modern firepit

The three most popular home remodeling projects in Waxhaw, NC

Waxhaw is one of the oldest towns in Union County, but it has attracted a huge influx of new residents over the past decade or so. Many of the larger homes in these still slightly rural feeling areas were built within the past 10 to 20 years, making them ideal candidates for a home remodeling project. While kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects are always popular options for increasing both form and function, many of the most popular remodeling projects we’ve been asked for in Waxhaw revolve around outdoor living. Here are a few of our favorites.

Waxhaw Covered Porches

Starting with perhaps the simplest outdoor living addition, there are many reasons why homeowners would opt for a covered porch addition. While we all want to enjoy the great outdoors as often as we can in this area of the county, there are sometimes when mother nature is just a bit much. Spring and fall thunderstorms, the heat of summer, and chill winter winds can all drive us indoors when we would much rather be enjoying some time on the porch or veranda.

That’s where covered porches come into the picture. If you build them deep enough, they can provide shelter from all but the most violent rainstorms. That has the added bonus of also keeping your outdoor furniture looking newer, longer, since it’s not directly exposed to the elements.

With the addition of an outdoor fireplace or a gas firepit, these spaces can be cozy enough to keep you and guests warm as the weather cools in the fall and winter. Add some ceiling fans and proper ventilation and these spaces can also be the ideal space to escape the heat of the Carolina summer sun while remaining close to children playing outside or family and guests in the pool.

A qualified, professional remodeler who is skilled in these types of additions can find an artistic way to tie the new addition into the existing roofline of your home, resulting in a new space that adds aesthetic value to your outdoor living areas. 

exterior screened porch

Waxhaw Screened Porches

The next step up in outdoor living spaces is a screened porch. Like covered porches, these spaces provide additional protection from the elements and sun screening will reduce direct sun exposure. They also provide screening that keeps out insects, pollen, and other pests.

Some people choose to connect screened porches to a covered porch or a grilling porch to ease traffic flow for entertaining. These spaces can be engineered to include a fireplace or a hot tub to maximize homeowner enjoyment. 

sunroom with hot tub

Waxhaw Sunroom Additions

Sunrooms, on the other hand, offer the ultimate in protection from the elements while preserving the feeling of being in the great outdoors. Sunrooms are an ideal choice for homeowners who want to enjoy the outdoors yet remain in heated and air-conditioned comfort in every season of the year.

These spaces can expand your daily living area and provide additional room for entertaining. Aside from the traditional use of a sunroom as largely a sitting area, we’ve seen homeowners transform these spaces into home offices, playrooms for young children, enclosures for hot tubs, breakfast areas, hobby areas, pet rooms, additional guest rooms, and more. The only limit for usage is truly your needs and your imagination.

Because they are indoor spaces, the materials, and furnishings you select can be of better quality and provide more comfort than those designed primarily for outdoor use. While some homeowners opt for tile floors and surfaces that can take exposure to the elements when doors and windows are opened, others opt for hardwoods, soft carpets, and couches and chairs that would be equally at home in your living room.

Yet executing these spaces well so that they tie into your home’s existing structure and architectural aesthetic requires the savvy design expertise of a licensed professional remodeler who is experienced in building sunrooms. These spaces should never look as if they were tacked on as an afterthought. Blending them with existing rooflines, matching, or complementing the home’s exterior cladding – whether that’s a no-maintenance material like a cement board siding or brick, cedar shakes or stone – and making certain that the placement and proportions work with the existing home are all things that your contractor should be taking into consideration.

No matter how you envision living in the great outdoors in Waxhaw there are many creative solutions that can provide the level of shelter from the elements you require while maximizing your enjoyment of these spaces. Want to learn more about how we can help? Reach out to us!

 

By Gary Palmer
Share this blog: