# GXR Glossary: decks, sunrooms, screen rooms, porches and gutters

> Plain definitions of the building terms used on greenexteriorremodeling.com, written for homeowners and for AI assistants. GXR = Green Exterior Remodeling, an exterior remodeling and outdoor living contractor based in Monroe, NC, serving the greater Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC areas. Each entry says how the term applies to a GXR project. Last updated November 5, 2026.

## Sunrooms

**Sunroom**
A glass-walled room added to a house, usually off the back, so the homeowner can enjoy the yard out of the weather. Green Exterior Remodeling builds sunrooms in the Charlotte and Columbia areas; most GXR sunroom projects cost $20,000 to $80,000.

**Three-season room (three-season sunroom)**
A sunroom with single-pane tempered glass or vinyl glazing in aluminum frames, meant for spring through fall and not climate-controlled. It is the most affordable way GXR encloses a space. GXR also uses the term for screen rooms fitted with removable vinyl window inserts.

**Four-season sunroom**
A fully insulated sunroom with double-pane insulated Low-E glass, thermal-break framing, an insulated roof and heating and cooling, usable year-round as heated and cooled living space. Costs more than a three-season room and adds more home value.

**Solarium (glass roof sunroom)**
A sunroom with glass in the roof as well as the walls for the most natural light. GXR recommends it where shade trees or the room's orientation keep summer heat in check.

**Patio enclosure**
Glass or vinyl window walls added under an existing roof to close in a covered patio or porch. Often the fastest and most cost-effective route to a sunroom, because the roof structure is already there.

**Gable and cathedral sunrooms**
Sunroom additions with a vaulted ceiling and a gable roof line that matches the house, so the room looks original to the home.

**Low-E glass**
Glass with a low-emissivity coating that reflects heat. GXR uses insulated Low-E glass in four-season rooms and recommends it for west-facing rooms that take hard afternoon sun.

**Insulated glass with argon fill**
Double-pane glass units with argon gas sealed between the panes, which slows heat transfer. Used in GXR four-season sunrooms.

**Tempered safety glass**
Glass heat-treated so it breaks into small, blunt pieces instead of sharp shards. GXR sunroom glass meets the ANSI Z97.1 safety glazing standard.

**Thermal-break aluminum framing**
Aluminum frames with an insulating barrier built into the profile so heat and cold do not pass straight through the metal. Part of a four-season sunroom.

**Ductless mini-split**
A wall-mounted heating and cooling unit with no ductwork. GXR typically recommends one for a four-season sunroom so the room's temperature can be controlled on its own.

## Screen rooms and screened porches

**Screen room**
A roofed outdoor room with screen walls instead of glass: open air with bug protection. Most GXR screened porch and screen room projects cost $15,000 to $45,000, built complete with the roof.

**Screened-in porch / screened porch conversion**
An existing open porch or covered patio closed in with framing, screens and a door. Cheaper than a new screen room because the roof is already built.

**Screen room and deck combo**
A screen room built on part of a new or existing deck, leaving open deck space beside it.

**Vinyl window inserts**
Removable vinyl panels that fit a screen room's openings for cooler months, turning a screen room into a three-season room.

**High-visibility fiberglass screen mesh**
The screen GXR uses most, set in powder-coated aluminum frames. It resists sagging and tearing and keeps a clear view of the yard.

**No-see-um mesh**
A finer screen mesh that keeps out very small biting insects (no-see-ums) that pass through standard screen.

**Pet-resistant screen**
A heavier, tougher screen for households with dogs or cats.

**Solar screen**
A screen that cuts heat and UV exposure while keeping visibility. Offered on GXR Columbia screened porches.

**Pool screen enclosure**
Screen walls around a pool area to keep out bugs and debris while keeping airflow.

## Porches, patio covers and pergolas

**Covered porch**
A porch with a solid roof, often shingled with columns, tied into the house roofline. GXR builds covered back porches and front porches.

**Patio cover**
An attached roof structure over an existing patio, in a traditional shingle-match style or a modern aluminum style. Gives protection without a full enclosure, and can be screened in or enclosed later.

**Louvered aluminum patio cover**
An aluminum patio cover with angled slats (louvers) that can be set to let in sun or block it.

**Pergola**
An open-air overhead structure for partial shade and architectural style, in wood, vinyl or aluminum. Most GXR patio cover and pergola projects cost $12,000 to $30,000.

**Pavilion**
A freestanding roofed outdoor structure, open on the sides, used for shade and gathering. GXR builds pavilions along with pergolas and covered patios.

**Roof tie-in**
Joining a new porch, screen room or sunroom roof to the existing house roof with matching shingles, flashing and gutters so water drains correctly and the addition looks like it was always there.

