Friday, July 22, 2005

 

Get a white porch with no messy painting

Do you want the look of a white porch retreat, but fear the maintenance and work it takes to keep it clean and looking good all year long?

New low-maintenance materials may be the solution to your problems, said builder Donnie Miller, owner of Archadeck of South Atlanta.

According to Miller, composite and PVC materials have become very popular in recent years. In fact, Miller observed that clients’ preference of low-maintenance materials has skyrocketed.

A few years ago, vinyl and composite decking materials may have been used in about ten percent of porch and deck projects. Now that number is closer to 40 percent with our customers, Miller said.

Since porches can extend your living space significantly during warmer months, using a low maintenance material that has the beauty of a finished wood product makes sense, Miller said.

“More and more people want the clean look of white, and now that there are so many of these materials on the market, our customers are realizing they can achieve the look they want without having to worry about too much work to keep it looking good,” Miller explained.

The biggest advantage to using the new materials is that you don’t have to replace it, or repaint it. While it may get dirty, it’s easier to clean a white vinyl or PVC covered porch than to clean and repaint a wood porch, Miller said.

By crafting the structure of the porch with wood, and then finishing the ceiling with vinyl “soffit” material that fits together in a tongue and groove fashion, homeowners can have the classic look of wooden bead-board without the hassle of wood. Wrapping support posts and beams with vinyl or PVC trim finishes the wall structure.

Panel inserts for screened porches are also available. Screened porches have also been increasingly popular to avoid insects - particularly West Nile-bearing mosquitoes.

Archadeck, established in 1980, has built more than 55,000 projects across the country, with an installed base worth over $200 million. Qualified Remodeler magazine ranks Archadeck as the #1 deck and porch builder in the United States, as well as the sixth ranked remodeler out of the Top 500 in the United States. Archadeck projects have graced the covers of Gardens, Decks and Patios and Decks & Backyard Projects. The company has been featured in articles in HOME, Additions and Decks and Gardening and Deck Design as well as on Home & Garden TV (HGTV).