Creative Thinking And Better Outdoor Living Space Design Focuses On Sun Protection
Simply put, the rear of this home had a screened door and a swimming pool. Period.
Before we arrived with our outdoor living space design solution, the family just walked straight out of the home into the pool area. There was no strategic pathway and certainly no protection from the rays of the afternoon sun.
A Rustic Porch Cover Design Made Truly Exquisite With The Earth Tone Mosaic Splendor Of Visual Texture, Depth, And Richness
This backyard transformation is truly much ado about something – every way you look at it.
The previous flat exterior of the rear of this Anderson Mill-area home was enlarged with a generously-sized new porch cover with screened walls on all 3 open sides.
Cedar is the star of this backyard magic with its intense color values of red and rich brown.
Those color values set the tone for the interior of this new outdoor living space poolside covered porch with a dramatic flagstone-like floor design – which transcended the interior and flowed out onto the new patio.
The new patio was raised from ground level to allow more convenient access to and exit from the new covered porch. The visual difference of this before and after transformation attests to the creative design minds at Archadeck. It is simply a work of art.
Designing Outdoor Living Comfort And Function For The Long Term
In addition to installing the porch cover with screened walls and raising the patio, we included a roof tie-in and added a drainage system underneath.
The decorative concrete floor and patio finish is one of our favorite foundational ideas.
Back inside the poolside covered porch, a glance upward reveals a Synergy Wood interior ceiling. This leading expert in prefinished wood for ceilings and walls provides a ceiling surface of the highest quality and durability. Crafted meticulously from 100% real sustainable wood and American-made in Florida, Synergy Wood ceilings carry a 37-year heritage of prefinished wood excellence and dependability. Its tongue and groove, end-match boards result in less waste during the construction process.
A New Poolside Pathway That Is A Pleasure To Walk On And Delivers Greater Accessibility
Carrying out the interior porch floor design onto the exterior patio creates a visual picture reminiscent of luxury cabin resorts.
Those deep earth tone colors of the materials used are accented by our black aluminum framing methodology.
To create more than one access point to and from the new outdoor living structure, we added a door where there was once a window. With this comprehensive screening on all three sides, the need for a window is now totally obsolete.
Powered Up For Comfort And Greater Functionality
As part of our transformational design and construction execution, we also did all of the electrical work here, as well. Ceiling fans, interior lighting, exterior lighting accents and electric outlets were incorporated to make the space multifunctional and highly useable.
Could There Be A Shaded Oasis In Your Outdoor Living Backyard Future?
With Archadeck at your service, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
Let’s connect and start that conversation right now. Just click here to arrange your personal complimentary design consultation.
Archadeck of Austin Upgrades Existing Patio In Round Rock’s Vizcaya Neighborhood
The beauty of working with Archadeck of Austin is that you need not spend a fortune to upgrade and improve functionality in your outdoor living spaces.
Here’s living proof.
Project designer, Jim Schallon, carefully listened to the homeowners when they said how they were hoping he and his outdoor building team could add more comfort, usability, and functionality to their existing backyard patio.
The first issue to address was the wind. Sometimes it was so strong that the family had to head back indoors when it was in full force. Cushions and décor items would be blown all over the place. And that is not luxurious, peaceful outdoor living by any stretch of the imagination.
The solution?
How To Tame Strong Winds And Lessen Them To Gentle Breezes
Enclosing the three large open areas of the patio adjacent to the rear of the home with a dependably hefty and strong solar 60% shade screen. Not only does it deflect strong rays of the sun, but its denser fabric and tighter weave block the wind beautifully, achieving the primary objective.
While we were there, the family also requested that we add an extension to the patio they already had to accommodate an open-air grilling space at the far end – where an occasional burst of wind actually adds to the grilling experience – without negatively impacting family members and guests in the newly screened-in patio.
This patio extension also now serves as a sun deck for catching some rays when the family wishes to sunbathe. It is easily accessible from the screened patio via a screen door. And from the backyard lawn, it is a mere two-step ascent.
The floor of this patio extension was beautifully crafted with an overlay on the entire space in a decorative concrete finish. We used a lime coat process in a running bond design that allowed us to match the flooring that was inside the home.
To heighten the aesthetic flow of the newly expanded outdoor living space, this also allows the homeowners to open their existing bi-fold doors to the new screened area and use both the interior and exterior living space simultaneously.
