It has been just over 3 weeks since our deck construction completed and now is a good time to update everyone on our first impressions, what we like, don't like, and what is coming up next.
Impressions
Although we added the additional footage to the deck it still isn't enough! I say this half jokingly, but it is a good idea to really think about the size of the enclosure and what you want to do with it. Our house is 2,100 square feet and with the enclosure we have added another 180 square feet. That sounds like a lot but when you take into account the two doors and their location that starts to dictate what you can do.
American Patio Rooms lived up to their claims and once the work started they continued until they were finished, even the electrician showed up in time to hook everything up. I have heard complaints about other builders that finished their work, but the electrician didn't show up for a few weeks to hook up the power.
Speaking to the crew that worked on my deck everyone had at least 10 years of experience and a few had over 20. All of the experience with American Patio Rooms.
What We Like
Just having the house back door and windows open and being able to freely walk onto the deck is great. No flies and bugs coming into the house is a big plus.
Another interesting point is we have a lower deck and it is now 50% covered by the upper deck. I can leave the door going onto the lower deck open when it rains. What is even nicer is now that the upper deck is enclosed and the bottom enclosed it gives a nice looking roof over the lower deck.
What We Don't Like
The sound of a hard rain is much louder than we thought it would be. If you where watching TV or listening to music you would have to turn up the volume. I assume shingles on the roof would reduce the sound. We might have considered that option when building, but perhaps not (more money). The rain can also be heard from inside the house when the doors and windows are closed to the deck. However, it really isn't that bad in the house, only when you are on the deck.
What We Have Done
We decided to buy carpet instead of tile. It was a hard decision to make, but we decided to take the advice of the consultant and go with carpet. On the plus side it will be easier on the feet and warmer in the winter. The big plus is the money saved pays for the fireplace.
The outside vinyl siding that was on the house is now inside the enclosed deck. Although I have always power washed the siding it took three separate washings after construction to get it looking pretty good. It still has 14 years of aging, but over all it isn't bad. Just a lot of elbow grease and 3 different cleaners!
Power Washed the lower deck to clean it up after the construction
We replaced the old outdoor light with an indoor sconce (40 watts does a nice job)
We bought a lamp with all the colors we were looking for and made of natural materials
We bought screen saver flowers to put onto the sliding door screen
We have a mirror to put up that will conveniently hide some of the water stains that wouldn't come off the siding. They are faint but still noticeable
What's Next
Carpet will be installed in 8 days
Buy the electric fireplace (currently we have a deposit on it)
Purchase solid white stain for the deck stairs and support posts, and look for a few days when their isn't any rain in the forecast.
Stay Tuned
We will keep you posted on our experience with building and decorating our enclosed upper deck, now the Sun Room. Watch for more blog posts. If you want to read all of our posts on enclosing our deck click here.