Converting Deck into an Enclosed Room

I recently bought a house which has a covered deck and a nice lawn in the back. My wife wants to turn it into a formal guest area and wants to install sliding glass doors to close the area. I have a few questions.

  1. Would sliding glass doors lower the value of the house?
  2. Glass gets hot and the sun shines on the deck in the afternoon. Would it make the deck hot?
  3. Is it better to get automatic blinds?
  4. What is the most cost effective way to turn a deck into an enclosed room where I can have guests all yet round?

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • +11

    Before considering points 1-4 check with your local council to see if want to want to do would be allowed. If it is, then you would likely need a building permit and possibly a planning permit

  • Is this new room for someone to live in or just an enclosed outdoor area?

  • +2

    Same issues has turning a garage into a room, wont be very weather proof as the walls are not designed for it. Cold will be very cold, hot very hot

  • Just enclose with bistro blinds?

    • What’s the benefit of getting blinds vs sliding glass doors?

      • DIY. Cheapest option. No council approval required.

    1. I think it might look a little odd. Blinds wouldn’t look out of place, where a sliding glass door might look a little tacked on, particularly a cheap aluminium sliding door
    2. Yes, it would on a warm to hot day. No air movement. You need a way to have a cross breeze, or fans. It would be nice on a sunny winter’s day (assuming you have a cold winter).
    3. Yes, but possibly more expensive. Some nice auto cafe blinds are super expensive. Blinds gives you the ability to open the whole area up. Sliding doors are half open, half fixed.
    4. Probably a manual blind you install yourself.

    My personal opinion is spend a bit more on something decent and you’ll probably recoup the cost in the value of your house. Do something cheap and tacky, you might regret it later on when you sell.

  • I too think it will look odd with sliding doors but decking inside.

    Consider something like bifold exterior shutters, can enclose the space entirely, pop them open for light/ventilation or open them right up when the weather is nice. My parents have put these in their past two houses now and love them. Combined with an outdoor heater and ceiling fan (or at their current place they have the reverse cycle AC ducted out there) makes it usable right thru the year.

    I don't really like bistro blinds. It's a cheap (and potentially DIY) solution but looks exactly like that and if you're heating the space, offers no insulation/heat retaining properties.

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