Are you thinking about adding on to your backyard this spring? If you are, it makes sense to give us a call early to discuss ideas for your backyard upgrade. In addition, you might want to consider entering our Dream Backyard Makeover Contest. Archadeck is sponsoring a backyard makeover contest where one lucky recipient will win a backyard makeover worth up to $70,000. This contest is co-sponsored by Archadeck partners TimberTech and Belgard.
In order to enter, you simply visit our Archadeck of Kansas City facebook page and click on the blue “Win a Backyard” contest button. You can also get to the page by clicking on this direct link to the contest. When you get to the page, you will need to provide your name, contact information, post an image and enter a 250 word description of your dream backyard. The contest is open for submissions through April 22, 2013.
TimberTech Deck with White Low-Maintenance Composite Railing
Dreaming up the perfect backyard may be more difficult than it seems. Here are some ideas. You might want to consider adding a porch. This can be an open porch, a screened porch or a porch with vinyl windows to allow use of your room for more time throughout the year. Your porch could then open up to a composite deck using TimberTech. To add to those 2 outdoor living spaces, you could also add a Belgard paver patio for a third outdoor living space. Combination outdoor living spaces are very popular whether you add them at one time or whether you have a multi-year staged home addition plan.
Consider some enhancements to both your deck and patio. For your deck, enhancements can include a bump-out section for your grill. It could also include built-in benches or planters. You might want to consider a metal railing. Enhancements to a paver patio might include a seating wall, retaining wall, built in pillars or columns, or even decorative features such as using an alternate color or paver for your patio outline.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
There will only be one lucky winner nationwide so if you’re thinking about backyard upgrades, give us a call for a free consultation at (913) 851 – 3325. We look forward to your call.
There are several factors that go into selecting the best design and architectural features to make your new porch or other outdoor structure look original to your home. Take a look at the photo below. You almost need to look at it for a few minutes to recognize that it’s the same home. The new screened porch was designed to work with the home and to look like it’s original to the home.
Here are some of the ways we make the new structure look original to the home.
From an architectural perspective, one of the first key factors is evaluating the correct roofline for the addition. This house had multiple rooflines as is often typical of custom homes. In our design, we came up with a roof that complimented the home and one that worked in durability, drainage, size, and shape. This home has both gable roof lines and hip roof lines. Our new porch incorporated a gable peak into the roof to blend the porch perfectly with the architecture of the home.
Because this project was very high in the air – 13 or 14 ft, and the roof is well over 27’ or 28’, it was important to take into account how the height reflects the scale because things look different at that height than from the ground. Height does affect scale and this was an important consideration with the design.
In order to compliment the house, the homeowner agreed we needed something other than ceiling and screens. We felt we needed kneewall to blend into the house. We used half kneewall and half railing. That lends to the architectural look on the outside as well as on the inside. In the picture above, the area between the supporting posts and the screen is the interior kneewall of the porch. The picture to the left shows how this combination kneewall and railing looks. The railing has Deckorator balusters and a custom built cedar railing. This particular porch has a beautiful custom fireplace integrated into the porch which allows the homeowners to enjoy their screened porch a little longer throughout the year.
The screened porch exterior has custom siding trim and is painted to match the exterior of the home. All of these elements such as roof design, scale, trim, color, and kneewall contributed to making this porch look original to the home.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
If you are considering adding a screened porch to your Kansas City area home, give us a call for a free consultation at (913) 851 – 3325 or send us an email at kansascity@archadeck.net
There are two things our customers tell us when we speak with them after they’ve had time to live in and enjoy their new outdoor room. First they tell us they wish they had done it sooner. Secondly, they tell us it’s their favorite room in the house. This has been true throughout the time we’ve been designing and building outdoor living spaces here in the Kansas City market.
This design rendering shows what the space will look like after completion
Now there is a new trend we’re seeing. Homeowners are now considering adding multi-function outdoor living spaces. Multi-function spaces include those that are either large enough to include separate living spaces or spaces that actually include multiple outdoor structures. For example, a large deck or screened porch may accommodate both an eating area and enough room for a seating area. A space including multiple outdoor living structures may add multiple living spaces to your home as is the case with a project we are just beginning in Shawnee, KS.
