Category Archives: Screen Porches

New decking woods available

For many years now when the consumer wanted to  select a deck building product in wood they had a few simple choices.  In Kansas City these choices usually boiled down to cedar or treated pine(also known as CCA or ACQ).  Although both of these choices have always been readily available in the marketplace, both woods had some disadvantages in use.  In the Kansas City climate with its extremes of temperature and humidity , both products tend to crack or split as they age and are subject to great variations of temperature.  This cracking and splitting happens regardless of stain or waterproofing, and can diminish the appeal of an older deck.  Recently a new product has been introduced in the marketplace based on long-established European wood technology.

This new product is thermally modified wood.   In a nutshell the wood goes through a heating process at the manufacturing plant that optimizes its performance in the field.   In addition it is processed with a factory applied premium sealant that holds up better to weathering.  The thermal modification process is well-proven and has been used in Europe for over 10 years now.   As a result of thermal treatment the wood has much less tendency to crack and split, and is very shrink resistant as well.  No chemical additives are needed to achieve this result.  The thermal treatment process also makes the wood rot and termite resistant.

The product also has some “Green” benefits since it uses no chemical treatment and the original trees grow on tree farms here in the US.  At present the product goes under two names- PureWood and Radiance wood.

TOP 10 Reasons To Build a Screened Porch

Frequently we field questions from clients about their roof options on a deck,  and the decision to leave a deck open or to go for a full screened porch option.  The following are the major reasons our clients build a screen porches.

1.   The shade provided by the roof and screens makes the harsh summer sun easier to live with.   When you combine a roof, screens,  and a ceiling fan summer temperatures are much more controllable.

2.   Screen porches are much more private, especially when neighbors views look right at your backyard or deck area.   The combination of roof and screens partially blocks the view.  Additionally optional heavy-duty screening is available that provides even more privacy from neighbors.

3.  I love to sit outside in the summer rain!  Multiple people have told us they really enjoy being outside in the rain during the summer.   There is a feeling of connection with nature, without being wet.

4.  We can dine outdoors without the bugs and flies.   Obviously in this part of the country bugs, flies and mosquitoes are common.  These annoying pests can really diminish enjoymentof an outdoor dinner, but the screened porch allows you to minimize them.

5.  I have  a place for my kids to play, but not be in the house and under foot.   The porch allows a sheltered play area, protected from the weather.

6.  I don’t have to worry about my furniture getting wet.  Many people would like to use a better grade of furniture or cushion, with more style, and the porch allows this.

7.  It’s a great area for entertainment!  Most guests love the outdoors.

8.  I can have lights and a TV outside, without worrying about damage.

9.  My cat and dog love the porch!  Many pets really enjoy sitting outside on a porch.

10. ” It’s the best room in my house!” For all the above reasons and more we have had many clients exclaim this when we were all done.

Kansas City Deck Railings-Decorate and accessorize

 

If you want etched glass and illuminated with LED lighting, it’s available! http://www.de-kor.com/Steel, glass, aluminum-you can get it all. One company even has 29 different etching designs available for your glass railing panels.

The balusters on your deck are arguably the most visible part of your deck. By sheer number there are usually hundreds of individual balusters on a typical deck. It’s an opportunity for you to take your deck to a whole different level. Many people want to match their deck balusters to the balusters on the inside of their house. They come in square, round or flat varieties. Twists, collars, curves, baskets, and end caps can all be added to make a unique, one of a kind deck railing.http://www.fortressiron.com/railing/balusters/vintage_series

What color would you like? A black baluster draws your eyes to it and makes a bold statement. A bronze baluster tends to deflect your gaze and lets you see past it. Green, white, red, unpolished aluminum, and copper can also be used. Hammered, glossy, antiqued, and oil rubbed are just some of the finishes available.

A deck can also be made with a railing that matches the decking for a cohesive look. Most of the composite brands have rails and posts to match the decking.

Top 3 Questions about Sunrooms

We often run into clients with a great many misconceptions about sunrooms.  It seems there is  a lot of confusion  about the design and construction of a sunroom and what features result in the best performance of the room.  The following three questions illustrate some of the important topics.

1. Won’t floor to ceiling windows look the best and perform the best? Floor to ceiling windows usually create more problems than you think.  Since they are substantially larger than normal windows they cost more, and by their nature eliminate the “knee wall” underneath the window.  This wall serves multiple purposes, including as a space to run electrical wiring and insulation.  Any window that is closer than 18″ to the floor needs tempered glass to meet building codes, and this adds even more cost.    Generally furniture doesn’t fit well with floor to ceiling windows,  and pets may damage the window by scratching it.

2.  Should I insulate the ceiling to help keep the heat in? Unless insulation is installed in the full room including floor, ceiling, and walls the value of the insulation is drastically reduced.  If the room is used at all in cold weather months it needs 100% insulation, properly installed.

