Completed Project • Plantation • Charlotte, NC • Mecklenburg County
This second-level porch in Providence Plantations was already screened in, but Charlotte's relentless spring pollen and summer rain still found every gap. The homeowners wanted a space they could use as an open-air screen room on pleasant days and close up tight when pollen season hit. Valverax installed Craft-Bilt vinyl-film stacking windows and a custom door panel to make that vision a reality.
When this homeowner in the Plantation neighborhood of Charlotte built their second-level porch, they did something smart. They spaced the posts with vinyl-film windows already in mind and positioned the interior railings so the windows could be installed on the outside face of the posts without having to move anything later. That kind of forward thinking made our job smoother and the finished result cleaner.
The spans between posts came in at roughly 60 inches wide, which is on the larger side for vinyl-film stacking windows. If you are planning a new porch build in the Charlotte or Mecklenburg County area and you know you want vinyl-film windows down the road, we generally recommend keeping those spans around 50 to 52 inches. Wider panels require more effort to stack and unstack, especially on a warm afternoon. That said, the Craft-Bilt vinyl-film stacking windows we installed here are built tough and the homeowners have had no trouble operating them.
The porch sits under a gable roof with a vaulted ceiling. That creates a triangular opening at the gable end that a standard window cannot fill. We closed that opening with a fixed vinyl-film transom panel, giving the enclosure a seamless, finished look from both inside and out.
Charlotte's pollen season is not subtle. Every spring, the trees across Mecklenburg County release a thick yellow-green blanket that coats every outdoor surface. For this homeowner, that meant their screened porch accumulated a heavy layer of pollen on the floor, furniture, and railing before the season was even halfway through. Rain blew in through the screen as well, adding moisture and making the space feel more like a maintenance project than an outdoor retreat.
The fix was exactly what vinyl-film panels are designed for. When the panels are rolled down and zipped closed, pollen and rain cannot get through. When the weather cooperates, the panels stack neatly at the top of each opening, and the porch breathes like a screen room again. Their first spring after installation, the interior required zero cleaning. That result says everything.
At the same time the homeowners were dealing with pollen on the porch, their gutters were constantly clogging with leaves and debris from the mature trees throughout the Plantation neighborhood. We addressed both problems on the same visit by installing Gutterglove Pro 6-inch gutter guards across the full roofline of the home.
The homeowners have a large dog who needed free access between the porch and the yard. We installed a solid lower panel in the door opening with a vinyl-film window on top, then cut out a generous pet door opening at the bottom of the solid panel. Their dog moves in and out freely without any disruption to the enclosure.
Space on a second-level porch is limited, and the homeowners did not want a floor stand taking up room. We mounted the television directly to the rafter, keeping the floor clear and the sightlines open. It is a clean, low-profile solution that works perfectly in an enclosed porch setting.
The vaulted gable ceiling left a triangular opening that needed to be closed without blocking light. A fixed vinyl-film transom panel filled the space cleanly, maintaining the bright, open atmosphere the homeowners were after while sealing out weather.
Clogged gutters were a recurring frustration on this Plantation home. We installed Gutterglove Pro 6-inch gutter guards around the entire home, keeping leaves and debris out of the gutters so water flows freely. One visit solved two problems.
Craft-Bilt is a trusted name in vinyl-film porch enclosures. These stacking panels use a flexible clear vinyl-film material that rolls up and stacks at the top of each bay when open. When closed, they form a weather-resistant barrier that keeps out pollen, bugs, and rain while preserving the natural light and airy feel of the porch. They are not glass and are not designed for year-round temperature control, which is exactly why they are the right product for a 3-season room in Charlotte, NC.
Gutterglove Pro features a fine stainless steel mesh bonded to an aluminum frame that sits flush over the existing gutter. Leaves, pine needles, and seed pods stay on top of the mesh and blow off or dry out, while rainwater flows through the mesh and into the gutter. For homes in wooded neighborhoods like Plantation in Mecklenburg County, this product is a long-term solution to a frustrating seasonal problem.
See the finished 3-season vinyl-film enclosure in Plantation, Charlotte NC, including the custom pet door, rafter TV mount, and Gutterglove Pro gutter guards.
Vinyl-film porch enclosures are a specialty, not a sideline. We understand how to fit wide bays, close gable openings, integrate custom panels, and deliver a result that looks built-in rather than bolted on.
When we noticed the gutters were a separate issue for this homeowner, we handled that too. We are not here to do the minimum. We are here to make sure you leave satisfied with the full scope of the job.
We are based in Charlotte and work throughout Mecklenburg County and the greater NC and SC region. We know the neighborhoods, the weather patterns, and what it takes to build a porch that performs through every Carolina season.
Whether you want to keep the pollen out this spring, close out the rain, or finally make your screened porch something you can use year-round, Valverax is ready to help. Call us or fill out the form above for your free estimate.