In the first winter we spent in our home we quickly realized how inefficient and poorly built the sunroom was. It was 10+ degrees colder walking through the room, the floor was always freezing to walk on and we had snow blowing in from under the door. It was not only wasting energy, but was also a largely unused and wasted space in our home. It wasn’t before too long that we started making some calls and getting bids from local contractors.
The Before
Our plans for this space were to remove the wall which created a hallway from the bedroom entrance to an exterior door, rework the flooring to make it all one level, properly insulate and retile, replace the leaky door and also remove the brick half wall/ledge. We also wanted to open up the cutout opening to the kitchen as much as possible. Because this project required structural work, this was not something we wanted to tackle ourselves and left it for the professionals.
As we got into the demolition phase we realized this was an addition to the house. The wall to the kitchen was once an exterior wall, and we suspect the sunroom was once an outdoor deck/patio area. At some point this room was added on, as kind of an afterthought it seems, and connects the main part of the house to the master bedroom which was also an addition.
Unfortunately the old deck framing underneath the flooring was partially rotted and not level so we had to start over. The contractors reframed the flooring joists and added proper insulation before adding the plywood floor boards. They had to alter the framing a bit to match the height of the floor to the bedroom and kitchen. This allowed us to achieve a level and seamless look from room to room.
We wanted to open up the wall from the kitchen to the sunroom as much as we could, but because it was a supporting wall this was the most we could remove with the header. It still made such a difference opening it up a couple feet on either side!
Next was removing the old janky door and window to create an opening for a big sliding door that would create a more welcoming invitation to go to the back patio. This 3-panel sliding door is 108″ wide and makes such a big impact to the space and brings so much more light in!
At this point the framing, subfloor and sliding door were installed and the drywall was finished. Our contractor also wrapped the header with some nicer pine boards where we had the wall removed (originally the hallway wall). This is where the contractor left it for us, as we were going to do all the finish work ourselves. This included paint, trim, and installing the tile flooring.
I prepped the subfloor by filling in all the gaps and cracks with a floor patch compound and then applied the RedGard, a waterproofing and crack prevention membrane for the tile installation. Once the Regard was dried, we had help from another contractor who specializes in radiant heat flooring installation. He laid the Ditra membrane, ran the heating cables and set up the electric panel for us. This would allow us to control and heat the tile – total game changer! It’s not only pleasant to walk on warm tile but also helps keep the room warm in the colder months.
Once the radiant heat system was installed it was time to start planning out the tile installation. I dry fitted several rows of the slate stone tile to determine my pattern and starting point.
Because I went with a natural stone each tile is very different in color and characteristics, so I hand selected each tile row by row for a cohesive flow. I numbered each tile on the back and stacked them in piles for each row. I also measured and made all my cuts for the side pieces for each row before beginning installation. This made the process go quickly and smoothly without any guesswork. Using an unmodified mortar, I installed each tile row by row with 1/8″ grout spacing on all sides until I reached the back wall.
Once the tiles were installed, dried and cured for a couple of days, we thoroughly cleaned any residue off the stone before sealing. We used a stone sealer and enhancer which provides a protective barrier over the stone and also enhances the look and makes the variations in the stone pop. It was very shiny and had a wet look when we first applied, but after weeks of use it faded quite a bit and looked more natural.
The After
What a difference this project made in this space! What was once a cold, inefficient and unwelcoming space is now a room we spend a lot of our time in. It’s a place we love to have our coffee, breakfast and work on our laptop from time to time. While currently being used as a breakfast nook, I feel like this space could be better utilized with some built-in cabinets and banquette seating. Stay tuned for phase 2!
Thanks for your support and following along throughout this project! I hope you found this helpful or inspirational in some way in your own home.
Cheers,
