Screened Patio Room Is Nice Low-Cost Addition

QUESTION: We like to sit outdoors to cool off on summer evenings without the costs of air-conditioning, but mosquitoes eat us alive. What types of low-cost screen-glass patio room kits are available?

ANSWER: Adding a do-it-yourself screened patio room is a low-cost method to increase your living space and reduce your electric bills. Not only will you have to air-condition less, but the insulated roof will deflect the sun’s intense heat from your walls and patio during the day.

There are new types of do-it-yourself patio rooms available. Many are delivered in kit form with 90% of the assembly work already completed. You need just a weekend and a few simple tools to complete them.

Most all-season screened kits also include thermal pane windows and aluminum frames. Three-season kits include single pane or tinted windows. Fiberglass solar screening can block 70% of the sun’s heat.

One company, Skytech, makes unique folding glass and screen walls that are ideal for a do-it-yourself patio room. Each wall section is about 30 inches wide and either 4 or 7 feet high. These folding walls are also an excellent replacement for a large sliding glass door to a patio.

Each wall section glides on sealed ball bearings and opens accordion-style. When they are fully opened, 92% of the wall is unobstructed. When they are closed, tight weatherstripping and locks make the wall energy efficient and secure.

Most patio room kits now use insulated aluminum laminated roof panels. Typically, 3 inches of expanded polystyrene foam insulation is laminated between two embossed aluminum skins. This produces a very strong, quiet and maintenance-free roof, sometimes with factory-installed skylights.

For an efficient true screened-porch atmosphere, select a kit, like Spectrum from Texas Aluminum, with lift-out glass panels. Other designs have sliding wall panels so the center half of the wall is completely open. These models include hidden ceiling fan supports and wiring channels.

For those on a limited budget, Kay Home Products makes square and round (actually 10-sided) free-standing screened rooms with triple-layer vinyl roofs. The only tool needed to assemble one is a screwdriver. The kits include all the durable aluminum framing, door, roof and hardware.

Using a 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 spline to secure it. This hides all the fasteners.

Write for Update Bulletin No. 440, a buyer’s guide of 16 patio room-screen porch kits, roof-wall systems, window-door options, features and prices. Please send $2 and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244.

Getting the Window Air Conditioner Ready

Q: We use a window air conditioner in the kitchen for extra cooling on hot summer days. I have not cleaned or checked it in several years. What should I do to get it ready for this summer?

A: Cleaning the coils (there are two sets) is most important for efficient operation and maximum cooling output. First, you’ll have to remove it from the window. Be careful. It can weigh up to 100 pounds.

Snap off the evaporator coils filter and clean it. Vacuum off these coils. Remove the sheet metal housing and cover the motor with plastic. Hose off the outside condenser coils. Dry 24 hours before using them.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Aluminum laminated roof with three inches of insulation

Available with windows for all seasons or screens for just three seasons.

Airtight seals and super efficient glass

Folding walls leave 92% open area.

Patio room kit with aluminum frame is easy to assemble.

Optional folding screen kits available too

Available in four and seven foot heights Standard 2x4 studded wall.