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Screen Porch Conversion to a 4 Season Room

We were pleased to convert a 15-year-old screen porch to a four season room recently for a client. The result is a true room that the client will enjoy more fully and for more months out of the year. To incorporate the space into the architecture, we added tile floor and kept the original finish on the interior. Updates included:

  • Enlarging the structure’s footprint.
  • Insulating the ceiling and floor areas.
  • Installing insulated casement windows.
  • Adding a  fireplace and air-conditioning.
  • Fresh coat of paint.

BEFORE

screen porch conversion

screen porch conversion

 

AFTER

screen porch conversion

 

screen porch conversion

It was a pleasure for us to work on keeping the cost reasonable while still providing full service and a high-quality structure that will last generations.

For convert your Kansas City screen porch into a 4 season room, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Built-in Planters on Decks and Patios

A deck or patio certainly adds to a home’s livability and resale value. To keep your deck or patio from looking like a plain slab, consider incorporating built-in planters. Here are some images to inspire.

  •  Contemporary. A relatively small lot in Australia was given lush privacy thanks, in part, to built-in planters by C.O.S. Design. Seating is incorporated into the patio’s knee walls.
Kansas patio

Image via Houzz. Design: C.O.S. Designs

  • Transitional. Stained pine planters complement the teak furniture on the deck of this California home designed by Sullivan Design Studio.
Kansas deck

Image via Houzz. Design: Sullivan Design Studio


  • Traditional. Start spreadin’ the news. The built-in planters in this traditional New York flat are as impressive as Gotham’s skyline. (Design: Amber Freda)
Kansas City deck

Design: Amber Freda. Image via Houzz.

For built-in planters, decks, and patios in Kansas City, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

As autumn and its cool nights approach, it’s a good time to prepare by building outdoor fireplaces and fire pits. Here are some useful tips, exemplified by projects we’ve completed at Outdoor Environments.

  • Stone around base. The surface around the base of a fire pit can be made of many materials. Changing the surface material underfoot from wood to stone adds visual interest. You can visually incorporate the fire pit with the rest of the landscape by matching the stone color.
Outdoor Environments

Fire pit byOutdoor Environments

  • Thick ledge. During warmer months, when the fire is not in use every night, the thick ledge of a fire pit is a place for a person to sit.
Outdoor Environments

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

  • Seating wall. A seating wall that follows the contours of the fire pit welcomes guests and divides the deck or patio from the rest of the yard. It is a custom touch that adds a sense of permanence and quality to a property.
Outdoor Environments

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

fire pit

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

  • Multiple levels. A deck with multiple levels enables the fire pit to have its own zone, which becomes a destination.
firepit

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

fire pit

Fire pit by outdoor environments.

For Kansas City fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and more: contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Overland Park will host 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer Championships

The greater Kansas City area will be inspired by the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships,Overland Park to be hosted at the Overland Park Soccer Complex.

Overland Park, Kansas impressed U.S. Youth Soccer when it held the competition in 2010. Young adults let their talent shine in this competition, where regional champs face off. College scouts and coaches will even be in the stands in search of the stars of tomorrow.

Kansas City’s NBC 41 Action News even reported on the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships, which will occur July 22 – July 28, 2012.

 

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Image via NBC 41 Action News

 

 

Follow Outdoor Environments on Facebook!

For the latest outdoor living trends, promotions, and news…Outdoor Environments Facebook

Follow Outdoor Environments on Facebook by clicking here!
We would love to keep up with you and hear what you are looking for in an Overland Park, or Kansas City area deck or patio.

 

Also…feel free to comment below regarding what outdoor environments trends you are seeing.

 

 

Burn Ban for Overland Park

The Overland Park Fire Marshal issued a burn ban for Overland Park, KS last week.

Extreme heat and dry conditions across Kansas have caused the fire-prone conditons.Overland Park

Overland Park suspended open and recreational burning. This bog will let you know when the suspension has been lifted.

Any pending burn permit that has been issued is currently suspended until further notice.

The ban will most likely remain in effect until our area receives appreciable rainfall.

Outdoor grilling is permitted, but grillers should exercise caution and have a fire extinguisher or other fire suppressant readily available.

If you have questions or concerns, contact the Overland Park Fire Prevention Division at 913-888-6066.

 

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Image via sxc

 

Top Outdoor Living Trends for 2012

 

outdoor living

Image via Potter Barn.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recently reported their Top Outdoor Living Trends for 2012.

  • Grills. 97.4 percent of respondents stated that grills are popular.
  • Outdoor living spaces. 91.5 percent said outdoor living spaces were popular, and they associated these spaces with outdoor kitchens and entertainment.
  • Terraces, patios, decks. The most popular outdoor structures were terraces, patios, and decks.

 

ASLA was founded in 1899 as the national professional association for landscape architects, representing over 17,000 members. ASLA’s mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the stewardship, planning, and skilled design of our cultural and natural environments.

 

 

 

AIA: Outdoor Living Spaces Popular

According to a recent survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), outdoor living remains popular, and with that has come more interest in property enhancements. In the first quarter of 2012, interest in outdoor living space increased, with almost two-thirds of architects surveyed stating that outdoor living space, covered outdoor space, and outdoor rooms are increasingly popular.

AIA

 

 

Decks, porches, and patios are often accompanied by low-maintenance, low-irrigation landscaping. Other popular and sustainable features are rainwater catchment systems, gray water reuse, and green landscaped fencing options (bushes, trees, hedges).

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To make your outdoor living space popular, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Arbors Keep Kansas City Decks Cool

Arbors add form and function to a home, helping to shade residents from this hot weather we are having in Kansas City.

Kansas City Arbor

Arbor by Outdoor Environments

Arbors help prevent glare and support the vines that provide shade. The arbor above, by Outdoor Environments in Overland Park, incorporates seating and planters into its architectural design. The arbor provides a transitional space between indoors and out, and coordinates with the railing. An outdoor environment is about more than square footage. Outdoor space should be divided into distinct and practical zones for a variety of activities.

 

Outdoor Environments Overland Park

Image via Outdoor Environments

 

For Kansas City decks, arbors, and more: contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

How to Fix Peeling Paint on Your Kansas City Deck

An interesting article in The Kansas City Star had tips on fixing peeling deck

deck paint

paint, and we’ve boiled these tips and others down to five easy steps.

  • Step 1: Remove as much of the loose paint as possible with a wire brush.
  • Step 2: Use an orbital sander to remove the rest of the peeling paint.
  • Step 3: Sand again using a 150-220 grit sandpaper.
  • Step 4: Clean the deck, perhaps with a power-washer.
  • Step 5: Apply a wood primer and finally, paint.
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For Kansas City decks, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.
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Image via greenliving