Porch Enclosures & Patio Enclosures Ottawa: Everything You Need to Know
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Exciting news! Buildmart is now proud to supply our premium windows for beautiful front porch enclosures and patio enclosures in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. A patio or porch enclosure is an awesome way to improve your home’s energy efficiency and increase your home’s value, especially with Buildmart windows.
Quick Navigation:
- What is a porch enclosure?
- Benefits of Porch Enclosures
- Benefits of Patio Enclosures
- Types of Porch Enclosures
- Types of Patio Enclosures
- Materials Used for Porch & Patio Enclosures
- Choosing the Right Porch Enclosure
- Elevating Home Life: Advantages of Buildmart’s Porch and Patio Enclosures
What is a porch enclosure?
Porch enclosures and patio enclosures are composed of a system of screens, glass windows, and wall panels from vinyl, aluminum, or wood materials. Patio enclosures serve as an extension of your home, creating an extra barrier between your home and the outdoors — this helps with the energy efficiency of your home since your winter heat or your summer air-conditioned air is flowing from your home to your closed-in porch, and not straight to the outside. Any additional barrier between your home and the outside helps save energy and your utility bills.
Porch enclosures and patio enclosures allow you to enjoy your Ottawa home outdoor space for three, or even four seasons year-round, instead of just in the summer. Rain or shine, you can cozy up on your patio with a coffee and a book, or invite your family and friends over for a backyard party that doesn’t depend on the weather!
These enclosures, which can also be sunrooms and verandas, are wonderfully relaxing and keep away mosquitos and bugs as you enjoy a fresh breeze without obscuring your view.
Benefits of Porch Enclosures || Patio Enclosures
Why build a porch or patio enclosure for your Ottawa home? Well, for starters, the windows and walls of your porch or patio enclosure will protect you from the elements!
You can sit outside with the windows open, and enjoy the fresh air, while not being subjected to wind or rain. Plus, it’s an additional level of privacy so you can have guests over for an al fresco meal or get some alone time without nosy neighbours seeing what you’re up to.
Both porch enclosures and patio enclosures also increase the value of your home since it’s an additional way to use your property and increase the practical usage of your square footage. Sunrooms can also create a lux feel and improve the curb appeal of the home.
By creating an additional buffer between your home and the outdoors, you are also improving the energy efficiency of your home. This is especially true since these porch and patio enclosures are featuring Buildmart windows.
Some of the other reasons we love porch and patio enclosures are for the opportunity to observe wildlife in your yard and listen to the bird song in the morning, especially if you live in the country or near a trail area.
Or, you can totally elevate your work-from-home game and convert your porch or patio enclosure into an additional home office!
Types of Porch Enclosures || Patio Enclosures
There are multiple types of porch enclosures and patio enclosures on the market today. Here are the options you have and why you may prefer one over the other.
Screened-in porch
Befitting its name, this porch does not have glass windows, instead letting the air flow freely through your space thanks to the screens framed around your porch or patio.
Using your screened-in porch in Ottawa’s winters might seem challenging. However, modern screen fabrics offer solutions. You can opt for sun-filtering solar screens, sturdy aluminum screens for wind resistance, high-visibility screens for better views, or the standard DIY fiberglass screens. This is a very affordable option when it comes to porch enclosures.
Glass porch enclosure
In a beautiful feat of indoor/outdoor design, a glass porch enclosure is made completely of glass and is frameless. It looks sleek and modern while protecting you from wind, rain, and bugs. Glass porches or patios are perfect when you want to enjoy your view three or four seasons in the year.
One downside of all-glass porches is the lack of privacy and no option to install heating if you live in a colder climate and want to enjoy your porch in the winter. A glass porch is a beautiful way to protect your outdoor furniture and space. They also provide additional storage space and can help reduce noise by supplying an additional barrier between your home and the outdoors.
Three-season porch
Combining the above, a three-season porch is created with a framed system of screens and glass windows. A three-season porch is called this because it is not heated. If you live in a warmer climate, this is not a problem and you can use your porch year-round, but in our cold Ottawa winters, you won’t be able to use your three-season porch for a few months every year.
Because a three-season porch isn’t connected to your main HVAC system, it is a more affordable option than a four-season porch or a whole sunroom.
