Bug Free Backyard Living Made Easy

(ARA) - If you spend a lot of time in your yard or on your deck or patio, you're part of the newest lifestyle trend -- backyard living. At its simplest, all that means is making the most of your outdoor living space, whether that involves upgrading your landscaping, adding a water feature such as a pond or waterfall, basking in an outdoor hot tub or relaxing in a lawn chair.

What could be better on a summer evening than sitting outside, sipping an iced tea, listening to the birds chirp and admiring your garden? But what happens when it's raining or the mosquitoes are biting? On days like that, you may long for a sunroom or a screened-in porch -- an outdoor room where you can enjoy the breeze without the bugs, and appreciate the warm days without baking in the sun.

That's what inspired Carroll McMillan to add a screened in sun room to his home in Sanford, Maine. “I don't like bugs,” he says simply. “We have black flies here in the spring that are just awful, and there's not much that keeps them away.” He and his wife Esther installed a SunPorch convertible sunroom/screenroom last fall and have been enjoying it ever since.

“Why limit your backyard living to the warm months?” asks Dean Schwartz, general manager of SunPorch. The company's innovative system can be readily mounted on an existing deck, patio or porch, making it easy to install and cost effective. Special features such as winter insulating blankets and summer reflective shades extend the seasons in a SunPorch, keeping the room warmer in winter and shaded and cooler during the summer. Both the reflective shades and the winter blankets slide easily in and out of tracks in the ceiling.

The SunPorch sunroom/screenroom is easily converted from a cold-season sunroom to a warm season screen room, extending the seasons and adding to a home's usable space. The company offers a deluxe and a value model. On the deluxe, both the top and bottom glazing panels come off, converting the unit to a full-height screen room. On value models, the upper glazing panels can be removed to convert the enclosure to a partial screen room. “My wife can slip the windows out and replace them with no problem,” says Carroll.

The McMillans typify the move to backyard living. Their SunPorch is an extension of their home. They've added a ceramic tile floor, electricity and cable T.V., making it a truly versatile and much-used part of their house.

“We want as many people as possible to enjoy their yards,” says Schwartz. “We want to make bug free outdoor living a ‘right now reality,’ for people, and not just a someday dream.” Because SunPorch is sold directly to consumers as a ready-to-assemble kit, the cost is substantially lower than a comparable sunroom built by a contractor.

Most SunPorch customers install the unit themselves, although some opt for hiring a local handyman to help with installation. Schwartz says installation can take from two days to two weeks, depending on how comfortable customers are with basic building skills. Carroll reports that he installed his 9-foot by 12-foot SunPorch in two days, with the help of his son, son-in-law and nephew.

“Even though the final structure is strong and secure, all the parts are lightweight and easy to handle,” explains Schwartz. The frame is aluminum, and the hardware is stainless steel, and the glazing is shatter resistant. To get a feel for the quality materials that make SunPorch a good investment, consumers can order a sample kit of materials. “It's like kicking the tires,” says Schwartz.

For more information on SunPorch, visit www.sunporch.com and make a bug free backyard a reality this summer.

Courtesy of ARA Content