These homeowners wanted a sunroom, a screened porch and a deck. Their yard has a drop-off so they are able to add outdoor living spaces at both levels. On the lower level walkout, we are building a screened porch. The basement door leads to the screened porch.
Design drawing of new 2-story 4-season porch over screened porch with adjoining deck
Atop the screen porch will be a new sunroom. There is a walkout from the kitchen and dining area to the new sunroom. Then, one of the side walls of the sun room will lead to a new second-story deck. The deck has stairs leading down to the ground.
For the decks, steps and screened porch floor, the owners chose to use Ipe which is a strong Brazilian hardwood. They wanted a natural product that was extremely durable and long lasting. The sunroom will have hardwood floors.
Our design drawings help our customers envision what their project will look like
The upper level sunroom is actually called a 12-month sunroom. It will have insulation and energy efficient windows so it can be used 12 months of the year. It will also have heat and A/C. The room does have a separate unit because the sun in the sunroom might be dramatically different than in the rest of the house. With separate thermostatic control and a separate unit, they can turn it off when they go out of town.
Here’s a design rendering of the project to give you a glimpse of what the finished project will look like. When complete in November, we will follow up with pictures showing all the details and finish choices.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
If you are considering adding an outdoor living area to your home, give us a call for a free consultation. Call (913) 851 – 3325 or email kansascity@archadeck.net
We recently completed a screened porch and deck combination in Overland Park. The homeowners had an existing deck but wanted a porch and deck combination. The owners wanted a tile floor on the porch so we had to remove the old deck and install a new foundation suitable for tile. A traditional deck is not able to hold tile.
Beautiful tile floor Overland Park by Archadeck
Tile is a unique flooring choice for a screened porch that affords much design flexibility. Additional benefits include tile’s durability and that it’s long lasting, and requires little maintenance.
We designed a gable roofed screen porch to attach to house in the area they wanted. The porch has cedar wall posts and a painted bead board ceiling. We installed ultra-heavy duty screening and railing on porch with Deckorator metal balusters.
The homeowners wanted a new custom door installed in the house. We removed the sliding doors and added French doors instead.
The deck is built using AZEK brownstone. Since it’s low to the ground, it does not require railing. We added custom skirting underneath the porch and deck to close off a lower area for looks and to keep animals out.
The owners are thrilled with their new porch and deck.
If you are considering adding a new porch, deck, or other outdoor living space to your Kansas City area home, give us a call for a design consultation.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
Which month is one of the most ideal months to build a screened porch? Here are the top 5 reasons that the fall is a great month to get started on adding a screened porch, 3-season porch or sunroom to your home.
Have it ready for spring
Outdoor enjoyment in the colder months
Minimal interruption of your landscaping
Avoid new year price increases
Get started sooner
Have your porch ready for spring
The weather in Kansas City is different every year. While some years it’s not hot enough really enjoy the refuge of a screened porch until spring, in other years you may be ready to begin enjoying your porch in very early spring. Building your screened porch in the fall ensures that your new screened porch is ready for enjoyment no matter when the temperatures heat up for spring.
Enjoy your porch in the colder months
Many of our customers tell us that they enjoy their screened porch well into the colder months. There are many great electric and natural gas space heaters on the market that will provide enough heat to enjoy your porch in cooler months. If you have a multi-season porch, year round enjoyment is made possible with the help of a space heater.
Be good to your landscaping
The optimal time to do landscaping is later in the fall so it’s not so hot and your new landscaping is going to take root best. Building your porch in the fall helps to ensure that you have minimal interruption of your landscaping. In the fall, the ground is firmer because of less rain resulting in less disruption to your landscaping.
New year may mean new prices
As the housing recovery accelerates which it’s doing which it’s doing around the country, prices of building materials go up. The longer you wait, the higher materials will be priced. They’re based on supply and demand on national level which is highly dependent on the housing market. Building materials manufacturers often announce their price increases at the first of the year. By building in the fall, you can take advantage of the lower prices.
