Betterliving™ Three Season Sunrooms
Enjoy exclusive features not found in other sunrooms.
Enjoy exclusive features not found in other sunrooms.
Our most popular enclosure, the three-season sunroom is an easy, affordable way to extend your outdoor living season. Betterliving™ distinguishes itself from the competition in so many ways…
Many three-season sunroom wall systems are only 2 inches thick. Betterliving™ Three Season Sunroom walls are 3″ thick providing more stability and strength.
The standard in the sunroom industry is to use out-sourced patio doors that are not flush with the rest of the wall. They are thicker than the wall which makes them unsightly. We make our own patio doors and we make them the same thickness as the wall. The door and window colours will match because they are all from one source and your Betterliving™ sunroom doors will blend in with the wall system perfectly.
Because we make our own doors you get a wall system that looks truly integrated. In other sunrooms, the drainage channel (floor channel) that runs under the wall system has to stop at their out-sourced door, permitting an easy place for leaks. Since we make our own doors, we are able to implement a continuous floor channel around the whole sunroom. A continuous floor channel means no leaks and dry socks. Competitors drill round drain holes in their flat bottom floor channels. Round weep holes can clog easily and can stop weeping due to surface tension while the flat bottom does not promote drainage. Betterliving™ floor channels are sloped so any moisture is directed to the weep holes, and our weep holes are pre-punched in an elongated shape which ensures proper drainage. Our weep holes are also hidden thanks to the special notch design of the Betterliving™ floor channel.
No manufacturer can match the strength and flexibility of the Betterliving™ header. Its hinge design adapts to the roof slope, providing even weight distribution and an aesthetic appearance. Many manufacturers use a simple 90-degree channel on the top of the wall, forcing all of the roof’s weight on the outside edge, with a gap on the inside of the sunroom that is covered by an unattractive trim. The Betterliving™ header’s height gives it unparalleled strength to support large snow loads over wide window openings.
Your Betterliving™ sunroom includes corner-to-corner side sliding windows with tempered safety glass standard, an option in other sunrooms. Our tempered glass is the same as you would find in the side and rear windows of your car… in case of an accident, the glass breaks into harmless small pieces. A sunroom is mostly glass… if you were going to wrap your family in glass, which would you prefer: tempered glass or regular glass?
Some sunroom windows use plastic glides, others use cheap plastic wheels. One thing for sure, they are not adjustable. Betterliving™ windows use a heavy-duty adjustable ball-bearing roller with corrosion-resistant plating.
Fiberglass screens are typically what you will find on your home’s windows and most sunroom windows. The sash (the aluminum frame that the screen is attached to) is made from light-duty roll-formed metal. If you are a homeowner then you have had a bad experience with at least one window screen. Betterliving™ screens are made with an extruded sash which is much larger and heavier than the roll-formed sash. Betterliving™ screens use aluminum screen mesh which lasts longer and won’t tear like fiberglass.
You Betterliving™ sunroom was designed from scratch to look the best. The window and door sections join together with a hidden mullion so your sunroom looks clean and smooth. The same hidden mullion is used at the corners. Compare that to sunroom systems that join their wall sections with visible ‘H’ channels, or filler panels that spread the wall sections apart.
Betterliving™ three-season sunrooms have the option of built-in electrical raceways. You can have receptacles and wall switches that look just like the ones in your home. Other solariums and sunrooms may only offer receptacles in the floor or visible wire chases and surface-mounted boxes.
Each day more homeowners are rediscovering the tranquility of their own back yards in their Betterliving™ Sunrooms. These versatile enclosures give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy all that is wonderful about the outdoors.
With Betterliving™ Sunrooms, every day will seem like a vacation, and every activity more enjoyable in your own special place.
Not only does a Betterliving™ Three Season Sunroom give you more living space at a fraction of the cost of standard construction, it truly distinguishes your home in the neighbourhood making it much more desirable to future owners. Buy with confidence, knowing your patio enclosure is covered by our 50-year limited warranty!
BAKED-ON ENAMEL FINISHAluminum profiles are chemically etched to receive the paint finish which is baked on at 400 degrees – Never needs painting! | 50 YEAR TRANSFERABLE MANUFACTURERS LIMITED WARRANTY – LIFETIME ON GLASS!Ask for warranty details. |
INTERLOCKING DOOR & WINDOW SLIDERSInterlocking rails include weatherstripping built into the interlock to keep the windows and doors secure, air, water and bug tight | HEAVY-DUTY DOOR & WINDOW SCREENSExtruded frames for extra strength! Betterliving™ sunroom screens use the same ball bearing rollers as our windows and doors, not a cheap plastic wheel. The super-strong aluminum screen is used, not fiberglass, powder-coated flat black for maximum visibility. Child safety locks provide added protection. |
TEMPERED GLASS
| WEATHERSTRIPPINGThick weatherstripping is built right into the tracks of the mainframes and interlocks of Betterliving™ sunrooms. It won’t rot or crack – retaining its pliability and flexibility. Betterliving™ windows and doors are wind tested. |
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Sunroom Walls and Doors:
High-Quality Glass Units for Your Sunroom:
Fully Engineered Roof Panels for Your Sunroom:
Contact us for more information, to receive newsletters or find a local contractor.
