COPYRIGHT 2017 JAMES DULLEY ( www.dulley.com/sea/ ) - August 2017 - (graphics ref. No. 382u at www.dulley.com/sea/column/2017-aug.htm )

"Design a suncreen/windbreak deck for year-round comfort and savings"

Dear Jim: I have an old concrete patio on the southwest side of the house. I want to build a deck over it. Are there tips for deck design so it stays more comfortable in the afternoon sun and maybe lowers my utility  bills? - Mike T.

Dear Mike: It sounds as though you have experienced how uncomfortably hot a patio can get in the intense afternoon sun. It can also increase your air-conditioning costs by heating the air around your house. This heat radiates in windows causing you to set your thermostat a few degrees lower. This may increase your electric bills five percent or more per degree.

Since controlling the heat buildup is your concern, wood or light-colored composite decking is your best choice. Dark composite decking is attractive, but it gets much hotter and loses rigidity. To avoid the possibility of waviness in the sun, locate the floor joists 75 percent closer together than when using wood decking. Light-colored cellular vinyl decking is another option and it holds less heat.

Build the deck at least six inches above the old concrete patio. This allows cooling air to flow under it and it also minimizes moisture buildup. Using lattice-type trim around the bottom is attractive and it provides adequate air flow beneath the deck for cooling and minimizing mildew.

An efficient deck should have a tall vertical sun barrier facing west. The sun shines down too directly from the south to try to block it with a vertical barrier. The best design of the wall depends upon your area's latitude which affects the angle of the sun's rays. Find a sun angle chart online for your area's latitude.

Install vertical posts on the side where you need shading. Make eight-inch-wide slats to fit horizontally between the posts. Space and angle them (somewhat like a Venetian blind) so they block the direct sun, yet still allow gentle natural breezes through.

During winter when the sun is lower in the sky, it will partially shine in between the slats for some solar heating. The slats will also block the full force of the cold winter winds against your house wall.

A simpler method is to just install special sun-control screening across the side of the deck. Some of these screens block up to 75 percent of the heat from the sun. This will also improve the life of the decking material by blocking much of the sun's UV (ultraviolet) rays. 

For the most attractive appearance, use a do-it-yourself screening kit designed for porches. A frame strip is screwed or nailed to the wood and a finishing cap is snapped over it to hold the screening in place. It is simple to remove the screening during winter for access to more solar heating.

Additional savings and comfort can be realized by building a cover over the deck. In order to not feel closed in, install a pergola with tilted wooden louvers as the cover. As with the side slats, tilt these top louvers at the appropriate angle for your area to block the summer sun. These louvers are also effective for shading the house walls from the sun's direct rays.
 
If cooling costs are the primary concern, planting ground cover plants near the house is wise. Plant leaves do not capture and hold heat as does concrete or gravel. They also cool by transpiration (leaves evaporate moisture) and can naturally cool the air by 10 degrees or more near the house. Putting planters on your new deck near the house can provide some of these same cooling benefits.

Dear Jim: I need to buy a new electric range and I was considering a self-cleaning oven. Does it use an excessive amount of electricity during the self-cleaning cycle? - Gina C.

Dear Gina: A self-cleaning cycle can use a substantial amount of electricity. This is used to reach and maintain the high oven temperature to break down spills and spots.

Overall, a self-cleaning oven can be more efficient than a standard one. These ovens have thicker wall insulation to maintain a safe exterior temperature during the hot self-clean cycle. If you bake a lot, this heavier insulation saves more electricity than is used when self cleaning.

James Dulley, Publication Name, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244