Building a Sunroom Does Not Have to Cost a Fortune. It Have Be Done Cheap and Professionally Yourself

After looking on the net for ages we found a DIY (Do It Yourself) kit for a 10x12 foot sunroom at Sunbelt Vinyl Products. After contacting Tiffany at this company (who was wonderfully helpful throughout) we bid for it in E-Bay with success. Next, was the long wait for the order to be delivered, and with great anticipation I might ad!

It eventually arrived on a large truck from UPS. There were four packages and they were somewhat larger then we had anticipated.

-The first tip is to make sure you have room to store it all and be prepared for some heavy lifting. The UPS guy was very helpful but we could have been better prepared. The product was well made and well packed.

-The next tip is to keep all the packaging as you could end up throwing away stuff needed later, besides, the packaging can come in handy later. The instructions were pretty awful. They are made for "one size fits all" and this is not exactly the case.

-The next tip is to be absolutely certain that you ensure that you mark out precisely where you plan to erect this structure. It must be square or you will pay dearly for it in the future.

-Next, the guy pictured in the instruction manual looks to be 8 feet tall with arms longer than an Orangutan, so have someone reliable to help you and have access to at least a six foot step ladder (taller is better).

-The panels need a space to join and the door needs 1 inch to hang. It does not matter how many times you pre-read the instructions - it will not be enough. I copied them out 3 times and used them all. So, be sure to check that all is as it should be. I did not do this as well as I should and a few telephone calls were needed to clear up a few things. As always, Tiffany was brilliant but I still felt like an idiot. One thing that was not picked up early enough, but later rectified by the company at their cost was the door. The panels are pre-made to measurements they have and extra panels are made for a difference in size. I had chosen the 10x12 foot instead of the 10x10 foot. So the panels were:

· 2 @ 39¼ inches

· 2 @ 145/8 inches

This made just less than 108 inches. Now, we have the total outside wall as 144 inches. With another 3 inches for the joiners between panels that left 33 inches for the door. The instructions call for 36 inches and the door supplied was 35 inches. Had I figured this out at the beginning I could have saved a lot of time. Eventually a new door was supplied as 32 inches plus 1 inch to fit it and all worked out well.

So you can see that it is very important to keep checking the measurements and that everything is square and level. This is most important.

-Another tip is that the panels are best fitted by sliding in- not by pushing/clicking together. Sure, you can do it this way, however you are more likely to be successful by sliding them together. Work out what fittings, bolts, screws etc. you are going to use and where you are going to use them. You can do this as you go along although this will lead to mistakes that have to be rectified later. Save time and spend the extra thinking about where and what you are going to use.

-The instructions call for you to fasten the panels as you go. If, like me you think you can put this off until you are sure you have it right, you will regret it. Fixing the panels as you go ensures that you have less movement to correct later.

-If you truly want a watertight fixture, you also want to caulk as you go too. Many pieces of the structure will be inaccessible later and believe me, you will not want to tear it all down and start again. So seal as you go. This applies particularly to the channels that you fix to the ground to take the panels. I can not recall the instructions suggesting this but it is a good suggestion and will help to prevent water seeping in once the room in completed.

-The instructions do call for you to caulk the roof, which is excellent advice and you can not use too little caulking here.

-While on the subject of the roof, make sure that you know what you are going to do as regards the eaves. They have to be cut by yourself and you only get one shot at it. So it must be right. The instructions on this are hard to find, in fact I have not even found them as yet and I have finished the room. None of this is rocket science but you really do need to think it all out first and make a lot of drawings. It is a lot easier to change a drawing than the structure once it is up.

-Most of the tools we had on hand anyway. Nothing spectacular was needed and the few extra tools that made life easier were picked up at the local hardware store quite cheaply. To give and idea of the tools we used, here is the list, although it will vary with each individual and the skills you have and is not complete:

    * Battery operated drill/screw driver - 2 of.
    * Many screwdrivers and bits.
    * A very flexible putty knife.
    * Hacksaws - include one that cuts flush.
    * Files/sand paper.
    * Mains drill and masonry drill bits.
    * Metal and plastic/wood hammers.
    * Wrench.
    * Level
    * Measuring tape.
    * Marker for all the surfaces you will work on.
    * Ladders for all who work on the project.

-Remember, take your time, measure 3 times cut once, plan thoroughly and save everything until you are finished. You can do it, it is very enjoyable and the satisfaction of doing something like this yourself is the overall rew