Home improvement: installing a veranda

To make this a bright and warm area, don’t neglect anything. Location, surface area, style, materials, everything is important. Think about how you plan to use your veranda: seasonal use, daily, atrium garden, a sitting room, etc.
Exposure is essential. Because the veranda is a genuine solar energy collection tool, intelligent use of this natural energy could result in true energy conservation.

• avoid a western exposure: even the best insulated verandas will be suffocating in summer.

• an eastern/south-eastern exposure will collect the first rays of sunlight and avoid them during the hottest hours of the day.

• a northern exposure provides little sunlight and a difficult to heat area. It’s actually the best exposure if you’re creating an artist’s studio.

• never plan on a southern exposure unless you’ve got very good insulation and you live in the North.

Ventilating your veranda is important. It prevents humidity, condensation, and has a cooling effect. Ventilation usually consists of louvers built into the frame.

Choose the materials and colour that will best suit the style of your home.
PVC is the least expensive. It is practically maintenance-free and the colour selection is always growing.
Metal with clean lines is better suited to contemporary homes.
Aluminium, steel, or forged iron enhances the more traditional home. Although it provides good mechanical strength, it tends to transmit cold in winter and heat in summer.
Wood suits every style. It provides excellent thermal and sound insulation.

Before you begin, contact your Mayor’s office for information concerning urban planning rules for your area.
If your project is less than 20 m2, a simple declaration of work is enough, beyond that surface area, you will need to apply for a building permit.