Here are some updates on the addition we are building in Beltsville. We have taken pictures throughout the project to give you a step by step walkthrough of the process of replacing this screen porch with a two story addition.

Here you can see as construction begins, the old screen porch beginning to come down, and the first wall of the addition being raised.

With the screen room removed, you can see where the two story addition will sit. The wall with the half-round window will be completely removed, to allow full access into the new room on the first floor, while on the second story, the triple window will be made into a doorway to allow access from the master bedroom. Now the addition is framed, without making any openings in the existing house:

Here is a shot from inside the framed addition of the wall to come down:

Here is the same wall from inside the existing house. The addition is now insulated, with all the electric, plumbing, and fire sprinklers installed, so we are ready to begin tearing out the wall to allow access to the addition.

The first step is to build a temporary plastic wall so any dust and debris we create during demolition remains in the new addition, and out of the house, here is a look at the completed wall:

Here is a shot of the wall coming down, from inside the addition. The temporary wall studs also act as temporary support for the second floor and roof above; as we remove the load bearing wall that previously supported them.

Here is a look at the wall after it is removed, and an engineered lumber beam has been set in its place to carry the loads of the house. There is now an 18’ wide opening connecting the addition to the house, to allow for a prefect and usable merger of old and new spaces.

Now a little drywall, trim and paint, and we have the finished product:

Here is another shot of the opening from inside the existing house:

And a view of the new addition space alone:

Finally, here is a shot of the exterior complete:

Keep checking back in for more updates on different projects, and remember if you’re looking for a deck builder, screen porch builder, or if your thinking of adding an addition to your home, call McWhorter Outdoor Living today to set up your free in home design consultation today.

Follow us from concept to completion to see how our process works.

Thinking about building an addition to your home? There is no substitute for accurate, detailed plans. At McWhorter Outdoor Living, our 3D design software makes building your new addition easy – you can actually see the physical space with real textures, lighting, etc. Check out our design process below to get some inspiration for your own space!

Here are some original sketches of our Beltsville Addition project. Before the first nail is driven we can tweak window locations and room sizes to show you what the addition will look like on your house.

Here is a 3D rendering of this 2-story addition on this homeowner’s house. This is a great tool to show how the addition will affect the overall look of the back of the house.

Here you can see a prospective view of the first floor walls, including the addition. The homeowner can really get an idea of the space that the new addition will create.

Keep following us for more updates on this project and see how the design translates to from the jobsite to final construction of the addition.

As most everyone is aware by now, there have been wood alternatives available for decking and outdoor projects for some time now. What can be confusing however is the overwhelming number of different brands and products that are available today. As a professional deck builder, McWhorter Outdoor Living has been here for all the changes, and worked with all the materials out there, and would like to share some of our opinions with homeowners trying to make sense of what is available in the low-maintenance decking market. 

 Available Low-Maintenance products on the market today are mainly divided into 3 categories:

1. Composite Decking

Composite decking was the first to replace wood, and while it eliminates a lot of the maintenance required with a wood deck, it still has major problems with fading, staining, and scratching. Composites are still half wood and all those wood fibers will soak up anything you drop on them. Ketchup, grease, leaves, berries, etc will permanently stain a composite deck. The wood chips also fade and weather just like your old wood deck, so the dark red composite deck you have today, will be a light red-speckled white deck after two of three summers. The soft composites will also scratch if you drag anything heavy over them, shift a chair, wear high heel shoes, etc.

2. Cellular PVC decking

PVC decking first came about when all the problems of composite decking began to surface. PVC decking has all the advantages of composite decking, but is extremely resistant to fading, staining, and scratching. It is about half the weight of composite decking, and stays much cooler to the touch than composites. The price is slightly higher, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.

3. Capped composites

One of the new products seen in the market today is a capped composite. This is a traditional composite plank that has a tough plastic coating over the top and two sides. While this coating takes care of the fading, scratching, and staining issues of uncapped composites, it still gets very hot under the sun, is extremely heavy, and is limiting to work with as it cannot be routed and does not take screws well. The price of capped composites is comparable to that of most PVC decking. 

 So, to summarize:
 

So if you are looking for a truly low-maintenance product for your deck, we would suggest a cellular PVC product such as Azek Deck, Trex Escapes, or Timbertech XLM. Be aware that there are many deck builders out there today that are still offering composite decking to keep their material costs low. These decks are going to weather, fade, and stain as bad or worse than any wood deck, and there is no way to bring them back to their original appearance.

Most importantly, call a local deck builder like McWhorter Outdoor Living who is familiar with working with these low-maintenance products, and can guide you through your selection process. Based in Clarksville, MD, McWhorter Outdoor living has been building decks, screened porches, and sunrooms in the central Maryland area for over 10 years, and we have worked with every generation of every material that is out there today. Give us a call for a free estimate, we look forward to hearing from you.