Better Building By Design Is Our Promise
From start to finish, you can be certain you’ve entrusted your outdoor living space project to a company that conducts business with professionalism, exhibits integrity, has respect in the community, is committed to high-quality standards, offers a written warranty, and has a history of satisfied clients.
And since we are locally owned and operated here in the greater Austin, TX, area, we make it easy to see examples of our work nearby and talk to other homeowners who’ve chosen to build with Archadeck. You never have to worry that you’re working with a contractor who doesn’t meet state and local licensing requirements or isn’t insured or bonded. Our commitment to detail, excellence, and trustworthiness speak for itself.
As an Archadeck client, you can expect to be treated to the highest level of service. Archadeck of Austin is proud to share with you our acclaimed points of difference:
• Knowledge of local building codes and terrain
• Professional-quality building standards
• Professional codes of conduct and values
• Insurance and warranty protection
• National praise from peers, suppliers, and social media
• A long history of satisfied clients
We Invite You To Chat With Us About Creating A Better Outdoor Living Experience For You And Your Family
It is our pleasure to offer you a personalized design consultation – at no charge or obligation whatsoever. To schedule yours, just click here.
Archadeck Shows Off a Budget-Friendly Screened Room and Flagstone Patio in North Austin
These North Austin homeowners wanted a shaded outdoor space, protection from rain and protection from pesky insects. They also wanted an open patio to enjoy when the temperature is comfortable outdoors and bugs are not biting. Archadeck of Austin combined these features in a budget-friendly screened room and patio project – with retractable screens.
Aluminum Roof Adds Shade and Keeps Rain Away
To build the porch cover, we installed cedar posts and beams and added a roof made of Structall structural insulated panels covered with aluminum. This type of roof is simpler and less involved than our typical porch cover with rafters and roofing shingles. It accomplishes the purpose of providing a covered space with shade, making the area cooler. Shade is always a precious commodity around here! In addition to giving shade, the roof gives the homeowners protection from rain, allowing them to enjoy the sights and sounds of rain without getting wet. To divert water from the screened enclosure, we added gutters.
Screened Enclosure Keeps Bugs Out
Within the porch framework of beams and posts, we installed a retractable screened enclosure system. The specific screening system we used for this project is from Genius Retractable Screens. These screens roll up into a protective housing, which means when the screens are not in use, they are tucked out of the way. When the clients want to enjoy shade outdoors and don’t need protection from insects, their screened porch can easily become an open porch.
The homeowners requested a railing around the border of the screened enclosure even though railings are not required here since the patio is at grade. We built the railing with cedar to match the posts. We also stained all of the cedar – railing, posts and beams – with a redwood stain.
Enjoy Patio and Hardscapes When Temperatures are Right – Especially at Night
The homeowners selected beautiful natural flagstone in a mix of colors for their patio surface. Along the edge of the patio opposite the screened room, we built stone seating walls and incorporated patio lighting in the hardscapes. For the perfect finishing touch, the clients added overhead string lighting around the patio. Magical!
Contact Archadeck of Austin today to schedule your free design consultation and make your outdoors magical, too!
Challenge us! Archadeck of Austin designs a permeable patio to complete the perfect combination outdoor space
Present us with a design challenge, and we will show you a big ol’ knock-your-socks-off solution. Archadeck of Austin was thrilled to work with this Northwest Austin homeowner to design and build a spectacular outdoor living space, a combination screened room, patio and deck with an outdoor kitchen. One of the things that is so special about this project is its unique patio with a hot tub and a dramatic fire wall.
What could be so unique about a patio? Well, that brings us to the challenge presented by this homeowner. We were asked to design a patio that incorporates the proper drainage for water runoff so moisture will be retained and released properly into the natural aquifers in and around the Austin area. A permeable patio, that is. Jim Schallon, Archadeck’s lead designer on this project, managed to meet the technical requirements while creating a beautiful and relaxing oasis for the homeowner, family and friends.
Image of backyard before we began the project:
The home had an existing wood deck in good shape and just the right size for an outdoor kitchen. By power-washing the deck and restaining it, we were able to restore the wood’s beauty and establish this area as the centerpiece of the project. On one side of the deck, we added a spacious screened room with a new roof cover that we tied into the existing slope system of the house. On the other side of the deck, we added the patio with hot tub and fire wall.
We placed the outdoor kitchen on the deck by building a wall, counter height, with Concrete Masonry Units (CMU, also called concrete blocks) and finishing it with a facing of beautiful ledgestone. All of the outdoor kitchens designed and built by Archadeck of Austin are built with masonry-cinder block construction. Other builders may use wood for the kitchen structure, since it will be covered with a stone facing and no one will see it. However, our sturdy outdoor kitchen construction won’t deteriorate or degrade over time; it’s permanent.
