As a child I remember my mom using the “enclosed back porch” as a walk-in cooler during the winter. It was the place she’d store Christmas cookies and other goodies in preparation for the holidays. The back porch served well as a naturally refrigerated area during the cold Nebraska winters. Unfortunately, the back porch didn’t work as an outdoor living area.
Today there are options to expand and enhance our modern day “back porches”. Many homes have built in covered decks and patios. More attention is being paid to outdoor living areas. Homeowners are looking for ways to utilize these beautiful outdoor living spaces more often, regardless of the weather or season. Thus the advent of the Sunroom, Four Season rooms, Three Season enclosures and Screen rooms. I even saw one company advertising a FIVE season room!
A Sunroom or Four Season room is basically a room designed as a living area that includes heating and cooling. Thus it can be used year round. They are basically a room with a lot of windows. Sunrooms, as their name implies allow for lots of natural lighting and great views. During the winter months the heat of the sun is a welcome friend or an overpowering intruder. I was recently in a south facing sunroom when the outside temperature was around 10 degrees. Without any heat on, the inside temperature was an uncomfortable 82 degrees! You can imagine how difficult it was to keep their sunroom cool during the summer. Their solution was to add retractable exterior solar screens that allowed them to better control the heat gain.
Three Season rooms, sometimes referred to as All Season rooms, are designed to be used primarily during Spring, Summer and Fall. Typically they do not include any type of heating or cooling (other than ceiling fans). The key to maximizing their use is to allow sufficient airflow. Large operable windows with screens provide that outdoor feeling while giving you the option of having the windows open or closed. The screens keep the room bug free, and Solar screens double as a bug shield and reduce the heat gain while not blocking the view. Modern options offer an amazing vinyl glazing window. These feature shatterproof material that is as transparent as glass without the cost or the weight.
Three Season enclosures are very practical and significantly lower cost than their cousin the sunroom. In any case, consideration must be given to properly managing heat gain and glare issues. Mom’s back porch can be much more than a walk in cooler.
The pergola has quickly become one of the most popular features for outdoor living areas. Sometimes referred to as a “California Roof”, the pergola is an architectural feature. Much like an arbor they typically feature a simple frame with an open overhead cover.
Today’s market offer pergolas made of metal, vinyl and a variety of wood products. For those seeking the look of wood without the maintenance issues, an aluminum pergola is the answer. Whatever the material it is important to consider the style and the real purpose of the pergola. A pergola is an architectural feature. In itself most pergolas do not provide a large amount of shade, nor do they provide any weather protection. The popular aluminum pergola mentioned before often has overhead lattice. When installed 3” on center, these 1.5” square tubes can provide up to 60% shade factor. The wider the spacing, the lower the shade factor.
If shade is the motivation for the pergola you might want to consider a pergola shade. There are several options now available to add shade to just about any type of pergola. Many prefer a retractable system. These provide shade when you want it and sun when you need it. Some models even provide rain protection. Convenient options like motorization with remote controls are also now available. A simple solar screen cover can also increase the shade up to 90%. Any fixed shade system should be removed prior to risk of snow loading. Also, fixed shades are always more susceptible to wind damage.
Depending on the position of the pergola, vertical shade can be as important and overhead shades. Many people find themselves wanting to enjoy their outdoor living areas in the morning or evening hours when the sun is lower in the horizon. The bright sun blasts under the overhead structure and/or shade creating an uncomfortable environment. A properly installed retractable solar screen can be lowered at the appropriate time blocking up to 90% of the sun. Thus blocking the glare and dropping the temperature significantly (up to 20% or more according to some studies). Solar screens block the sun but not the view. The darker the color of the fabric the better you can see through it, so black is by far the most popular color choice.
A word of caution, make sure any pergola system is properly installed. While not designed or expected to support any snow loads they must be sturdy enough to withstand high winds. When possible opt for an attached system, meaning at least one side of the pergola is attached to a building or home. This application will greatly reduce ‘racking’ (swaying of the pergola structure). Professional installation is recommended.
