Imagine a beautiful spring evening spent outside on your patio. Now picture how quickly a sudden shower can turn that idyllic image into a wet dash for cover. Or consider a summer afternoon picnic out on the deck. The sun and the scenery are great, but what about the bugs?
For many homeowners, patios and decks are a terrific investment toward spending more time outdoors. But those home additions come with something unpredictable: the great outdoors itself, with all its natural wonders-and hazards. But a new concept in construction is helping turn those exterior spaces into something more: all-purpose, three-season rooms that protect against the very things that could otherwise spoil a good time outside.
Porch systems enclose an existing or newly constructed patio or deck using pre-engineered modular wall panels and joining posts. Wooden wall panels help protect against the cool air and damaging sun, and are secured to the floor using a threshhold. Channeled vertical posts join the wall panels together to create a visually appealing facade.
Carpenters and ambitious do-it-yourselfers can assemble Vixen Hill's three-season or open rail porch systems with ease. The products' modular design eliminates the complicated carpentry normally involved in this type of construction. Pre-assembled components (modules) are designed to require the minimum number of fasteners for an uncomplicated, systematic installation.
"Most outdoor space is designed for a specific purpose and satisfies only one particular need," says Christopher Peeples, president and founder of Vixen Hill. "The key benefit of our porch systems is that they have multiple uses. Created to give the feeling of the traditional wooden porch and bring the comfort of the indoors outside, the addition can be an ideal space for entertaining friends and family, dining, reading or just relaxing. Homeowners get the best of outdoor living without leaving the house."