The 1” hand-installed ledgestone facing helps provide a solid support structure for the kitchen counter and appliances. The homeowner chose brown Lueders stone for the countertops, and we used matching brown Lueders cap to top off all of the walls. A dense limestone known for its durability and low maintenance requirements, Lueders stone is perfect for kitchen countertops.
This kitchen’s built-in grill alone will command your attention! It’s a Memphis wood-pellet BBQ system with Wi-Fi capabilities. The homeowner can monitor and adjust the temperature of the grill from anywhere; the grill can even send an alert to his smartphone if needed. In addition to the Memphis Wood Fire Grill, the new outdoor kitchen includes a refrigerator, drawers, storage and trash receptacle.
With plenty of space on the deck for a dining table and chairs, meals will go from grill to table in an instant. If (or when) insects are a problem, the new adjacent screened room offers a pest-free dining area as well.
This screened room boasts a rich Synergy Wood ceiling with ceiling fansto keep the air moving. A large flat-screen TV is mounted on a stacked stone wall built just for that purpose; we used the same ledgestone here that we used for walls in the kitchen and patio areas. Of course, we built in electricity to power the TV, fans, lamps and the homeowner’s outdoor heater to take the chill off in winter. The floor of the screened room is a textured stamped concrete that will stand up to many years of constant use.
And now for the patio, which had to be permeable. For the base of the patio, we layered gravel and soil. The patio surface is a repeating pattern of large pavers and smooth stones. Together these components allow water to flow naturally through the patio surface while providing a smooth texture on which to walk. Specifically, the patio pavers are 2×2 sawn cream Lueders stone, beautiful and durable.
The spaces between the pavers are filled with smooth Mexican Beach pebbles. Not only is the smoothness easy on bare feet but also the river rock feels cool to the touch as it retains the natural temperature of the ground at all times.
Prominent on the patio is the hot tub, and next to that we built a gas-burning fire wall, which might just be the fire feature of your outdoor living dreams. It is a ledgestone wall lined with fire brick and filled with lava rock. Hidden there are 60 and 72-inch stainless steel linear T-burners.
When lit, flames seem to dance along the top of the wall. The height of the fire wall is about even with the surface of the hot tub, so, as you can imagine, occupants of the hot tub will become a captive audience for this magical feature at night.
If you would like to challenge us to create the patio, porch and outdoor kitchen combination project of your dreams, contact Archadeck of Austin today at (512) 259-8282 or via email at jim.odom@archadeck.net to schedule a free design consultation.
Jim Schallon, senior designer Archadeck of Austin.
Enjoy endless enjoyment, no matter what the weather, with an Austin covered outdoor living space!
As the Austin area’s premier outdoor living structure designer and builder we can create a space that is rainproof!
It’s no secret that the Austin area has experienced a wetter than usual 2016 thus far. Though Texas has always been a land of weather extremes—in 1927, an unnamed National Weather Service meteorologist famously said “Texas is a land of perennial drought, broken by the occasional devastating flood”—This summer’s most recent flooding comes just five years after the driest year on record in Texas, in which statewide rainfall was just 14.88 inches.
Our year to date rainfall for Austin sits at 34.2 inches according to the Current Results weather an science facts website. With this in mind, outdoor living and recreation for many, has been hampered by the wet weather. Archadeck of Austin wants you to know that doesn’t have to be the case. As the Austin area’s premier outdoor living structure designer and builder we can create a space that is rainproof!
Rainproof you ask? Yes, we can custom design and build a protected outdoor living space that will keep you dry in spite of what Mother Nature has in mind. We specialize in covered porches & patios, screened porches and custom outdoor rooms built to keep you enjoying the outdoor lifestyle, fresh air and views without the worry of inclement weather, insects or allergens. Take a look at a few of our outdoor room designs to give you an idea of what we can do for you:
Covered Porches & Patios:
Add value to your home and enhance your outdoor experience with a covered porch or patio from Archadeck of Austin. Our custom porch and patio covers are designed to protect you overhead without reducing your connection with the outdoors. From simple covered porches to complete outdoor entertainment areas, our porch and patio covers will transform your home from the outside in.
Screened Porches:
A screened porch provides a safe, private space for your family to enjoy the outdoors all year long. Whether you need screening for insect control, weather resistance, or something in between, we can customize the perfect screened porch to suit your needs.
