2 December 2016
A sunroom gives this Chilliwack couple the comfort they crave
Michael and LeeAnn O. originally intended to sell their home in Chilliwack, BC. The retired couple, who live there with LeeAnn’s elderly mother, had owned the home for several years already when a developer built a condo right next to them, with balconies that looked directly into their backyard. “We wanted privacy,” LeeAnn says, “so we had considered selling the house. I didn’t want to keep my curtains closed all the time.”
The couple tried a temporary awning over their patio in the backyard, but the flimsy structure was susceptible to wind and storms and eventually broke. They learned about Lumon's retractable glass walls at a local home show, and their reaction was, “Wow, wouldn’t that be something!” They decided to build a sunroom with an acrylic patio cover and the glass walls.
We wanted privacy,” LeeAnn says, “so we had considered selling the house. I didn’t want to keep my curtains closed all the time.
Close cooperation to create their dream room
Michael and LeeAnn worked closely with the salesman and the installation crews to create a space that suited their needs. They wanted to preserve their view of the mountains surrounding Chilliwack as much as possible, while still keeping out the prying eyes of any neighbours in the condo building, so the slope and height of the patio cover were designed carefully with these two things in mind. For an extra level of privacy, they added blinds to the retractable glass.
Throughout the whole process, they found the team easy to work with. “Everyone was professional and hardworking,” Michael says, and LeeAnn agrees, mentioning that the installation crews were very respectful and the team worked hard to accommodate their wishes.
"More than half our life is spent in here"
Since the installation, they’ve been enjoying the space that they call the ‘Cali’ room. “It’s like California,” Michael says. “More than half of our life is spent in here.”
Their grandchildren love the room too. “I mean, what’s not to like?” LeeAnn says, gesturing around. “We do our planning and our dreaming out here. I don’t think we’ve been downstairs to our music room ever since we had this finished.”
The sunroom is also ideal for LeeAnn’s mother, Doris, an artist who is still painting at age 94. She has a little less mobility these days, and the sunroom creates a relaxing space where she can comfortably enjoy the outdoors.
Michael and LeeAnn have plans to add a patio heater to their Cali room for the winter, when the sunroom will protect them from BC’s incessant rain and chilly winds. But for now, they’re content to relax and enjoy the space. “We just can’t say enough about how happy we are with it.”