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TECHNOLOGY AND YOU

Add living space and energy efficiency with a patio room

Q: We sit outdoors and cool off on summer evenings so we don't have to run the air conditioner as much, but the bugs eat us alive. What types of efficient low-cost do-it-yourself screen/glass patio room kits are available? - W. D.

A: Adding a do-it-yourself screened patio room is a low-cost method to increase your living space and reduce your air-conditioning costs in the summer. It can also provide an effective windbreak to reduce heating costs in the winter. Several of the simple, lightweight kits can be built directly over an existing patio or a deck.

Building a patio room will not only reduce your need to air-condition in the evening, but also in the peak afternoon heat. Most of these patio room kits have a light-colored insulated aluminum roof. This blocks the sun's rays from directly baking your house walls and a concrete or brick patio. Without this protection, once the house and patio are hot, they hold the heat well into the evening.

The spring is a good time to start building your patio room. For the easiest assembly, select one of the new do-it-yourself, easy-to-assemble screened patio room kits. Many are delivered with over 90 percent of the assembly work already completed. You just need a few simple tools to finish assembling it over a weekend.

You have two basic design options — all-season and three-season. All-season screened kits also include thermal pane windows and thermally-broken aluminum frames. This extends the seasonal usage and reduces condensation in cold climates. Three-season screened patio room kits usually include just single pane glass. In hot climates, select heavy fiberglass solar screening to block 70 percent of the sun's heat.

Most patio room kits now use insulated aluminum laminated roof panels. They are typically constructed of three inches of expanded polystyrene foam insulation that is laminated between two embossed aluminum skins. This produces a very strong, quiet and maintenance-free roof. Many have factory-installed skylights available for more openness, or you can easily install your own skylights.

For a true screened-porch atmosphere without sacrificing efficiency in the winter, select a kit with lift-out glass panels, like Spectrum from Texas Aluminum. Many other kit designs have sliding glass wall panels so the center half of the wall can be opened. These quasi-sunroom models often include hidden ceiling fan supports and built-in wiring channels.

If you enjoy doing some designing yourself, Skyquest has basic patio enclosures, screen porch conversions and other kit plans. They have blueprints to help you design the basic structure. They provide all the special components, windows, framing, etc. that you need for your design and you provide the other building materials locally.

One company, Skytech, makes unique folding glass and screen walls that are ideal for a do-it-yourself patio room. Each glass wall section is about 30 inches wide and either four or seven feet high. These folding walls are also an excellent replacement for a large sliding glass door to a patio where you want a large open area.

Each wall section glides on sealed ball bearings in tracks and opens accordion-style. When you have the folding wall fully opened, 92 percent of the wall is unobstructed. When they are closed, tight weather-stripping and locks make the wall energy efficient and secure. Many clear and tinted glass options are available including efficient low-e glass.

For those on a limited budget, Kay Home Products makes square and round (actually 10-sided) freestanding screened rooms. These have lightweight triple-layer vinyl roofs and can be located on a patio or in your yard. The only tool needed to assemble one is a screwdriver. The kits include all the durable aluminum framing, door, roof and hardware.

Using a professional-looking screening system, like the one from Screen Tight, it is easy to build your own patio room from scratch. Once you have the lumber framing complete, nail the base strip to the lumber. Lay the screening over the base and snap in the spine to secure it. This hides all the fasteners.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 440 - buyer's guide of 16 patio room/screen porch kits, roof/wall systems, window/door options and features. Please include $2 (with check payable to Jim Dulley) and a business-size SASE. Mail to: Jim Dulley, Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. For instant download, go to http://www.dulley.com.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.

Copyright 1998 James Dulley

18 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING MAY 1998


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