Betterliving™ Sunroom Colour Options:
White, Sand, Earthstone
Woodhaven Ceiling Plank Option:
Now you can have your sunroom with the warmth of wood! Woodhaven ceiling planks are applied to the ceiling of your sunroom to provide the warmth of a woodgrain finish. An ideal option for homeowners who were considering a conventional addition. Use Woodhaven and our shingled roof option to achieve the look of addition with the view of a sunroom.
Available colours in Woodhaven Ceiling Plank:
What is a sunroom?
A sunroom is a pre-fabricated wall and roof system added to your home to provide added enjoyment of the outdoors and extra living space. They are made of maintenance-free materials, predominantly aluminum but also vinyl and fiberglass. The wall sections are typically custom made, no greater than five feet in width. Each section contains a side sliding window, beneath the window is the “kneewall” which is built with a solid panel or tempered glass. If extra height is desired, “transom glass” is added to the tops of the windows and doors
Sunrooms come in two types: three season (single glazed windows) and all-season (insulated wall and windows). Typically the roof is made with insulated aluminum panels that come in varying thickness. Thicker panels have more insulation and can span farther. Sunrooms have typically differed from solariums because they don’t use glass in the roof. This line has blurred in recent years with the introduction of polycarbonate roof systems for sunrooms. Solarium walls typically have a great deal of fixed glass with the occasional casement window while sunroom walls will typically consist of corner-to-corner side sliding windows.
What is the best way to utilize a sunroom?
Sunrooms are used for many great reasons: entertainment, place to relax, room for my pets, TV room, enjoy the outdoors and seasons… the list goes on and on. Finishing touches like beautiful flooring and wicker furniture help create that perfect retreat.
What are the advantages of Craft-Bilt’s sunrooms vs. competitors?
There are many technical advantages to Craft-Bilt products like thicker wall extrusions with intelligent designs. All of our sunrooms utilize swivel header designs that support the roofs weight evenly and eliminate unsightly gaps inside the room that competitors don’t address or cover with an ugly angle. Weatherstripping is important to keep out the wind and bugs, our Grand Vista system uses ingenious concave tracks to cradle the weatherstripping while our Betterliving™ system uses mylar reinforced weatherstripping to achieve FMA certification. There are many other unique features to our rooms that you can find on our web site or let us refer you to a local contractor who can describe them to you.
How much does a sunroom addition cost?
There are a lot of variables: Is a new deck required? Would you like a three-season or all-season? Is there an obstruction, for instance, a water spigot, that needs to be moved? An installed 12 x 12 three-season sunrooms start around $20,000 while all-season sunrooms start around $30,000. These numbers are very hypothetical and may not take into account the footings, the deck, permit costs, or other items.
What is the return on my sunroom investment?
There have been many studies and opinions published in renovation magazines about the value of major renovations like kitchens, bathrooms, and sunrooms. Check out resources like Remodeller magazine and search for their Cost vs. Value report. Sunrooms are often in the top ten for return on investment, recouping at least 50% of your investment. There are factors that can affect your return on investment, like where you live.
But the real return on investment is the improvement in your lifestyle. Your sunroom will quickly become the favourite room in the house, your very own private retreat. You can’t put a price on peace and tranquillity.
How long does it take to install a custom sunroom?
The actual installation can take as little as two days for a three season patio room or 3 days for an all-season sunroom. Additional time will be required if you are building an A-frame style sunroom, a new deck is required, a service (i.e. gas meter, water spigot, bathroom fan, etc.) needs to be moved, or there is some other complexity to the project.
Often there can be delays obtaining the building permit or zoning approval. Your contractor will not order material until the permit is issued after which you have to contend with the backlog at the factory. So if you are planning to build a sunroom and hope to enjoy it for the summer, get started early!
Can I use my existing deck for sunroom?
If your deck was built to building code specifications, there is a good chance it will suffice. Open decks are built with a slope away from the building, so even if it is code compliant it will need to be leveled. Deck blocks will not do. Your deck needs footings, typically concrete piers deep enough into the ground to not be lifted when the ground freezes. In southern Ontario, that is usually four feet, in colder climates, it will be deeper. Imagine the damage to the sunroom or even your house when an un-footed deck heaves upwards in freezing temperatures.
Do I need a building permit for my sunroom?
Yes. Often your contractor will include the drawings and filing for the permit as part of their price to you. Contractors do not get enough credit for the time and effort it can take in getting a permit.
Can I install it myself or do I need a contractor?
A homeowner with a high level of DIY skill can tackle our Grand Vista pre-fabricated sunroom. Craft-Bilt’s warranty is for properly installed product and does not include installation related issues. Please fill out our contact form and we will reply with the product information you require as well as the name of a local contractor if desired.