Blog
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Solar Screen Openness Factors Explained: 1%, 3%, 5%, 10% and Which We Recommend for West-Facing Seattle Decks
By Ruslan Bencheci, Owner & CEO, Star Construction WA. Washington State licensed contractor #STARCCW791L5. Updated June 2026. Almost every screen quote I write starts with a number people don’t understand yet. They’ve seen “5% openness” on a fabric sample or a competitor’s site, nodded along, and have no idea what it actually means for the deck they’re standing on. So let me explain it the way I…
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The Real Energy Savings of Motorized Solar Screens on West-Facing Seattle Decks
By Ruslan Bencheci, Owner & CEO, Star Construction WA. Washington State licensed contractor #STARCCW791L5. Updated June 2026. West-facing is the one I get asked about most, and it’s the one where solar screens actually pull their weight. A north deck barely needs them. A west deck in July is a different animal. From about 3pm on, the sun comes in low and flat, straight at the glass,…
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Solar Shades vs. Blackout vs. View-Preserving Fabric: Which Motorized Screen Is Right for Your Seattle Deck?
By Ruslan Bencheci, Owner & CEO, Star Construction WA. Washington State licensed contractor #STARCCW791L5. Updated June 2026. Almost every screen project we do starts with the same wrong question. People call and ask which motorized screen is best. There isn’t a best one. There’s a best one for your deck, facing the direction it faces, used the way your family actually uses it. The fabric is where…
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Can You Add a Sunroom to a Townhouse or Condo in King County? Here’s What HOAs Usually Say
By Ruslan Bencheci, Owner & CEO, Star Construction WA Washington State Licensed Contractor #STARCCW791L5 · Updated May 2026 Short answer: yes, you usually can. The longer answer is the part nobody tells you about until you’re three weeks into the process and your HOA board sends back a request for “additional architectural review materials.” I’ve been building sunrooms and installing Lumon balcony glazing across King County for…
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The deck questions our Seattle clients ask most during site visits (and our honest answers)
We do a lot of site visits. Some weeks, that’s most of what we do — walking somebody’s backyard in Magnolia, climbing onto a flat roof off a Fremont kitchen, standing in the rain on a Bellevue hillside trying to picture how a deck would actually sit on the slope. After enough of these, you notice the same questions come up. Not because Seattle homeowners are unprepared…
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Why every new Seattle deck should be designed with motorized solar shades in mind, even if you install them later
We build a lot of decks in Seattle, Bellevue, and around the Eastside. Every spring, the same call comes in. “We love the deck you built us two years ago. We want to add motorized screens now. What’s it going to take?” The answer depends almost entirely on what we did during the original build. If we planned for the screens, the upgrade is straightforward. If we…
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Pairing custom decks with sunrooms and balcony glazing for Bellevue and Mercer Island lake-view homes
If you own a view home on Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, or Mercer Island, you already know the problem. April through October your deck is the best room in the house. November through March it sits empty under a tarp. We build a lot of decks on the Eastside, and the conversation almost always lands on the same question: what do we do with this space when…
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Square or Rounded Housing? A Designer’s Guide to Matching Rainier Power Screens to Your Home’s Architecture
If you’ve spent any time on our site looking at motorized retractable screens, you already know we install Rainier products. What the spec sheet doesn’t tell you is that the housing — the box at the top that holds the rolled-up fabric — changes how the whole system reads on your house. Square or rounded. Most homeowners don’t realize it matters until the installer is on site…
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The Benefits of a Custom Sunroom or Glazed Balcony in Seattle
Seattle’s natural beauty is undeniable—lush greenery, waterfront views, and dramatic skies define the region. But with frequent rain and long gray seasons, homeowners often find themselves wishing they could enjoy the outdoors without compromising comfort. That’s where custom sunrooms and glazed balconies come in. These architectural enhancements bridge the gap between indoor and outdoor living, offering a year-round solution tailored to Seattle’s unique climate. Below, we explore…
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Beyond the Roof: How a Louvered Pergola Reclaims Your Seattle Backyard
