At Home in Berks - June 2017 - 22

FEATURES

Changes in the Decades of

PATIO ROOMS

Contributed by Kert E. Sloan, President
Aluminum Associates/Sloan Corp.

E

nclosed Porches or Sunrooms,
as we know today, were structured totally different when I
started working for Aluminum Associates in 1980 (which I now own) than
what you see today.
In the early '80s, many enclosed porches
were made of a series of storm doors
mulled together with just screen or single
glass storm windows. Storm windows
were also used on existing wood porches
using the existing wood framing structure and sometimes capping off with
aluminum to make them maintenance
free. These types of enclosures were all
three-season type porches with either existing wood roofs or all aluminum walls
and aluminum roof. Those who were
looking for a four-season or year-round
room had them structured with wood
framing, insulated walls and insulated
windows. This type of structure is what
you know of today as an addition to your
home. The only room in this decade with
more of an open glass look of today and

22

AT HOME IN BERKs June 2017

built from scratch was the full glass solarium which was something Aluminum
Associates did not get into doing.
Come the '90s, factories started developing pre-engineered insulated roofs and
new wall components to build complete
rooms in a few days ready to use the day
of completion and completely maintenance free. First was the three-season unit
with sliding windows, single or insulated
glass, non-thermally broken channels
and an insulated panel to finish off the
base, header or act as a filler. The system
was developed to accept an aluminum or
vinyl replacement window, however even
with the vinyl window installed it was still
considered a three-season room. The reason being that all the other components
that were used to put the room together
were not insulated, thermally broken nor
did they have the proper "R" factor as the
engineered roof.
So, how did we get to the true four-season room as we call them today? The

channels and components for the walls
were already built to accept the traditional vinyl window and entry door, but as a
three-season style channel cold or heat
transferred through due to no thermal
barrier. Also, the 3" roof didn't have a
high enough "R" rating to produce a true
four-season room.
Into the later part of the '90s the factories went back to the engineering board
to structure channels, posts and beams
with a thermal barrier. The engineered
roof panels were structured to a 6" thick
insulated panel to achieve the proper "R"
value. Now that all the other components
were designed with thermal barriers and
proper "R" values, the vinyl windows and
entry doors could be used in conjunction
with them to allow the finished room to
be conditioned efficiently. This allowed
for the use of the same type of vinyl
windows you use in your home to be used
in the enclosed patio room. The PTAC
system, which allowed for heating and air



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