“Residential porches are an in-between place”, explains Gregory Thomas, a senior project architect with CG&S Design-Build in Austin, Texas. In his article in the September issue of Qualified Remodeler magazine, he explains that these structures “reside at the transition between the protection of the indoors and full exposure of the outdoors. Neither fully interior nor exterior, porches can subtly blur the line between indoors and out”. Screened or unscreened porches provide a welcome retreat to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends.

He goes on to say that “as structures, screened porches can be challenging to design and build because they are subject to the elements and weathering forces of nature, yet they often are expected to have a fine and enduring finish and desirable amenities much like an interior space. Porches should provide shelter from the heat of the summer sun, biting insects and chilling winter winds, but they also must welcome the warmth of the winter sun and cooling breezed in summer. With careful consideration of location, orientation, appropriate architectural form and details of construction, screened porches can provide just the right amount of shelter to allow one to relax and enjoy the sensory aspects of the outdoors.”

Did you know that adding a deck to your home is one of the most worthwhile of all home improvement projects? By increasing your useable outdoor space, you also increase the value of your home.

According to Remodeling Magazine a wood deck addition project returns an average of more than 80% of the original investment – one of the highest values in the survey. Homeowners and buyers rate a deck as one of the most desirable outdoor features of a home.

Now that you’ve selected a contractor to build your deck and have narrowed down your design options, it’s wise to begin thinking about the upcoming weeks of construction and how they will impact your daily life. Just remember that while the layout and design of your yard will change dramatically, you will ultimately be gaining more useable outdoor space to enjoy for many years to come!

Keeping an open line of communication with your contractor is key to ensuring a successful project. Any questions or special instructions you have should be addressed prior to the start of work.

Stockpiling of Material

All of the material that is going to be used in your project will be stockpiled close to the construction site. This could be in your driveway or your back yard. It will mainly consist of lumber and concrete, but could also include many of the builder’s tools. The contractor should keep this staging area as neat and orderly as possible.

Use of Your House

There are a few ways your builder will need to use your house during the construction phase. First, he will need access to a power source to run his saws, drills, and other power tools. If there is no outlet outside, he will need to use a power source from inside the home. Access to a water source is also important in being able to mix concrete for the footers and piers, and to clean up the site upon project completion. The deck builder will also need to use your home to attach a ledger board, which acts as a row of piers and connects the deck to your home. This way when you step from your house onto the deck, you are stepping onto another part of your house, instead of a separate entity. This ledger board makes the deck more solid. Deck builders often have to remove a few pieces of siding so that this board is flush with the house.

Deck Staining and Treating

If you have selected a wood deck, you will need to keep in mind that your deck will need to be treatedevery 3 – 5 years, depending on your seasonal climate, exposure to the sun and the amount of precipitation your region receives. After completion of your deck, your builder will return in a month or so (depending on the weather) and will apply deck staining and treatment. This is typically done after the deck has had some exposure to natural sunlight. Once this initial treatment has been completed, it is up to the homeowner to keep a close eye out for discoloration and staining. Discuss maintenance options with your builder -- he should be able to provide you with good recommendations.

The number of outdoor construction contractors out there is great, and choosing a deck builder can be an overwhelming task! However there are many important factors that should be considered in the selection process, sliming the number down considerably and making the process much easier.

Obtaining answers to the following questions is critical before signing a contract:

Does the contractor have general liability insurance and workmen’s compensation?

Both are very important. General liability insurance protects your property in the event of damage caused by the contractor. Workmen’s compensation insurance protects you from liability if a worker is injured while working on your property. Without proper insurance, a homeowner will be liable if something happens. Ask prospective contractors for a current copy of their insurance certificate and follow up with a phone call to the insurance company to ensure the policy is still in effect.

Is the contractor licensed in the jurisdiction where work will take place?

In addition to being required to hold a state contractor’s license, a remodeler is also required to hold local business licenses for each jurisdiction in which work is performed. Without it they will be unable to pull building permits in their name, which means you, as the homeowner, will have to pull the permit. This, in turn, means that you are essentially “the contractor”.  If something with the job goes wrong, the county and state will not help you settle the dispute. You could also be required to provide corrective action. If you pull the permit, you are the contractor in the eyes of the government.

Will the contractor assist in the HOA application process?

Obtaining HOA approval can be a difficult and often tedious task. An experienced contractor can move this process along quickly and smoothly. In many cases they will handle the entire process, requesting only that the homeowner obtain the required neighbor signatures.

Will the contractor supply a list of references?

Check to make sure your contractor is well established. Ask for references that are less than one year old. Drive by job sites. It is also a good idea to make sure the contractor is a viable entity that is current on its bills. You should be able to get contact information for the company’s main suppliers.

Is the contractor an established business that specializes in outdoor construction?

Choose a company that specializes in decks, porches, and patios. There are companies that do a bit of everything and don’t do the work in house, but rather subcontract out to other companies. The result is often higher prices to the customer and a break in the line of communication.

Does the contractor guarantee its work?

A licensed contractor is required to guarantee workmanship for at least one year. Materials supplied by outside sources are often covered by additional warrantees, but this would include materials only – no labor. A reputable contractor will offer a two year warranty on the workmanship. It is important to request this in writing, as verbal commitments cannot be relied on.

Did you know that open decks, screened porches, patios, fireplaces and fire pits are more popular now than ever before?  Finished outdoor space is like adding another room to your house -- one where you can enjoy the beauty of nature in your own backyard!  By increasing the useable square footage of a home, you are also increasing its value.  Improvement projects such as these can see an average return of more than 70% of their original investment.  What a great way to invest in the future of your home, while enjoying all of the wonderful benefits it brings to your family and friends now!

This gabled porch was built in Leesburg Virginia.  We used Trex Transcend  decking the color was Spiced Rum.  The railing and exterior porch trim had a transparent stain applied before the screen was installed.

This porch was built in Leesburg Virginia.  It is a large open hip roof porch with a beaded ceiling.  We used Timbertech Earthwood Evolutions decking and Trex Transcend railing.  In the spring the beam and support posts will be solid stained with Cabot solid color stain.

This project is in Falls Church Virginia.  We removed the decking and railing from the lower deck and completely removed the existing upper deck which had support posts in the middle of the lower deck.  We installed new decking and railing on the lower deck and built a new larger upper deck.  The upper deck was designed to not have support posts taking up the valuable deck space of the lower deck.

This project is in Leesburg Virginia.  The existing deck which featured a pergola offered no real sun protection.  It is very important during the design phase to consider if and how much sun protection is needed.  A pergola can offer sun protection but it must be designed to do that.  Many builders and homeowners think just by building a pergola you will have that protection.  This is not the case.  We removed the pergola and installed an open hip roof porch with a beaded finished ceiling.  All of the trim is low maintenance PVC.  The end result enables the homeowner to have both sun and rain protection.

We built this porch several years ago in Lansdowne Virginia.  It was time to rescreen and re-stain.  After removing the screen and cleaning the wood surfaces we applied Cabot semitransparent stain to the previously stained areas.  It came out great.