3.  I have seen  removable windows so I can turn the room into a screen room in the summer?  How do these work? Although removable windows  are available they have some serious disadvantages.   The first disadvantage is size and storage problems.  The windows are large and hard to store,  and usually there is no suitable place to store them in the room.   The second disadvantage is  winter air leakage, since no removable window offers the sealing ability of a double pane insulated window.  In almost every case the removable windows make the room colder in the winter, and create more problems than they solve.   Lastly the single pane removable windows usually cost as much or in many cases more than normal double pane insulated windows with screens.

Search for sunroom near me and choose Archadeck for your custom sunroom design and construction!

Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners

Put our expertise, commitment to excellence, personalized designs, premium materials, and unmatched customer service will to work for you. Call to schedule your deck design consultation at (913) 851-3325 or email us at kansas-city@archadeck.net.

Also read:
What is the difference between a 3-season and 4-season room?

Sunrooms and Room Additions

In many peoples minds the idea of a sunroom or room addition on their house meshes with how they can use the room.  Will it be used only in mild weather, or will it be most valuable to them if it will be used in all seasons and all temperatures?  At some point the idea of a sunroom may cross over into a full room addition with multiple functionality.    If  a homeowner wants all season/all-weather use of the new room addition, then energy efficiency in design and in construction come into the equation very quickly.   Wall thickness, insulation type, window type  & design, roof overhangs, floor insulation, and remote heating and cooling all interact to impact comfort levels and energy usage.  Even if the consumer is not focused on energy efficiency, wide temperature swings impact comfort levels and can make a room less comfortable.   In many cases it is difficult and expensive to extend the houses existing hvac ducts to the new room.  Even in the case where there is ready access to the existing heating system there is a potential issue if the existing system is adequate to heat and cool the new room.   In many cases a remote mounted dedicated hvac unit is the best alternative.   Fortunately great improvements have been made in the design of these units in the last decade.  Everyone is familiar with the wall mounted  air conditioner that is so loud it interrupts your sleep in a hotel or motel.  Today similar units combine heating and cooling, are very quiet, and use  digital thermostats to allow dedicated temperature control of a room addition or sunroom.   This dedicated unit can offer many advantages, not the least of which  is the ability to regulate the room temperature independent of the existing home.   In addition when the room is not in use it is possible to conserve energy by setting the thermostat to the best temperature for energy efficiency.   In many cases the installation cost of such a dedicated unit will be less than extending the existing duct work, and it will work better.  If energy efficiency is taken in to account in designing the room,  it is possible for the new room to be more energy efficient and comfortable than the rest of the house.

Sunrooms and Sun porches Kansas City

We frequently get a call from a prospective client asking us about adding windowed room for their back yard.  In many cases the client is interested in a sunroom that will expand their living space and be usable for 8-12 months out of the year.  There are, of course many ways to expand living space on a home, but a sunroom is one of the most popular.  Frequently the homeowner would like to put this on an existing deck area.  Unfortunately, this strategy can lead to all kinds of future problems.  Very few decks have been built strongly enough to support a full room and roof weight.  We have seen rooms built on existing decks that created innumerable problems with the existing house and the new room.  These problems can include sagging, settling of flooring, roof leaks,  and jammed doors and windows.   In some cases the existing deck can be braced or supported to carry the extra weight of the new room, but in other cases the cost of the bracing, and the difficulty of installing it can exceed the cost of building a new support structure from scratch, especially if the old deck has any rot or structural problems.  Since  a properly designed and built sunroom enhances a homes value and usability, as well as expanding living space, it is always a good long-term investment to get an expert involved in the structural design, even if you are building it yourself.   If you are planning on building it yourself or with a friend, you may want to enlist the help of an architect or licensed engineer to design the structural support.  Different types of structural design and support may apply based on conditions such as height, size and shape of room, roof type, and type of house.   All of these situations and more need to be taken into account in the load calculations for the room.    If you are dealing with a design professional or a licensed and accredited builder, the structural design and support are some of the things you should ask specifically about.  If your builder has the proper experience, background, and training in room design he/she should be able to assist you with a permanent,  usable solution that will enhance the value and features of your home.

 Steve Folsom

Porches Kansas City

Kansas City Porches

I was at a customer’s home this week and they wanted to build a new porch on the back of their Kansas City home. Their house was on a pie shaped lot that became narrower as it went back and came to a point in the very back. When I measured the distance from the corner of the new porch to the rear property line it was only 12 feet from that point. I checked with the city the project was in and they indicated that it was too close and could not be built.

This reminded me of several other projects that were complicated by setbacks and utility easements. A setback is the distance that a completed project must be from your property line. Side setbacks can be anywhere from zero feet in some older sections of town to as much as 15 feet in others. Rear setbacks can be even more diverse. Some cities do not require setbacks for low level decks but can be as much as 30 feet for porches or sunrooms in other cases. In addition, some cities require a percentage of the total lot length not to exceed a certain amount of feet.

These setbacks can also vary within the same city. Some subdivisions require greater setbacks than others.  Villas and town homes generally have different setback requirements than single family homes. In most cases the city planner is the person to check with on regulations regarding your property. There may be a variance process in place where you can get permission to build your porch if the setback is an issue. In most cases a recent survey will be required.