Patio enclosures

[gtblum]

Can anyone point me in the direction of guidelines or standards on the proper installation of aluminum / glass paneled patio enclosure systems?

ie. Proper flashing, fasteners and fastening points, modification of existing deck structures to support the added weight. Specifically to the type which is an addition to a home.

[Jim Baird]

manufacturers' specs only. No codes I can think of.

[Chad Fabry]

Most of them come w/ stamped plans from an engineer in Lithuania. Almost all of them are crap.

[gtblum]

In that case, I'd say we as a group have a very big problem given the number of these POS that are sold every day of the week.

This one is fastened to the home with three inch rock screws, (where they were lucky to have hit something) it leaks, the floor is heaving the insulated panels under it are deteriorating, have mold all over them, and the deck is Junk. It's only four years old.

Because of the way they're constructed, the fasteners are hidden from view. The only reason I knew about this one, was because the interior wasn't finished.

If there are no codes, how do these get approved for permits or, get blessed off when they're finished?

New contract disclaimer tomorrow boiler. I strongly suggest further evaluation by a Lithuanian engineer.

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[Jim Baird]

Codes yield to manufacturer when code language doesn't apply.

If that's the exit door it might violate the exit requirements.

[gtblum]

Codes yield to manufacturer when code language doesn't apply.

Good point Jim.

So, are the glass companies that slam these things up required to submit manufacturers specs to the C O for review? Chad?

[Tom Raymond]

Gary,

A few things to look for with these things:

1. The deck supports must be in line with the bearing walls of the enclosure and cannot be cantilevered. The deck in your picture is wrong.

2. The only place you will find flashing on one of these is at the room to deck connection. This is almost always aluminum coil over the treated lumber, bad idea. Some of the better companies specify placing ice and water shield between the treated and the aluminum.

3. The primary weather seal on an aluminum enclosure is caulk. Lots and lots of caulk. A room that size should have around 3 to 3 1/2 cases of caulk to comply with the manufacturer's instructions.

4. There should be wind screws through the roof panels into the aluminum framing below, at least one per panel. These are almost always missing, leaving only a handful of tek screws to hold the roof down.

5. It can be really hard to tell the difference between a leak and condensation so don't rip your hair out, if you have a bad room punt it to the builder or the manufacturer.

Tom

[mthomas1]

Been there... part of the problem is that the manufacture's installation instructions may show direct metal to deck contact, cantilevered decks, etc.

NOTE: Because every sunroom design installation has unique requirements, job-site specific materials such as lag bolts, wood headers, flashing, caulk, etc., are not included with the sun room/screen room kit. Your local home center or hardware store can provide you with these materials and is an excellent reference source for information on building and construction.

SunPorch Inc. Installation

[gtblum]

Gary,

A few things to look for with these things:

1. The deck supports must be in line with the bearing walls of the enclosure and cannot be cantilevered. The deck in your picture is wrong.

2. The only place you will find flashing on one of these is at the room to deck connection. This is almost always aluminum coil over the treated lumber, bad idea. Some of the better companies specify placing ice and water shield between the treated and the aluminum.

3. The primary weather seal on an aluminum enclosure is caulk. Lots and lots of caulk. A room that size should have around 3 to 3 1/2 cases of caulk to comply with the manufacturer's instructions.

4. There should be wind screws through the roof panels into the aluminum framing below, at least one per panel. These are almost always missing, leaving only a handful of tek screws to hold the roof down.

5. It can be really hard to tell the difference between a leak and condensation so don't rip your hair out, if you have a bad room punt it to the builder or the manufacturer.

Tom

Thanks for the info Tom,

This is the first time I've really stared one of these things down. The homeowner is at war with the glass company. Since she's getting no help from them and is taking it to the next level, (oh,and I'm tired of being bitched at) I started to take a good look at it. The system is similar to a commercial store front or school replacement windows. School windows can leak for months after the giant backer rod / caulk truck has left so, I wasn't surprised about that. The interior deck floor is OSB and under the joists there are insulated panels with an FRP skin. I think these are full of water. Anyway, the more I looked, the more I found, the more I wondered about what to beware of when inspecting a house with one of these things attached to it.

I wonder if one could obtain installation specs from one of these companies without a subpoena? (Like Mike just did.)

[gtblum]

The rep from the glass company finally showed up at the girlfriend's house yesterday. A very nice guy who probably dreaded having to show up at all. I got quite an education on the structure under this system.

There is no deck. A ledger at the house and two typical post and beam supports carry two foot wide, five and a half inch thick, steel clad foam panels with a floating upright 2x6 nailer for the OSB flooring sandwiched between them. Thats it. Everything else sits on it. Just thought I'd share that.

unfortunately, the installation problems are still a long way from being resolved.

[Kyle Kubs]

Your local home center or hardware store can provide you with these materials and is an excellent reference source for information on building and construction.

This statement alone is truly disturbing.