Completed Project • Indian Trail, NC • Union County • July 2, 2025
This Lake Park homeowner wanted a comfortable gathering space for friends and family, free from Carolina pollen, rain, and pests. We transformed their completely open porch into a stunning glass-enclosed sunroom using the Craft-Bilt 3-inch aluminum wall system, complete with single-pane tempered glass sliders and panoramic transom windows.
Located in the Lake Park community just outside of Indian Trail, this home had a porch that was completely open to the elements. Before the project, rain, pollen, dust, and the critters that roam freely across the Carolinas had free and unrestricted access to the space. The homeowners were using it as little more than a storage room because spending time there simply was not comfortable.
The goal was clear. They wanted a real gathering place where friends and family could relax together, enjoy the views of the surrounding neighborhood, and feel connected to the outdoors without dealing with any of the downsides. Anyone who has spent time in Union County during pollen season knows exactly what that means. A fine yellow coating on every surface, sneezing through what should be a pleasant afternoon, and swatting away mosquitoes the moment the sun starts to set.
After visiting our showroom in Charlotte, the homeowners compared both our vinyl-film stacking window systems and our glass slider systems side by side. They appreciated the weather protection and open feel of the vinyl-film panels, but fell in love with the look and panoramic visibility of the glass option. They chose the glass slider system, and we got to work.
Every porch and patio built on concrete is designed with a slight slope. That slope directs rainwater away from the house and out into the yard, protecting the home's foundation and interior.
That slope is great for drainage, but it creates a real challenge when installing windows, doors, and wall systems. Standard installations can result in frames that rack, panels that bind, and gaps that let in the very bugs and rain you were trying to keep out.
The Craft-Bilt 3-inch aluminum wall system we use comes equipped with special spacers and adjustment mechanisms designed specifically for this situation. Our team configured each section of the wall to be perfectly plumb, level, and square even as the floor beneath it gradually dropped away from the house. The sliders open and close smoothly. The transoms sit perfectly straight. You would never know the floor below was anything other than flat.
For this Indian Trail project, the slope was visible and notable. At one end of the enclosure, the gap between the bottom of the aluminum frame and the concrete was minimal. By the time you reached the other end, it was substantially deeper. The aluminum system absorbed that variation with precision, and the finished product looks seamless from both inside and out.
This is one of the most common technical challenges we encounter on porch enclosure projects across Union County and the greater Charlotte area. The Craft-Bilt system handles it reliably every time, and the result is a tight, clean enclosure that keeps the elements where they belong.
Instead of a traditional knee wall with windows above, this system uses full-height single-pane tempered glass sliders that operate like doors. Homeowners can open one panel on each side, open multiple panels together, or close everything up completely. The flexibility allows them to manage airflow exactly the way they want.
The transom windows that sit above the glass sliders run the full width of each wall section. They flood the room with natural light and give a wide, unobstructed view of the neighborhood and yard. The homeowners specifically loved this feature and commented on how much their guests enjoy the visual connection to the outdoors.
The 3-inch wall system comes with a sturdy aluminum screen door, not a standard fiberglass mesh. When the homeowners want airflow in the evenings without glass panels open, they can close the screen and keep mosquitoes and other insects out while still enjoying a breeze. During heavy pollen season, closing the glass keeps every surface inside the room clean.
The entire point of a 3-season glass enclosure is to let you enjoy the outside from a comfortable, protected space. Rain stays out. Pollen stays out. Bugs and critters stay out. But the view, the light, and the open feel remain. For this Indian Trail family, that meant going from a porch they ignored to a space they now use every single morning for coffee and every evening when friends stop by.
"Before it was done, we were just using it as a store room. But then we tried to look for different options and, to be honest, luckily we were able to find Valverax. It was very helpful for us. Once we confirmed we had to go with them, when we came to your office, we saw the product and then we were in love with that. Most of our guests, whoever they come, they want to sit here. They like to have a view outside and also they love it. This is like a sunroom for us and it definitely adds space for us, especially in the mornings for coffee time. We spend here, and evening for snack, and friends keep coming here most of the afternoons and also in the evenings after coming from the office. This is a place to go and sit and relax."
Homeowner, Lake Park Community, Indian Trail, NC
Our team filmed a complete walkthrough of this 3-season glass enclosure project in Indian Trail. See the finished room, hear directly from the homeowner, and get a close look at how the aluminum wall system accommodates the sloped concrete floor.
We serve homeowners across Indian Trail, Stallings, Waxhaw, Monroe, and the wider Union County area. We know the neighborhoods, the porch styles common to the region, and the construction challenges that come with Carolina soil, humidity, and weather patterns. We also know that every homeowner has different priorities, which is why we carry multiple enclosure solutions.
If you have an open porch in Indian Trail or anywhere in Union County that you are not using to its full potential, we would love to show you what is possible. The difference between a storage room and a favorite gathering space can be as straightforward as the right enclosure system installed the right way.
Get a free estimate from Valverax and see how a 3-season glass enclosure can turn your unused porch into the most-used room in your home.