Practical Privacy

By Amy Morgan

As summer heats up, you may realize your once-appealing outdoor area has lost its luster. Scorching sun and rising temps can diminish the pleasure of relaxing on the patio. Perhaps you were one of the many families who installed a pool during the pandemic, but you didn’t realize the surrounding area would become too hot to allow you to watch your children splash. Don’t miss out on enjoying your investment. Consider a patio cover or pergola to create a cool, shady oasis.

Diamond Decks, owned by Donnie Ferguson, is one of the largest authorized installers of Renaissance Patio Cover products. Renaissance Patio Covers come in five basic styles that can be modified to fit your needs. Whether your tastes tend toward the clean lines and modern look of the Moderno patio cover or the bold, decoratively sculpted trusses of the contemporary wood frame-style Classico roof, you’ll be able to find something that suits your décor. Best of all, patio covers can be installed in just a few days.

Renaissance products are made in Florida, so they were designed to withstand weather extremes of heat, gale-force winds and rain. The insulated patio roof panels use aircraft-grade aluminum alloy skin on the top and bottom and are filled with high-density, insulating foam that creates a thermal break to slow heat from descending. In fact, the temperature under a coated aluminum structure can be 30% cooler than under a wooden roof system, Donnie said. All Renaissance Patio Cover products incorporate an integrated gutter built into the roof system, are finished with a glossy baked-on powder coat and use nylon-coated fasteners to ensure that rust, corrosion, chipping, and peeling are never an issue. Diamond Decks installers also can run electrical wiring for ceiling fans inside the interior of a beam so the conduit isn’t visible, providing a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing look.

A growing number of homeowners are choosing to use man-made materials as they add decks, patios covers and roofs, Donnie said. Not only has the rising cost of lumber made other materials more attractive, the newer composite and aluminum products allow more possibilities for customization, withstand weather and require no maintenance. “It doesn’t make sense for people to buy a wooden deck right now,” Donnie said. “A composite product costs almost the same, and once it is in, you’ll have no upkeep.”

Adding a covering provides benefits in addition to the obvious immediate shade it casts. Coverings can deflect sunshine from a home’s walls and windows, enabling the interior temperature of the home to remain cooler and subsequently reduce electricity bills. A covering also provides protection from the elements if you have pets that stay outdoors. No need to worry about them getting soaked in a rainstorm or suffering in the heat.

Many customers are choosing to add screens to their covers to keep marauding mosquitos at bay, Donnie said. The Dolce seamless screen system is compatible with the other Renaissance patio products, and its high-strength framing system won’t impede your view.

Has a next-door neighbor moved in or expanded their outdoor footprint? Aluminum privacy walls are becoming another popular option in highdensity Stone Oak. Donnie and his sales team will help design the perfect layout to match your style and provide a visual barrier from those nearby. Once again, consumers are trending away from wood toward lower maintenance, man-made materials, which look sleeker and more modern, Donnie said.

Clients can visit Diamond Decks’ showroom inside the Stone Ridge Market HEB on 281 and Evans Road to view a variety of entertainment solutions including decorative concrete, outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, and masonry products.

The company offers many attractive financing options at low interest rates. In its nine years in the San Antonio area, Diamond Decks has grown into the largest outdoor living space builder in town, Donnie said. Go to Diamonddeckstx.com to get started on your wish list. Call for an inhome design consultation or visit our showroom.

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