- 21 June, 2004 -

Now that the weather has turned warm, it's time to head outdoors. This year, why not create your own outdoor living room with a new deck, porch, pergola or gazebo? Add a grill to your deck and you have your own outdoor kitchen. Add a pergola and you have an instant shade structure. Add a screened porch and enjoy a bug-free outdoor environment. Add a romantic gazebo and get not only shade, but a relaxing place to read or dine. For many homeowners, creating an outdoor living room is as simple as dressing up an existing deck with a pergola. These decorative, open-roofed structures provide the perfect combination of shade, style and simplicity. Overhead wood slats or lattice panels stretched across stylish columns offer limited shade. They also give homeowners a place to grow vines for added shade, or to divide an outdoor deck into different "rooms" for different activities, like dining and relaxing. When partial shade isn't enough, many homeowners opt for a loggia, which is an open porch with a roof. But depending on the climate, a screened porch might provide a better solution. "In humid, buggy areas, nothing beats a screened porch," says Kiger. "You've got a roof overhead, screen to keep out bugs and harmful UV rays, plus you can even add a ceiling fan. I can't think of a better place to enjoy the cool breeze of a summer evening." Of course, outdoor living doesn't have to stop with a deck. Kiger says his company often builds free-standing pergolas in the yard that reflect the materials and details of the deck, or architecture of the home. "This has the effect of drawing people out into the yard, especially if there is a swing or candlelit table underneath." The more romantic gazebo has a similar effect, says Kiger. "We can build a gazebo as a free-standing structure or as an addition to a deck," says Kiger and we offer features such as benches or ceiling fan." Your gazebo can even be screened in for maximum use in climates where bugs are a problem.

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