Enjoying Year-Round Outdoor Living in Windsor, Wisconsin!

Benn and Laura are a professional couple with children living in the Prairie Creek Neighborhood in Windsor, Wisconsin. Having transitioned to working from home full time when the Coronavirus first hit, they decided they wanted flexibility and additional living space. They chose to extend the usability of their outdoor living space. 

They began looking for a firm to help them achieve their vision, and while researching local design-build firms, they found us using Google. Laura recollected hearing good things about us and our reputation. We were the remodeling company of choice for numerous homeowners in the neighborhood where she grew up.

Diving Into the Design Process

Benn and Laura's home had an underutilized covered back porch. It wasn't a screened-in porch or a three-season room. It was simply a covered porch! Their vision was to create an outdoor living space for the entire family. They wanted us to incorporate the covered porch, extending its usefulness with an adjacent patio area with family-friendly amenities; a hot tub and firepit.

The design was not without challenges. One of the things that bothered Benn and Laura about their backyard is that even though it was a large yard, they felt it provided a lack of privacy from their neighbors.

The design process was multifaceted. We explored small, medium, and large concepts with the homeowners. In the end, the careful planning project designer Kelly Johnson did demonstrated to the homeowners that they did not need as large a patio as they thought. The patio design they ultimately chose was large enough for furniture, a fire pit, and a hot tub. All were perfectly positioned and perfectly proportioned. The amount of yard space remaining was maximized while the cost of the project was minimized. The savings helped the family enjoy the hot tub immediately instead of waiting another year to save for the upgrade!

Transforming a Covered Porch Into An Outdoor Living Retreat!

The project consisted of two elements – enclosing the covered porch to create a relaxing retreat and adding the patio space and amenities for the family to enjoy. To save time and lower costs, we started by reusing the existing roof and concrete slab. This approach helped us significantly reduce costs and gave Benn and Laura additional money to invest elsewhere. 

We framed out the space, and to finish it and maximize the natural light, we used PGT Eze Breeze windows on three walls. Thanks to the savings from using the existing infrastructure, we could include optional features in the project. These included giving the homeowners an insulated floor and ceiling. 

We finished the floor with premium Coretec Rigid Core Pro luxury vinyl plank flooring in Edinburgh Oak color, which is beautiful, durable, and easy to maintain. Again, thanks to savings cost, instead of recycling and reusing the aluminum porch ceiling and vinyl siding on the house wall, we installed beautiful end-matched pine in a natural finish, which gives the space a luxurious finished look and warm, comfortable vibe.

We finished the enclosed space with Thomas & Betts DKG-PRO floor-mounted waterproof outlets and added a Kichler Spyn ceiling fan.

Creating A Private Family Oasis for Outdoor Living

While the homeowners wanted to create a usable family space in the backyard, privacy was still an issue. The newly enclosed porch and patio provided the usability and family space they sought to give them a greater sense of privacy. The design included privacy screens. We installed pre-manufactured lattices from Wayfair surrounding the hot tub. We also created a delicate small trellis that supports a chair swing at the corner of the new patio.

By placing these literal and visual barriers and carefully positioning them, we were able to give Benn and Laura the privacy they were looking for while maintaining the comfort, visual focus, and aesthetic appeal of the outdoor living space.

Meeting Challenges During A Pandemic

Even in the best of times, there can be issues and challenges on any project. This project was undertaken during the Coronavirus pandemic and brought a new set of challenges. We faced scheduling challenges as a result of the pandemic and were also impacted by slow supply chains. 

Even with these challenges, this project was fully completed correctly. Our experienced team was able to address any concerns that arose during the process. Our clients said it best;

Once again, by doing things right, the Degnan Design-Build-Remodel team delivered the excellence and commitment that results in satisfied clients whose expectations we exceeded, which is the goal we strive for with every project we take on!