Sunsetter has nearly single handedly created the retractable awning market in America. Their aggressive marketing has made their name synonymous with awnings. The early Sunsetter awnings were vertical arm retractable awnings. These featured support arms that were attached to the house with the awning roller mounted atop. The arms would pivot out and then adjust upward extending the shade up to 10’ out from the wall. This innovative design provided an affordable awning that was mass marketed through a wide spectrum of media. Up to a few years ago you could only purchase direct from the factory and work out installation on you own. Now Sunsetter has a vast network of authorized dealers offering a much improved and modern product line.
Like Sunsetter, the awning market has evolved and now offers thousands of styles with dozens of options by hundreds of manufactures. The lateral arm styles are very similar. Depending on the width of the awning at least two ‘arms’ extend out from the awning structure which is typically mounted on the house wall or roof mounting brackets. (more about roof mounting options below). The arms are spring loaded and are under tension to extend straight out. As the roll of shade fabric is unrolled, either by manual crank or by motorization, the awning extends out to provide a comfortable shade area. Unlike the early awnings modern models are easy to operate making them much more convenient.
Product design and engineering have greatly improved. Today lateral arm awnings can project up to 15’ and are available in widths up to 40’ or more. A far cry from the early Sunsetter models. Modern fabrics now offer a wide selection of colors and patterns making the awning a design accent as well as a shade product.
By far the most common question asked is: How will this install on my house? Basically there are two installation methods; wall mount or roof mount. A wall mount installation attaches mounting brackets on the outside wall of the house. The awning is installed into the brackets. Obviously the mounting brackets must be securely mounting into the structure of the wall to support the weight and stress of the awning. If you don’t plan to use a professional installer and go it on your own be sure to follow the manufactures instructions. An improperly installed awning can fall and cause damage and injury.
Roof mount installation is a common practice on ranch style homes. It is helpful when there is not sufficient clearance to mount the awning on the house wall. Remember an awning has a pitch or slope down. The general rule of thumb is that the optimum mounting for most retractable awnings is 9’ about the deck or patio level. Roof mounting brackets are a special designed bracket that bolts to the roof and provides a mount point for the awning. The awning is lifted above the roof allowing snow, water and debris to pass under. The awning itself extends out above the gutter without interfering with the roof drainage system. Roof mounted awnings are almost always motorized. Operating the awning by hand crank can be difficult, sometimes impossible, when on the roof above the gutter. A professional installer can tell you ahead of time what type of installation you’ll need and if manual operation is an option.
The second most common question is: Do we need a motor, is it hard to crank? Awnings don’t usually crank hard, but they do crank often. Crank operators are gear to make it easier to crank the awning in or out. Motorization however is the number one selling option for every awning on the market today. The reason is simple. Convenience. Years ago I had clients considering the motorization option. The husband really didn’t think they needed a motor, ‘just more things to go wrong’ he said. His wife didn’t miss a beat, “If we got a new garage door would you put an opener on it?” He turned to me and said “we’ll take the motor”.
The real reason to consider motorization is convenience of operation. You decide to have lunch on your deck, hit the button and by time you sit down the awning is out and you have a cool shady spot. When done, touch of a button and the awning is put away until the next time you need it before you close the door. The number one complaint heard over and over at home and garden shows is; “Sure wish we’d got the motor option”. The more convenient the awning is the more use you’ll get out of it.
About the wind. Studies have shown that most people with leave their outdoor living areas when the winds exceed about 14 mph. Most awnings can easier withstand those types of wind. The number one rule in awning ownership is NEVER LEAVE AWNING UN-ATTENDED. When you go in, it goes in. Close the awning before you close the door. Whatever way you want to say it, don’t tempt the wind. Left out and exposed to the wind eventually the wind will win. The reality is you can use your awning anytime you want. If it’s too windy for you it may be getting too windy for the awning.