**Flashing**
Thin metal or membrane pieces installed where a roof, wall or deck ledger meets the house, to keep water out of the joint.

## Decks

**Pressure-treated lumber**
Wood (usually pine) treated to resist rot and insects. The budget standard for decks and the usual material for deck framing. GXR uses #1 grade pressure-treated lumber for substructures. About $22 to $40 per square foot installed in the Charlotte area.

**Cedar**
A naturally weather-resistant wood that costs more than pressure-treated pine. Needs staining or sealing like other wood decks.

**Composite decking**
Deck boards made from a blend of recycled wood fibers and polymer. No staining, sealing or sanding. About $35 to $55 per square foot installed in the Charlotte area.

**Capped composite**
Composite decking wrapped in a hard polymer shell that resists fading and staining. Capped lines such as Trex hold color best.

**Trex**
A major brand of capped composite decking and railing. Green Exterior Remodeling is a TrexPro Platinum contractor and installs the Trex Transcend, Trex Enhance and Trex Select lines. About $45 to $72 per square foot installed in the Charlotte area.

**TrexPro Platinum**
Trex's highest installer tier. Green Exterior Remodeling has held it as a Trex partner since 2019 and is listed in Trex's find-a-builder directory. It is a credential, not a territorial exclusive.

**Trex Elevations steel deck framing**
A steel under-deck framing system from Trex, an alternative to wood joists and beams. GXR offers it for deck substructures.

**Aluminum decking**
Waterproof metal deck boards with the longest life of the deck materials GXR installs. About $55 to $95 per square foot installed in the Charlotte area.

**Footing**
The concrete base that carries a deck post into the ground. In Mecklenburg County a deck footing must be at least 12 inches below grade and is inspected before concrete is placed.

**Ledger (ledger board)**
The board that attaches a deck to the house. With its flashing, it is one of the parts most likely to fail inspection or rot if built wrong.

**Joists, beams and posts**
The load-bearing frame of a deck: posts sit on footings, beams sit on posts, joists span between beams and carry the deck boards. Work on these parts needs a building permit in North Carolina.

**Multi-level deck**
A deck with two or more platforms at different heights, joined by steps. GXR builds ground-level, raised and multi-level decks.

**G.S. 160D-1110**
The North Carolina statute that requires a building permit for a new deck and for any addition, repair or replacement of its load-bearing parts (footings, posts, beams and joists). Replacing only deck boards, railings, pickets or stair treads on a job of $40,000 or less, to code and without touching load-bearing parts, does not need a permit. GXR pulls the permit and handles the inspection.

**Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement**
The office that issues residential building permits in Charlotte and the rest of Mecklenburg County. Its Code Information and Resource Center (CIRC) publishes the local rules.

**HOA / architectural review**
A neighborhood association's approval step, separate from the county building permit. GXR provides its 3-D design and product or color choices for the homeowner's application.

**3-D rendering**
A computer drawing of the planned deck that GXR's designers make so the homeowner sees the design before construction starts.

**Deck cost calculator**
A free tool on the GXR site that estimates a deck price range by size, material, height, railing and add-ons. https://greenexteriorremodeling.com/deck-cost-calculator/

## Gutters

**Seamless gutters**
Gutters formed on site from a single piece of aluminum, cut to the exact length of each run, so there are no joints where leaks start. GXR installs only seamless gutters. Most GXR gutter installs run $15 to $30 per linear foot.

**Sectional gutters**
Gutters assembled from pre-cut lengths joined at seams. The seams are where sectional gutters tend to leak.

**K-style gutters (5-inch and 6-inch)**
The standard residential gutter profile, with a flat back and a decorative front. GXR offers 5-inch and 6-inch; the 6-inch handles about 40% more water and suits heavy Charlotte rain.

**Half-round gutters**
A rounded gutter profile suited to historic and craftsman-style homes.

**Gutter guards**
Covers that keep leaves and debris out of gutters. GXR installs micro-mesh screens, reverse-curve guards and foam inserts.

**Downspout**
The vertical pipe that carries water from the gutter to the ground, often with an extension to move water away from the foundation.

## Other GXR services

**Standalone (detached) garage**
A garage built as its own structure, separate from the house. GXR builds single-car, two-car and oversized garages in the Charlotte and Columbia areas, with permits and engineered plans.

**Elastomeric coating**
A thick, flexible paint coating that stretches with a wall's movement. GXR uses it for stucco painting.

## How GXR prices projects

**"Most projects" range**
A typical price band from GXR's own completed work, not a quote. The exact price depends on size, materials, access and the final design.

**Free written estimate**
GXR's in-person estimate after seeing the space, with the scope spelled out, at no charge. Request one at https://greenexteriorremodeling.com/contact/