My wife and I wanted to remove our decks and build a screened outdoor space of for the summer. Our property is heavily treed and has an impressive mosquito population for most of the summer making a deck something you just stare at from inside the house. In designing the new space, we wanted large windows that would open wide to let the breeze flow through and I dreamed of having a clear roof to let the light in. After a few hours of searching online I stumbled onto Craft-Bilt Materials and read about the 4-Track window system as well as the poly carbonate roofing system. These were exactly what we had in mind for this project. I contacted Craft-Bilt and spoke to a sales representative and it was clear that they were very supportive of the DIY community, not just a manufacturer catering to contractors. I obtained an estimate for the windows and roof which were reasonable for the product being offered. These systems are not for someone hoping to slap a structure together on a tight budget. The materials are quality and will last for a long time. The poly carbonate is a tough multi-layered material which will far outlast the single layer, corrugated panels from box stores - again, it is about budget and what you are trying to achieve.
I worked through the spring on the site, the foundation and cut and raised the timber frame myself. When the time came, I again contacted Craft-Bilt and was put in touch with Ella who answered every single silly question I asked promptly. I submitted the order for the windows and then the roof.
The roofing system arrived, like a giant, terrifying mechano set but it was intuitive to assemble once the pieces were laid out. There was one small hiccup with the gasketing material that was shipped, but Craft-Bilt realized an error had been made and shipped the proper material overnight without argument. It took about two days to assemble the roof, working mostly alone unless a neighbor happened to get too close.
The windows arrived a few weeks later on the truck. We unloaded them into the garage. I held my breath as I unpacked them hoping I didn't blow the mission on the sizing. Once the first window was unpacked I carried it around back and it slipped right into the opening. I used the self-drilling, colour matched screws to fasten the window into the opening in about 5 minutes. I installed all 8 windows in about 90 minutes as a first timer. The cost of these windows is a value when you consider the time required to build screen frames and bugger around with installation or closing the structure in for the winter. The slide open very easily leaving 75% of the opening clear for a air to pass through. The vinyl material is ultra tough, a 2x4 I had on end, slipped out of my hand an bounced of the material.
My experience with Craft-Bilt was refreshing, not many companies have their act together these days like Craft-Bilt does. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact them. There is a price to pay for quality, but I would not hesitate to do it again.
