Adding a Sunroom to Your Home

If you’re looking to add space and value to your home, but are on a tight budget, then a sunroom is likely the best option. Just imagine enjoying the beauty of the outdoors without full exposure to bugs and the elements. HA Construction has optimal experience with sunroom additions and can help you to create a space that is all your own.

The Planning Process
While HA Construction can help you plan every last detail of your sunroom addition, there are a few things you should probably think about in advance. First of all, you need to have a budget in mind. The cost depends on several factors, including where you put the sunroom, how big it will be, the design you want, the type of glass used and extras you may desire. Typically, sunrooms cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.

Once you’ve established your budget, consider the following to help determine the design you’re looking for:

• Do you prefer screens (used only from spring to fall) or windows (for all year use)?
• If you do windows, do you want them to open with screens or to be solid, stationary glass?
• Would you like to have ceiling fans installed?
• How about a skylight or two?
• Is security an issue?
• Do you want to install French doors or a slider?
• Do you prefer floor to ceiling windows/screens or knee-walls (a wall from floor to the bottom windowsill)?

As you consider where you would like to put your sunroom, keep in mind that it can easily be built on an existing deck or on concrete slabs (such as an existing patio or porch). There are other options that you will discuss with HA Construction during the initial consultation and throughout the building process; however, a general idea of the design and layout you’re looking for is nice to have in advance.

Types of Sunrooms
There are a few types of sunroom designs available for your consideration:

• Seasonal Sunrooms have single-pane windows with screens and are tempered by natural weather conditions (i.e. no heat/air-conditioning), which means they are used from spring to fall in most locations.
• Solariums (Conservatories) provide a panoramic view of your outdoor surroundings, usually with nothing but windows or a full composite roof. This style is best with heating/air-conditioning installed for year round use.
• Screened or Patio Rooms are used from spring to fall. All of the walls are made with mesh screens, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors without having to deal with insects.

The Materials
HA Construction can build a sunroom with materials that match the rest of your home’s exterior, providing the appearance that the sunroom was built with the rest of the home, rather than as an addition. This adds square footage to your home and usable value.

Sunroom companies (or even the DIY sunroom kits) often install aluminum products combined with composite or fiberglass materials, and the end result looks nothing like your home. These low grade materials are often marked up so high that a sunroom company will offer to install the room for free. The end result can actually detract value from your property in the future.

One reason why many people opt to do a sunroom rather than a home addition is because of the expensive of a roof. However, HA Construction recommends building a roof on your sunroom that matches the style and materials of the roof on the rest of your home. It is a bit more expensive than a flat roof or a roof of windows, but it will last much longer and will, again, look as though it was an original part of the house (and add value).

Options for the Future
As you plan your sunroom, keep the future in mind; HA Construction likes to leave all options open for progressive building. If your ultimate goal is to put on a full addition to your home, but your current budget won’t allow that, then HA Construction can build your sunroom ready for future renovations. For example, you may want to run heat and air-conditioning to the sunroom down the road. In that case, HA Construction can build a knee-wall so that you can easily add vents and outlets later.

Should you choose to build your sunroom on a concrete slab, have HA Construction pour the slab with an 18 inch footing (foundation). That way, it is already on par with building codes for future conversion to a year-round livable space.

Sunrooms are a great way to expand your home and enjoy more of what nature has to offer, without the full-blown expense of adding on. HA Construction can help you to envision your dream space and make it happen.

How to Maintain the Beauty of Your Deck

You’ve gone through the process of having HA Construction Design build a beautiful deck for you, completing the landscape of your backyard oasis. Now, the question remains, how do you maintain your deck and keep it in top form for years to come?

If you’ve yet to have your new deck built, then request one important thing from HA Construction as you make plans for the project. Essential to the longevity of your deck is the use of pressure-treated lumber that has been rated for ground contact. This will be much more resistant to rot over time. Untreated wood can be easier on your budget now, but it will cost you more in maintenance and repairs down the road.

While it may take a couple of years for your new or newly restored deck to start showing signs of use and the effects of weather, you’ll want to start on maintenance now. Making a habit of these routine steps will most certainly give your deck a long life.

Keep it Clean and Dry
While a bit of rain here and there won’t hurt your deck, you need to make sure that it dries sufficiently after the clouds part. Use a rubber broom (a large squeegee) to remove the water from your deck and clean off debris. Look around the area of your deck and remove any overhanging tree limbs or repair guttering that may cause excess water to hit the deck.

Check between boards and next to the house for dirt and be sure to remove it. While you’re friends may not be able to see it when they come over for a deck party, dirt in the cracks soaks up water and promotes rot. A putty knife is a great tool for this simple maintenance step.

While you may be tempted to use a pressure washer on your deck to get off all the grime from the past couple of years, and many other resources will tell you that a pressure cleaning is a good idea, avoid doing this task yourself. One false move and you’ve caused irreparable damage to your deck . Instead, have HA Construction do the big cleaning jobs for you, so that you can be sure your deck will look the way it’s supposed to when finished.

Mopping Up the Mildew
Alright, it’s not as easy as mopping, but a deck that begins to have dark stains or turned a weathered gray may have some mildew you need to tackle. Incidentally, keeping your deck dry as previously explained will help curb this problem, but sometimes mildew is unavoidable. Keep in mind before you proceed that decks built with redwood are often left untreated so that they turn gray, for a desired silvering effect.

Clean sporadic mildew stains with a mixture of soap, water and just a bit of bleach. Make sure that the area you clean is allowed to dry out to avoid reoccurrence. If the whole deck needs a good scrub down, you’re better off purchasing a commercial grade cleaner or a TSP heavy-duty cleanser. Thoroughly read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions, but it generally means scrubbing the deck with the cleanser and then rinsing it off.

Resealing the Deck
After a thorough cleaning, and allowing for enough time for the deck to dry, sprinkle a few drops of water on the wood. If it beads up, you’re in good shape for another season. However, if the wood soaks up the water, it’s time to restain. HA Construction can give you great recommendations on the right stains for your specific deck.

It’s important to note that you should avoid using paint on your deck if it’s built with treated wood, because the chemicals in the treated wood will cause the paint to peel – it won’t adhere to the wood well at all. Instead, use a stain. If you want the look of paint, then get a solid-body stain. If you prefer to see the wood grain in your deck boards, then a transparent stain is the way to go. Most stains have a built in sealer (just check to make sure).

Keep in mind that it needs to contain oil or paraffin as a means of repelling moisture. If you don’t want your deck to turn gray from the sun, then the stain also needs to contain UV blockers or coloring (pigment). Additionally, if you have bugs around that enjoy wood as their main course, get a stain that contain an insecticide. Most stains last three to five years. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application.

Your beautiful new deck is an essential element to your home’s landscape and curb appeal. Take the time to perform these maintenance tasks regularly, and your deck will be the exclamation point of your home for years to come.