Winter Is a Great Time to Build an Outdoor Project

The backlog of work for my construction crews is the lowest it has been for years. And while the economy has slowed in our area (near Washington, DC), that is not the main reason for our current reduced number of projects waiting to be built. The primary reason is good weather. The Mid-Atlantic region has had a very warm and dry fall and early winter season this year. We are more than half way through January and we finally had our first snow (a measly inch or two) and really cold temperatures this week. As a result we have had many more days available to build than normal – we have worked ourselves out of work!

Every year there is a slow down in sales during the winter months. Homeowner’s minds turn to interior projects and projects like decks and porches are forgotten until spring. Reasons for this include the belief that contractors don’t build in the winter and if they did the quality of construction would be lower than if the project were built in warmer weather. Actually for most of the country neither is true.

With the exception of the very most northern states, construction of decks and porches is not affected by winter weather very much. The main problem in the coldest states is that the ground freezes so hard the crews cannot dig footings even with power augers. These areas have the deepest footing requirements, often 36” or more deep, so it becomes impractical to dig them in winter.

For the rest of the country this is typically not much of a problem. In fact there are several reasons why building an outdoor project in winter may be the best time:

• Construction crews want to keep their best crews busy so that there’s less chance of loosing them to a busier company. Crews only get paid if they are working and they have bills like everybody else.
• Material prices tend to be lower. Building material prices tend to increase less and even decline with the lower demand of winter.
• Builders are often more willing to offer discounts or other incentives to get the work. The competition is the same, but there’s less work – supply and demand works in this market too.
• The quality of the materials is often better. Many outdoor projects are built using pressure treated lumber. This material is shipped with a high level of moisture in it. As the lumber dries it wants to cup, warp, and check, as the cells shrink. If the wood dries slower it tends to have less stress to distort and the fasteners are better able to keep it true.
• The workmanship is often better. The crews have less pressure on them to quickly finish a job so that they can move on to the next anxious customer. Good crews are not going to do sloppy work no matter what but having a little extra time can make a difference.
• Avoid the spring rush. As soon as the weather starts to turn warm it seems everybody wants a deck or porch and they want it in time for summer. It won’t happen for many of them. Backlogs for good companies quickly build to 8 to 10 weeks or more by early spring.

Not all of these reasons may be true in your region, but there are probably enough good reasons for you to consider having your project built now rather than waiting until spring like everybody else. To learn more about deck and porch construction visit www.backyardamerica.com .

A Fireplace for My Screened Porch

As you may know I have been singing the praises of my new screened porch. I had to design and build several hundred porches for my clients before my wife and I finally got around to building one for ourselves. Our only regret was that we waited so long…..well our only regret until it recently turned cold. After the tempertures started to drop we decided we should have gone ahead with my original plan of putting a fireplace in the porch.

As a kid, living in this area (Northern Virginia) it seemed like we had real winters that were very cold with frequent heavy snows. For the past few decades heavy snows are more rare and we seem to have a lot of very mild temperatures. So it didn’t seem like we would get a lot of use from a fireplace on the porch.

Well either I’m more sensitive to the cold because of age or the old winters are back. We needed heat, if we were going to use the porch very much this winter. One solution would have been to add acrylic panels to cover the screened openings and add an electric space heater. But that seemed to be too much like turning the porch into another room in the house – we’d lose the charm of the porch. And on the days that are mild we would have to go to the trouble of removing the panels or settle for the greenhouse that was our porch.

So we decided to add a fireplace. They provide heat when needed and do not impact the use of the porch on the milder days or in the summer. Some gas burning models, such as the Stonefire and Sonoma fireplaces, are easy and quick to install and by doing it myself, are an affordable solution.

Some design considerations:

• Floor Load. Fireplaces are generally heavy. A masonry wood or gas fireplace requires a full foundation and cannot be supported by the porch floor. Modular kits are lighter, but still 500 to 1500 pounds. Since most porch floors are designed for a 30-50 PSF live load, the floor may still have to be reinforced.
• Code Approval. Make sure that the fireplace is approved for use in a screened porch. Just because it is an outside fireplace does not mean that it is approved for use on a porch. Approved models will have requirements for clearance as well as ceiling heights and size and type of openings.
• Space. Make sure you have enough room for a fireplace. Many models will project into the room by two feet or more. Will your furniture layout allow for a comfortable distance from the fire?
• Assembly. Fireplaces are heavy and need to be structurally sound to be safe. In addition, if this is going to be a DIY project, the parts have to be able to be assembled by just a few, inexperienced people. Many models can only be installed by a professional.
• Gas Hookup. Leave the hookup to the gas source to a professional. A gas leak is not a good thing.
• Type of Gas. If you are considering a gas fireplace, you need to decide on Liquid Propane (LP) or Natural Gas (NG.) Most log sets burn one or the other and cannot be converted, so you want to find out which is available to you.

We decided on the Stonefire fireplace kit with an LP logset, (http://cottage-outfitters.com/stonefire-outdoor-fireplace.htm ). It is a heavy fireplace and will require some additional floor framing, but it matches our porch style and it is a very efficient unit.

I can’t wait to get it installed and get back to enjoying my porch without having to wear a parka and gloves.