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Is Your Remodeler Trying to Kill You?

I was walking down the street with two of my kids to the playground the other day and noticed this vinyl pane sunroom for the first time. I’m not afraid to say that it’s a very attrractive room, even though our company didn’t do it.

It’s also very dangerous.

Before I mention it, Who can tell me why?

If you said, “There’s no railing protection,” then you’re right. According to the code, any screen or vinyl pane room over 30 inches off the ground requires railing. Now a fall from 31 inches may only hurt a little, but a fall from this height will likely kill you. If a child runs into that vinyl pane window or an adult falls back against it, they would likely pop right through it and fall through.

A professional company like mine could lose their license for building such a dangerous structure. I say professional, because it’s likely this work was done by a contractor with no license or permit. At least I assume the Town of Surfside Beach wouldn’t allow this to pass inspection. That would be a completely different matter entirely. But forget licenses and permits. What about conscience? If someone fell through these windows and died, we could lose everything, especially the peace of mind knowing that we willingly built something so dangerous.

This is just another reason you should always check out your contractor and make sure what they’re doing is right and proper.

Here’s what a company like ours would do in this situation.

Number one, we wouldn’t have left it like this.

Number two, it needs some type of fall protection, either railing or rail screen. We have several products that would’ve fit this perfectly. Railing is the normal one, but it limits the view and adds a whole lot of new vertical lines. We also have a brand new product we can install for applications like these that is a building code certified screen product. Fewer vertical lines and the same fall protection as white railing. It’s also a lot less expensive.

When you start getting bids from remodelers, ask them about codes, but be sure to also inquire about options. There’s almost always a couple of choices that will give you an attractive outdoor space and won’t leave you with a death trap.

When you start calling for those bids, be sure to give us a call first or just drop by the showroom.

Thanks,

Dave, the guy who builds sunrooms that won’t kill people

You can find us at…
843-238-4798
www.oceanbreezeexteriors
Showroom located at 739 Sandy Lane in Surfside Beach, SC