in Canada, where things cost more). I wish I had made it larger (although that was not feasible). Adding a sun room does not bring more light in. What brings the light in is removing the wall where it connects to the house. I am not sure exactly what else you really want to know. Knowing your zone or State will make it easier for anyone to know what you will be up against. I had to spend a LOT of money on proper footings because of frost and because of a lot of water and a lot of clay, all right where the footings sit. The deck (off of the sun room) and the sun room footings have been repaired and/or removed and/or adjusted 3 times in 8 years. This year, the whole mess will be dug up (with the sun room temporarily supported). The deck is already removed (it heaved nearly a foot this past winter). So be prepared to spend whatever it costs to do the foundation and footings well (based on where you live: climate, soil, water).

Hi weedyacres-- I enjoyed your kitchen reno and now am watching this with interest. I don't have a solution for your roof pitch problem but what you are doing to the back of your house is exactly where I started in planning a reno to the front of mine. One thing I notice is that the only access (unless there is side access) to the back yard is through the sunroom. If you ever plan to grill or entertain in the back yard, might you want easy access from the kitchen through the nook and out? I can imagine carrying everything (raw meat, dishes, utensils, etc) from the kitchen all the way through the sunroom and back again. I wish I could scan my plans, but I will try to explain. My nook will be about 8' deep but about 12' wide with a shared wall with what is your sunroom ( my new living room) which will be 16' deep. Then I put french doors in the nook for access (these will also be my new front door leading in from a porch or deck). I too originally had a wall that faced the staircase as you do in your plans, but thought the "bowling alley" that was created would end up as "weird space" I can't tell from your drawing how wide that is but it looks about 4'? It would be shaded by buildings on both sides and I was afraid nothing would grow. Also--my present only eating area in the house is a 9 foot wide by 10 foot deep space, and it is seems really tight whenever I have my parents over for a meal. (I'm single). Not much space for a decent size table.--just a thought. As for the roof line over the sunroom, a pair of square windows flanking the chimney might look kinda cool, and as long as you have egress windows elsewhere in the bedroom, you should be okay. I just gave up a window in a a smaller bedroom for the roofline of a new mudroom added to the back of my house, and, at first it was kind of weird, but the mudroom definitely makes up for the lack of a window and I don't even notice it much any more. (I still have to paint the new drywall.) and not expensive to get rid of the window. As you would be replacing existing windows (the openings are all ready there) with slightly smaller windows, I can't imagine it would be much more. Best of luck on this project. Holly

Because the rooms are connected and you can see one from the other, I would do the ceiling the same as the living room, so they look alike.