Housing a Spa

Whether you're looking to spruce up your hot tub setting or increase your soaking season, there are a number of structures out there to protect your spa and make it the heart of your outdoor room.

Gazebos & Pergolas

For smaller backyards or warmer regions, open-air enclosures are ideal. A gazebo or pergola can add drama, as well as some shade and privacy to your retreat. A pergolas is made of pillars that support crossbeams and a sturdy open lattice. Often, vines or climbing flowers, like roses, grow on pergolas for spectacular adornment. With the addition of tie-back curtains, a pergola has all the comforts of home with a warm, beachy feel.

While a pergola has an open latticework-type roof, a gazebo has a solid roof that reduces sun exposure and protects your spa from the rain. As a freestanding pavilion structure, a gazebo is open on all sides and can be prefabricated or custom-built.

Most gazebos feature decorative filigree, which add ornamentation to your yard. Some deluxe models even offer private changing areas, skylights and screens to keep insects out.

Screened Porches & Sunrooms

Opting for something larger? Screened porches promise insect-free soaking and dining while still allowing breezes to pass though. Or if you need something to keep out the snow and cold night air - while still enjoying the view - consider a sunroom. Traditionally, sunrooms are built as a covered-and-windowed porch or three-season room. Sunrooms are usually made of clear or tinted glass or polycarbonate, but can also be built using brick, stone or vinyl materials that match your home.

Polycarbonate is a popular type of translucent solar glass that comes in different thicknesses. It traps heat inside the room, but only lets about 55 percent of light in, thus reducing glare and creating privacy. Coatings that block out harmful UV rays are available for all types of glazed panels (glass that has been set into the frames). Panels can be double or triple-insulated to reduce surface condensation and conserve energy. Frames are typically made of wood or aluminum.

While some manufacturers offer do-it-yourself kits, sunrooms can be custom designed with features that let you bring the outdoors in when the weather is comfortable:

• a manual or motorized retractable roof

• sliding doors and windows with or without screens

• skylights which can be opened or closed

In addition to being functional in any kind of weather, sunrooms also trap heat from the sun and can decrease water evaporation while the spa is in use, reducing chemical loss and heating costs.

For those planning to build a sunroom that uses an exterior wall of the home as the enclosure's fourth wall, rather than a freestanding structure, the existing wall should be specially treated to prevent deterioration from humidity.