Four-season porch
This type of porch enclosure allows you to use your porch 24/7, 365 because it’s heated! This is the main difference between a three-season porch and a four-season porch. To keep in the heating, a four-season sunroom or porch will feature higher-quality and thicker insulation. That means you can enjoy watching the heavy snowfall from the warmth and comfort of your glassed-in front porch or patio enclosure!
Sunroom
Also, it is called a conservatory or a solarium, sunrooms are like an extension to your living room! Often placed at the back of the home to maximize the real estate, a sunroom has four walls (one is where it is attached to your home), glass windows, and a roof. In its structure, it’s similar to a four-season porch because it is traditionally included in your home’s heating and cooling system! It’s an extension of your home.
Because of this, sunrooms are often much more expensive to construct than a front porch enclosure. However, they provide a luscious way to enjoy the outdoors, grow plants and veggies, and enjoy the sun, not to mention getting additional square footage to your home and increasing its property value!
Materials Used for Porch Enclosures || Patio Enclosures
An important consideration for your new porch and patio enclosure is the material it will be constructed out of. Multiple options are available on the market to suit your budget and design preferences. The material is also essential for the longevity of your porch enclosure, how it looks on your home, and how well it conducts heat or cool air if you are considering the temperature and comfort of your home.
- Vinyl front porch: is the #1 go-to material for porch and patio enclosure construction. It’s durable, practical, easy to install and clean, and affordable. In fact, most of our windows here at Buildmart are installed in a vinyl frame!
- Aluminum patio enclosure: is another popular choice for porch enclosures. Some people prefer the look the aluminum framing gives, however, it can get really hot during the summer months.
- Wooden front porch: a porch or patio framed with wood for its enclosure is beautiful and often selected by homeowners for the vintage or cottage look it provides. While modern wood materials are more protected from the elements than raw wood, a wooden porch may still warp and also expand and contract with the contrasts in Ottawa temperatures.
- Glass patio enclosure: a glass front porch or patio is a common choice because of how beautiful it is. However, it can be expensive if it is all glass, and may not be the best choice for regulating heat and cold year-round as glass tends to trap heat. We recommend pairing glass with screen and framing systems so you can add insulation to help regulate the temperature and enjoy your glass porch or patio enclosure more comfortably!
Choosing the Right Porch Enclosure
To choose the right porch enclosure or patio enclosure for your home, you should consider your needs, your budget, and your home’s architecture.
What do you envision yourself doing on your front porch and veranda? Will this space be mainly for yourself or are you hoping to host and entertain? For larger groups, we recommend a backyard patio enclosure or a sunroom with windows — this set-up creates the perfect indoor-outdoor flow from your home to the sunroom enclosure to the backyard.
Your guests can enjoy themselves in an environment they feel comfortable in, whether that’s indoor, outdoor, or a little bit of both!
When planning any home renovation, also consider your budget — are you looking for a luxurious heated four-season porch that you will spend hours in? Or is this a beginner project for more privacy, fresh air, and seeing the kids off to school from your front porch? Thinking of your budget before hiring a contractor is always a good way to manage your expectations and get the best project.
With porch enclosures, screen rooms, and patio enclosures, we always recommend reviewing ideas online so you can visualize what different types of sunrooms and verandas can look like.
Think about your home’s architecture — can your set-up support a glassed-in porch with heavy outdoor-rated glass? Also think about your pets, if you have any. Will the screens you have selected be able to support scratching or clawing? Make sure they are sturdy and not susceptible to damage like that.
Elevating Home Life: Advantages of Buildmart’s Porch and Patio Enclosures
To summarize, Buildmart is proud to support a local Ottawa contractor in building high-quality, energy-efficient porch and patio enclosures with our top-rated windows.
Porch and patio enclosures are awesome for your Ottawa home for the following reasons:
- Protection from the elements
- Increased privacy
- Increased home value
- Energy efficiency
- Keeps away bugs and mosquitoes
- Observe wildlife
- Work from home office
Buildmart’s porch and patio enclosures harmonize practicality and luxury for your Ottawa home. With benefits ranging from protection and privacy to increased property value and energy efficiency, these enclosures are a valuable investment that enriches both your lifestyle and property.