Get started sooner
Everyone wants to build their new outdoor room in the spring. As you can imagine, the construction schedule for reputable builders may require project start dates that are weeks out delaying the time you can begin to enjoy your new porch. In addition to longer wait times in the spring, long bailout times are accentuated by heavy rain which is more prevalent in the spring.
Fall into spring
Another consideration is to sign up in the fall to start building early in the coming year. This allows you to get ahead of the spring rush, allows you to build while the ground is still firm, and we may be able to take advantage of the lower costs of building supplies if you sign a contract before the new year.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
If you are considering adding a porch or covered room to your Kansas City area home, give us a call. Our consultation is completely free. Give us a call at (913) 851 – 3325 or email us at kansascity@archadeck.net. We look forward to your call.
One of the first questions people ask when they’re considering adding a porch to their house is to what degree we can make it look original to their home. Nobody wants a new porch that looks “added on” or an addition that looks like a sore thumb. Here are the top 5 ways to make your new porch look original to your home.
Overland Park KS screened porch addition with challenging roof connection
Roof style –
Using the correct roof style to match or complement your home is one of the biggest factors in determining the degree to which your porch will look like it was built with your house. If you close your eyes and envision a typical porch, a rectangular (gable) roof or perhaps a flat roof may come to mind. But, one shape certainly does not fit all. There are many factors that help determine which roof is best for your new porch. One of these factors is matching or complimenting the other roof lines of your house. Your house may have a gable roof or a hip or shed roof. Likely your house has a couple different roof lines. But other factors come into play such as the placement of second story windows where you want to build your porch.
Other roof factors we consider when designing your porch roof are the pitch, soffits and overhang. All of these factors affect the look. We work to match or complement each of these elements.
Size/shape/proportions –
If the new porch is too big or too small or the proportions don’t fit to back yard and to house, it is going to look odd. Other factors include the size of your house, the size of your yard, and the relative proportions of the space available to work in and how the porch will be used. All of these factors come into play when we design the size, shape, and proportions of your new porch.
Color/texture/materials –
The aesthetic choices including the color, texture and materials will be a determining factor on whether the new porch looks like it was built with your house. This is especially true on the outside but also on the inside. Some of these factors include the trim materials, the types of paint/stain, and the look of trim compared to type of trim used on house.
Flow from the porch to the back yard
In certain yards, there is a distinct reason to put steps in one area vs. another. These reasons may include the proportion, size, or shape of steps. Other factors to how the porch steps transition to the yard include the angle of the steps and the connection to any primary destination in yard if there is one.
Landscape design –
Landscaping has a big impact on how things look when they’re finished. Adding landscaping around the porch that is complimentary to the existing landscape design will help in making the new porch look like part of the existing house.
As you can see, there really is no way for one solution to fit all situations. Every home is different and every homeowners has different wants and needs for their new porch. That’s why it’s important to work with a design and build company that listens to what you are looking for and designs a room to fit all of your needs including aesthetic, lifestyle, and more.
If you are considering adding a porch to your home, give us a call at (913) 851 – 3325 or send us an email at kansascity@archadeck.net. We look forward to hearing from you.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
Every job we build is different because each one is based on each homeowner’s distinct needs and wants. So while there’s no “recipe” for the perfect project, there are a few key components or ingredients in this project that that mark the Archadeck difference.
Custom roof solution
Stunning, high quality materials
Looks original to the home
Overland Park KS screened porch addition with challenging roof connection
Often times, customers will call us and indicate that based on their unique roof configurations or architectural constraints, other builders said that adding an addition to the back of their home simply couldn’t be done. In most cases, we are able to design and build a unique solution to attach a roof to their home. If you look at the picture to the right, you’ll noticed a couple roof lines that attach to the gable roof of the new screened porch. This was a complicated connection where we connected to the back wall, to a side roof and to a side wall. We had to design the screened porch specifically to do all of these difficult connections.
Notice the beautiful Ipe wood screened porch floor in this Overland Park screened porch
The second key ingredient in this screened porch was the high quality materials. The flooring of the porch is Ipe which is an exotic hardwood. In addition to being beautiful, this porch floor is ultra durable, will never rot, and requires minimal maintenance. The homeowners were looking for a natural product that was “the ultimate in durability and aesthetics”. In addition to the Ipe floor, we also used cedar wall posts and a beadboard ceiling.