Sunrooms:
Give your family a sunny disposition no matter what the weather and reduce your heating/cooling bills with a new custom sunroom. Dollar-for-dollar, a sunroom can be the best investment you make in your home. Sunrooms make a spectacular visual splash and a perfect gathering spot, yet they can be one of the most affordable rooms to construct. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to add both natural light and value to your home. When it comes to designing a custom sunroom, our trained designers will visit your home, discuss your needs and wants and design a sunroom that’s perfect for you.
If you are ready to enjoy the unbridled benefits of outdoor living while keeping dry. Contact Archadeck of Austin today at (515) 259-8282 or via email at jim.odom@archadeck.net to schedule a free design consultation.
Jim Odom Archadeck of Austin
Archadeck of Austin reaps multiple design awards at annual event
Each year a nationwide group of Archadeck offices come together to share their best practices, ideas, new products and to review outstanding leadership in design. This year, like others, the locally owned and operated Austin location performed very well. We are very proud to have scooped up on four of twelve design awards, plus a distinguished Customer Satisfaction Award which reconfirmed Austin’s place as the 2nd best producing Archadeck location in North America.
Archadeck of Austin prides itself in being “all about design and customer experience”. Here are some of the ‘Best of Show’.
Decks
Austin won second place for this project outside the Craig O’s restaurant in Lakeway, TX. This deck uses TimberTech Earthwoods Evolutions composite decking in walnut designed in quadrants of diagonal board placement converging to the center. The deck is designed for 100 lb/sf commercial loads and has a massive concrete footing hidden behind an attractive cedar skirt. A powder coated Fortress railing system surrounds the deck and is capped in the same composite. Stairs descend down to the parking lot and play area. Patrons will enjoy many meals overlooking the serene hills East of Lakeway atop this deck.
If you are curious, the following deck from outside Boston won 1st place…
Our friends at Archadeck of Ft. Worth placed 1st for this pool-side cabana.
Porch Enclosures
First place went to our friends at Archadeck of Ft. Worth for a fabulous pool-side cabana. The Austin entry took third place, under some tight competition, with our pool-side cabana constructed in Round Rock, TX. Both of these projects are indicative of a growing trend to move the living room outside complete with integrated kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, television; everything you need to entertain outdoors.
Denver Hardscape award winner
Hardscapes
Demonstrating the diversity of Archadeck’s designs, the Austin hardscape project took the 3rd place award vs. a really unique and innovative project outside Denver that took home 1st place. The Austin hardscape project is located in the Steiner Ranch community of Austin and includes a covered tile patio up top for visiting, lunch or even coffee. The project includes stone steps that lead down to a stained concrete lower patio perfect for every facet of entertaining. The project also includes integrated lighting so it looks spectacular day and night.
Our combination outdoor structure in Riverplace stole the spotlight.
Combination Award
This new award category reflects the fact that great projects are rarely one-dimensional. Every year the very best projects combine multiple elements into a cohesive design that may include a shade structure, decking. masonry, and other elements to provide the homeowners with a complete backyard with multiple uses and gain the maximum added value to their home. We are excited that our project constructed in Riverplace took the spotlight for #1. The project was designed by our own Mark Mommsen, whom was also the winner of #1 design representative. The project brings together a very unique stand-alone roof structure with Permacast columns which are mounted on an elevated Tigerwood deck beside the pool and outdoor fireplace with stone benches on the opposite side of the pool. All this is designed to face the canyon/green belt and golf course located behind the residence.
Archadeck of Austin receives the Customer Satisfaction Award, among others.
If the customer isn’t happy, nobody’s happy!
As the owner of Archadeck of Austin, I’m very pleased to say we won the coveted Customer Satisfaction Award. To win this award there can be no, and I mean ‘zero’ negative responses in post-construction surveys. Last year we built 133 residential projects. We are not perfect and are always improving, but to have absolutely no negative responses is a testament to our desire for excellence in customer service. We were also recently added to the Angie’s List Honor Roll and we strongly encourage people to submit reviews to Angie’s list.
Jim Odom, Archadeck of Austin
We are looking forward to a great 2012 season, with more great work in Austin,TX. If you’re on the fence, the time is really good to remodel your outdoor space the way you’ve always wanted. It is a great investment.
(512) 259 – 8282
Austin@archadeck.net
Austin Decks, Pergolas, Covered Patios, Porches, more 