Sunroom Maintenance Guide
Sunrooms connect you with nature, are unique and stunning home additions, and can give you access to much-needed sunshine during the winter. However, these spaces require special care to stay functional. Because they are built of glass panes set in a frame, sunrooms can experience leaks, warping, damaged screens and other issues. A little maintenance can go a long way in preventing expensive damage and repairs in your sunroom! Keep reading for tips on how to take good care of your sunroom.
Signs You May Need Maintenance for Sunrooms: What If Your Sunroom Leaks?
The most common type of sunroom damage is caused by leaking. When excess water gets inside your home, it can warp furniture or even the walls in your sunroom. Water can also lead to mold, creating a health hazard that’s not much fun to clean up.
If you’ve noticed excess condensation or water inside your sunroom, it’s time to do a maintenance check. Here are a few places water might leak into your sunroom:
- Through cracked seals along the glass
- Underneath the frame on the ground
- From cracked seals in the roof
Ideally, you should thoroughly clean and check your sunroom for any issues at least twice a year — once in the spring and again in the fall. Check for leaks after seasons with heavy precipitation and do periodic walk-throughs in the winter, even if you’re not using the space.
If you discover a leak while working on your sunroom, take a moment to discover the cause. Is there a cracked seal around a window pane? Where is the water coming from? Once you’ve gathered more information, you should call a professional.
The right technician can help you discover the cause of the leak and seal it before there’s further damage to your sunroom. If you discover a leak that’s already caused damage, they can refer you to the professional you need to repair your sunroom.
Another potential problem in sunrooms is damage to the glass panes or the screens. Sunroom glass is made to be hardy, so unless a tree falls on your roof, the glass shouldn’t crack or break. However, both panes and screens can be damaged by accidents. It’s important to replace these parts quickly to avoid more damage.
How to Clean and Maintain Your Sunroom
Sunroom maintenance is simple. The most important thing is to be consistent — checking your sunroom once every few months can save you a lot of time and expense. If you don’t find an issue early on, repairing your sunroom may be more complicated.
Cleaning presents a unique opportunity to check windows, seals and the frame in your sunroom for any leaks or signs of damage. Here are specific tips for cleaning your sunroom so you can get started.
Glass Panes and Screens
To clean the windows in your sunroom, use glass cleaner and a gentle cloth. You should clean them on the inside and outside for the best results. During the cleaning process, avoid leaning a ladder against the wall or putting your full weight on the glass.
If you clean your windows on a sunny day, they’re more likely to streak. Cloudy days will give you the clearest results. It can also help to open a few windows so the indoor temperature stays cool while you’re cleaning. A warm space will increase condensation and make it difficult to get the glass clean.
To clean the screens in your sunroom, carefully remove them from the windows. Brush any dirt off and give them a good rinse before replacing them. This is the perfect opportunity to replace any screens that have gotten torn or dented.
Walls and Frame
Most sunrooms have at least one wall that’s not glass. You can carefully clean this wall with a damp rag and use soapy water to remove any dirt or stains. If the wall is painted, be careful — the paint may come off when scrubbed. You can use a dry dustcloth to remove any dust or spiderwebs.
The frame of your sunroom supports all the glass panes along the walls and ceiling. To clean this part of the room, wipe the frame down with a gentle cleaner and soft cloth. You don’t want to damage the seals or frame material, so avoid harsh products and abrasive scrubbing brushes.
While you wipe down the frame, inspect the seals carefully for any signs of leaking or breakage. If you find a damaged seal, make a mental note. You’ll need to fix this quickly to avoid further damage in your sunroom.
Flooring
Sunrooms can have a range of flooring, including wood, tile, concrete or carpet, so you’ll want to clean according to the floor type. For example, you should only use wood-friendly cleaners on wood floors, while tile floors are a bit easier to clean. While cleaning your floor, keep an eye out for any cracks, changes in color, stains or other kinds of damage. If there are leaks under the frame, your flooring will show signs of water damage.
Flooring is often the first place to check for leakage since water will pool on the ground regardless of how it enters the space. Checking your flooring ensures your sunroom stays clean, but it’s also a key step for long-term maintenance.
How to Make Your Sunroom Climate-Controlled
Because sunrooms collect a lot of energy from sunlight, you might see some condensation inside the glass. This can lead to water damage if it’s not managed properly. A good airflow system can help you manage temperature and condensation inside your sunroom.
First, your sunroom should be well-sealed to maintain internal temperatures. Once everything is properly sealed, you should consider having your heating, air conditioning and ventilation system extended to cover the sunroom. A tight seal and controlled airflow contribute to a climate-controlled sunroom.
Keep Your Sunroom in Tip-Top Shape With Evolution Sunrooms
At Evolution Sunrooms, we bring over 27 years of experience to turn your dream of a sunroom into a full-fledged reality. We serve homeowners across New Jersey, Delaware and Southeastern Pennsylvania. Since our inception, we’ve built over 1,500 sunrooms and successfully served over 6,800 satisfied customers.
We can help you build an addition to your home or transform an existing space into a sunroom. Our sunrooms are structurally sound and surpass international building codes. To help insure you against future repairs, we also offer a lifetime warranty on your new sunroom upon completion.
Our unique approach combines factory-built precision with customization so you can build a sunroom that matches the one in your imagination. We use a patented framing system that resists damage and has the highest thermal performance of our competitors, improving your experience once the structure is complete.
We also help clients with sunroom repair services if they’re experiencing issues with an existing sunroom. Reach out today for a free quote and to learn more about how we can help with your sunroom, conservatory or screen room.