The final key ingredient to this great screened porch was the degree to which this porch addition looks original to the home. The gable roof compliments the gable roof lines of the existing home. In addition, the exterior of the porch is painted gray to match the house. Other more subtle details like matching gutters and soffits also make the new porch look like it’s original to the home.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
If you are considering adding an outdoor living area to your home, give us a ring for a custom design consultation at 913-851-3325.
This open porch adjoins with the pool deck allowing ease of movement between the 2 living areas.
Open porches and screened porches have many similarities in that they are both roof structures, can both be attached or detached, and both provide sun protection. Here are some key differences you may want to consider if you’re determining which you want to add to your home.
One consideration is bug protection. An open porch, sometimes called a covered patio, will not provide bug protection without the addition of a bug protection device such as mosquito curtains. Depending on your yard and the elevation of the porch, mosquitoes and other bugs may or may not be a problem. If your open porch will be at the second-story level or above, bugs may not be an issue. They tend to stay lower to the ground.
This open porch in Lenexa provides a great view of the back yard.
Another consideration is that an open porch feels different. Without the screens there’s slightly more visibility and less privacy. But, if the porch is adjoining to a deck or patio, you may not want a screen wall obstructing easy communication or access between both living areas. Another reason you may not want to restrict access if you are entertaining in both spaces. The ambiance is different if the 2 spaces are separated by screens.
On an open porch, you have more trim work and column options. Posts can be trimmed to have a more finished look. They can also be farther apart allowing for different spacing between the posts. Columns become an option when you do not need to attach screens.
This TimberTech open porch in Lenexa KS has a very stately open feel and the design integrates into the style of the existing home.
If you are considering addition a porch to your home, give us a call for a free consultation. We enjoy working with homeowners to provide information that will help in making decisions. Give us a ring at (913) 851 – 3325 or send us an email at kansascity@archadeck.net. We look forward to your call.
Screened Porch, Pergola and Outdoor Fireplace in Overland Park, KS
These days we’re seeing more and more homeowners building multiple outdoor living spaces into one environment. This often includes some combination of deck, patio and porch as the primary structures and often other structures such as pergolas are added in to complete an outdoor environment. As nice as this would be to build all at once, taking on this expense all at one time may not make sense from a budgetary perspective.
Have you thought about building in phases or stages? If you look at the picture above, you will see an entire outdoor living environment complete with screen porch, elegant stairs, a pergola, a patio, a fire pit and a water feature. All of these elements blend seamlessly as if they were built all at once. In fact, these elements were built at different times. The back porch was the first thing we built for these homeowners. You’ll notice that the beautiful stairs with flared bottom are a perfect compliment to the patio. When we first built the screen porch years ago, the patio did not yet exist. But, it was part of the staged construction plan and thus the reason why we built the stairs as we did. The pergola was added in a second phase and the patio in yet another and yet they look like they were all built at one time.
While it’s still fine to add on to projects in future years without having an original “grand plan”, there are some key considerations we take into account when planned growth is in the picture.
Leawood KS Screen porch deck pergola and patio
Deck now, patio later
Many people will start with a deck with plans of adding a patio later. These structures compliment each other beautifully and having both creates multiple distinct living areas. Some of the considerations we take into account knowing future plans of adding a patio are things like shape, access, traffic flow, how the stairs will transition from the deck to patio, and also the size, shape proportions of the patio.
Deck now, roof in future
If you are thinking about adding a roof to your deck in the future, we need to consider the structural support that will be required for a future roof. In addition, interesting deck shapes are not practical with roof structures so this helps determine the size and shape of the deck.
Open porch now, screened porch or sunroom in future
Screens and windows come in specific sizes that require particular column spacing and column layout. Knowing there are future plans of enclosing an open porch allow us to build the porch with room for growth.
Plans for future amenities
You may be planning to add an amenity such as a hot tub in the future. In this case, we would take spatial considerations and structural support into consideration when planning your new deck.
