Two years ago we began a project to build a sunroom on the southern face of our home. For one, we would now have a real front door! The steel roof slants to the south which means in winter all the snow that gathers on that 32' x 60' roof comes sliding down and dropps 18' to the ground, piling up in front of the door. We could only use our front door in part of the year!
Last fall we completed a 12' x 42' sunroom, as you can see from the pictures above. There are 12 4' x 5' windows which bring in massive light - even in winter! The floor is stamped concrete. Jan stained the floor and I put the sealer on it. At the east end is a beautiful natural river rock wall behind the wood stove.
Jan is in love with this room! She practically lives here. It's warm, sunny, cheery, and the couches are very comfy. We also moved our Italian dining table out here and this is where we eat most of our meals. The stove keeps the room about 75 degrees during the night and heavy overcast days while the sun makes it about 75 to 78 degrees on sunny days, even when it's below zero outside. An added plus is that the stove and solar gain heat from the sun are heating the rest of the house! We are using our propane heating system a lot less, which is saving us hundreds of dollars in heating bills.
All day we enjoy the incredible views of the hills and down valley. we watch eagles soaring and ravens (Jan's favorite bird) passing by. At night we can watch the stars or the moon shadows during the full moon.
Living in a barn gives us great joy. Having a sunroom attached has brightened our lives even more! It's a grand place to have friends over for tea, a serene place to read scriptures or a book, and a wonderful place to have dinner with friends. We do hope you will stop in and join us on your next trip through the valley!
