It didn't take long for Lil and Bill Dalton to realize that a deck off the back of their home in suburban Atlanta was a "withering" disappointment. "When we were out there during the day, we just roasted," Lil says. "In the evening mosquitoes got us. A couple of years ago, Bill built a new deck in a more shaded area of the backyard and we just stopped using the kitchen deck altogether."
At first, the couple contemplated building a screen porch on the old deck but ultimately decided on a sunroom, "It just made sense to enclose it so that we could use it all year long, "Lil says. " and having a sunroom and extra living space seemed like a good investment."The couple rejected a shed-style roof proposed by several contractors. "We wanted a traditional peaked roof," Lil says. "It would add more architectural interest to the back of the house and would allow us to have a vaulted ceiling, and windows in the gable would let lots of daylight into the house,"To minimize the distinction between old and new, the outside of the room was clad with the same vinyl siding used on the house. Like the siding, vinyl-frame windows, transoms, and doors need never be painted. To save on air-conditioning, a solar reflective film was applied to the windows. "It used to get so hot you could have fried an egg on the floor," Lil says. "Now it's much more comfortable, and the tinting is nearly invisible."A small deck for outdoor grilling was also added. "We eat in the sunroom all the time," Lil says. "It's where we relax, entertain our friends, and read. In fact, it's probable the most used room in the house."