So what happens if you decide at a later point to add on? Or, what if you planned to add on but never do? Any of these scenarios are fine but you can see from reading above that if you’re thinking about phased growth or future additions, it’s often best to take them into account while planning your initial project with us.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
Get in touch with us for a custom design consultation by calling (913) 851 – 3325 or email us at kansascity@archadeck.net.
To see more photos of our work, please take a look at some of our photo galleries on our web site:
Overland Park KS Screened Porch with Treated Wood Floor and Knee Wall
The devastating Tsunami in Japan seems so fresh in our minds but also so long ago. When we are hit with a major devastation, the feelings and emotions seem so fresh in our minds yet we know intellectually that these events happened much longer ago. I watched an episode of 60 Minutes a week ago that surprised me. Japan is not in the rebuilding stage but yet rather still in the cleanup stage. What this means is that soon raw building materials are going to be in tremendously high demand on the International market. What this means for us domestically is prices are getting ready to increase.
Thirty years ago, prices on raw materials such as wood were influenced by domestic demand. Now, the prices of raw materials in the States are widely determined by world demand. Many of us are staying in our homes because of the challenge in selling our homes right now at any sort of attractive price. We’re also vacationing less because we want our dollars to last longer than the span of a vacation. We want to invest those dollars into creating a relaxing or seemingly luxurious space at our own homes. What better way to do this than to build a porch or sunroom to both expand our home and enjoy a greater view of our yards and a better connection with the outdoors. Visibility to our yards and to more sun has a relaxing effect and our porches or sunrooms can give us the feeling of vacationing at home.
Kansas City Screened Porch with Screened Gable Roof and Sky Light
Prices of raw materials are getting ready to go up. I always tell my prospective customers who are thinking about building in the Fall or Winter that it might be one of the best times to build because of impending first-of-the-year price increases. The material manufacturers not only commonly increase prices at the first of a new year but some get a jump on the annual price increase by raising prices at the end of the year. Where do the rebuilding efforts in Japan come into this equation? Many of us suspect that the effects of the increased demand on raw materials from Japan’s rebuilding have already been felt. Instead, Japan is nearing the end of their cleanup and is forecasted to have a surge in demand at the beginning of 2012 at which time raw material prices may likely increase.
In addition to material prices, there are a few other reasons why now is the best time to build your new porch or sunroom.
Least amount of landscape damage
When you are building a backyard structure, there can be literally hundreds of trips from your backyard to front yard. If we are demolishing your old deck or structure or replacing parts of it, the materials need to be carried out of your yard by a person. In addition, the material is carried through your yard with many trips from front to back. The best time for lots of traffic across your yard is when the grass and plants are dormant and the ground is harder. It’s easier for the lawn to recover.
Large Gable Roof Sunroom with Attached Deck in Lee’s Summit MO
Easier for the carpenters
We all have this scene in our minds. Carpenters sitting on a hot roof or in a chair drinking a Gatorade and wiping sweat of their face This is not for being lazy. The heat of summer not only necessitates more hydration breaks but it also slows the carpenters down.
Much shorter waiting list
We all know the best people are busy. When we’ve heard about a great new doctor or landscaper, we expect to be put on a waiting list and we’re ok with that. We expect a waiting list from the best. In the Spring, any reputable contractor is going to have a substantial waiting list. If you call in April, it may be highly likely that your project cannot be started until early summer. As a matter of fact, if you call a contractor in the Spring and they can start right away – buyer beware. In the Fall and Winter, reputable contractors will still likely have a waiting list but it will be substantially shorter.
Ability to control your schedule
Now comes the frustrating part of building in the Spring. You’ve signed up to have your project built and you anxiously wait to hear when the contractor can start only to find that’s the week you will be on vacation or the couple of weeks when you are going to have loads of people in your back yard and cannot have builders around during that time. Similarly to the point above, shorter waiting lists mean a better ability to control having the building done at a time makes the most sense for you.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
When you call for a free consultation, we can help you determine what makes the best sense for you. The disruption on your lives and back yard will be much less. And, you’re likely to pay significantly less.
Call us now for your free consultation at (913) 851 – 3325 or email us at kansascity@archadeck.net.
To see more examples of our work, check out or photo galleries.
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