Technology has come to the rescue. Modern awnings offer wind and motion sensors(only available on motorized awnings). Wind sensors are designed to track wind speeds. When the wind speed exceeds a preset limit a signal is sent to the motor and the awning automatically retracts. Newer sensors are based on motion rather than wind speed. A sensor is installed on the front bar of the awning. When it senses an excessive amount of motion it signals the motor to retract the awning. Either option is a nice addition to a motorized awning. Caution however, do not become completely reliant on the wind or motion sensor. Still follow the golden rule of awning ownership.
Skylights are a great way to bring natural light into a home. It’s not unusual to find skylights in bath areas and kitchens. While the light is a pleasant addition, the heat gain is not so pleasant.
Some companies market a shade product that attaches inside the skylight opening. While these are helpful, they are not the most efficient way to deal with heat gain issues. If you think about it, a shade mounted inside the glass stops the light and energy only AFTER it has penetrated the glass. Sort of like putting a bucket under a leak trying to “fix” the roof!
In fairness, all interior shades reduce the heat somewhat. Traditional shade cloth and solar screens block up to 90% of the sun and light. But remember, it does so only after they are inside your home. A more efficient interior screen is “silver screen”. Silver screen fabric is a solar screen that is actually coated with silver on the outward facing side of the fabric. This type of fabric will reflect double the heat of a typical solar fabric. It will also greatly increase the cost for an interior screen.
A simple, low cost solution is to install a solar screen on the outside of your skylight. Just like a solar screen on your windows and door, a skylight solar screen will block the sun and heat BEFORE they penetrate your home.
I can tell you from personal experience that skylight solar screens work. We have a brand new skylight installed our bathroom. While we really enjoyed the natural light, the heat gain made the room extremely warm. In fact, it heated up that whole part of the house. Once I installed a skylight solar screen (see picture below) the temperature dropped by about 20 degrees or more! We still get natural light, and our air conditioner doesn’t run non-stop anymore.
Installation was simple, and it’s easy to remove if we want during the frigid winter months. If you don’t want to venture up on your roof, have it professionally installed for a nominal fee. You’ll find it is well worth the investment.
All the wet weather lately has left large amounts of standing water. Mix that with summer heat and you have a breeding paradise for the MOSQUITO. With the number of mosquitoes predicted to rise, the concern for mosquito-borne illnesses, such as the West Nile Virus, increases. Professionals advise avoiding contact as much as possible.
Remove all standing water that can provide a breeding ground for those pesky and potentially dangerous bugs. For bird baths try a “water wriggler”. This ingenious device gently ripples the water keeping mosquitoes from hatching. Plus, the moving water attracts more birds! There is even a solar powered version of the water wriggler.
Though we cannot always predict mother nature, Nebraska Outdoor Living Center can help you be prepared to protect your home and family. One of the best lines of defense is a screen enclosure. It provides mosquito protection for families as well as gives the feeling of being outdoors without taking the risks associated with being outside. Screen enclosures are low maintenance and can greatly enhance your backyard experience. Color choices include classic ivory, white, clay, or dark bronze in either extruded or roll-formed aluminum lineals.
If you already have a covered deck or patio, our custom fit screen enclosure systems allows you to ‘bug proof’ your deck or patio beautifully. Don’t have a covered deck or patio? Nebraska Outdoor Living can provide a complete turnkey screen enclosure utilizing the finest maintenance free materials.
One of the coolest things on the market today are Power Retractable Screens. These allow you to convert your covered patio or deck into a screen room at the touch of a button. When not needed the screens retract into a protective cassette, thus significantly extending the life of the screen fabric. The retractable screens are custom made for a perfect fit.
Keeping window screens in good repair is also helpful, or replace them entirely, if necessary. A popular option is to replace your worn out screen with solar screen. This is a specially formulated screen fabric is designed to keep the sun and the bugs out! Amazingly, solar screen will block up to 90% of the sun but still allows you to enjoy your view. It’s like sunglasses for your home.