Living in the Pacific Northwest, we’re all familiar with the “Seattle Shrug”—that moment you’re hosting a BBQ in Ballard, a mist starts rolling in, and everyone collectively sighs and moves into the kitchen. At Star Construction WA, we’ve found that a louvered pergola is the ultimate “Goldilocks” solution for our climate. It lets the rare sun in when you want it, but seals tight the second the…
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The Most Popular Deck Types in Seattle, WA
Washington State has a different climate than most of other states. There’s more rain here and the temperatures are mild. Some people would think that this would discourage homeowners from investing much into their outdoor areas. But, surprisingly, the decking industry in the Pacific Northwest area pretty developed and people love their decks, especially with add-on features like motorized louvered roofs, heaters, solar shades and acrylic patio…
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5 Reasons Acrylic Patio Covers Beat Polycarbonate
One of the most important questions every homeowner is asking themselves is what type of patio cover to use when they want to expand or improve their outdoor area. At Star Construction WA we recommend acrylic patio covers over polycarbonate for some good reasons and this is what we will discuss in this post. Both types of cover are good and strong. They are used very often…
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How Star Construction WA Builds the Best Sunrooms & Glazed Balconies in Seattle
At Star Construction WA we believe every sunroom or glass balcony extension should do more than just add square footage, it should enhance the way you experience your home. This is the reason we developed a detailed process that guarantees every project is designed, built, and completed without cutting any corners. This is what we do to make your vision a reality: Step 1: Understanding your vision…
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Why We Love Adding Motorized Louvered Roofs to Decks
By Ruslan Bencheci, Founder of Star Construction WA When I founded Star Construction WA, my guiding aspiration was straightforward: to enable families in Seattle and the Eastside to inhabit their outdoor spaces, regardless of the weather. Over the years, through countless deck building projects, I’ve seen how much a well-designed outdoor space can improve daily life. But few innovations have redefined outdoor living quite like our motorized louvered roof…
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Why Seattle Homes Pair Solar Shades With Acrylic Covers
Homeowners in Seattle are certainly aware that as much as outdoor living offers a good stretch to unwind, there are various challenges. Enjoying the patio or deck to its full glee is often marred by rain showers, cloud cover and sprinkle of sunlight—and at times, a combination of all three. Functional improvements such as installing outdoor solar shades with acrylic patio covers do help to some degree.…
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3 Outdoor Upgrades That Instantly Make Your Home Feel Like a Resort
Let’s be honest—there’s nothing quite like stepping into a luxury resort. The calm atmosphere, stylish outdoor spaces, cozy lounge areas, and just the right amount of shade make it feel like every detail was designed with relaxation in mind. Now imagine bringing that same feeling home. The truth is, you don’t need a plane ticket or a weekend getaway to enjoy that kind of comfort. With a…
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5 Reasons to Choose a Motorized Pergola Over Traditional Patio Covers
When it comes to creating the perfect outdoor living space, choosing the right shade solution is key. Traditional patio covers have long been a popular choice, but modern homeowners are increasingly turning to motorized pergolas for their versatility and cutting-edge design. Here are five compelling reasons to choose a motorized pergola over a traditional patio cover. 1. Customizable Sunlight and Shade One of the biggest advantages of…
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How Much Does it Cost to Install a Louvered Pergola in Seattle?
As the name suggests, louvered roof systems are designed from the ground up to compliment your outdoor patio decoration and architecture. Unlike traditional covers, a louvered roof patio cover is motorized and uses an app to control the patio cover settings through your phone. The roof’s framing structure uses blinds or shutters with angled horizontal slats to regulate air and light while blocking out rain and direct…
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Home Remodeling with a Louvered Roof Twist
Is it time for a new home remodeling? Home remodeling projects can take a while and some homeowners decide to refresh their outdoor space while working on the interior of the house. Remodeling of fixing anything around your house is pretty uncomfortable. You can cook, can’t use your living room or bathroom until the project is done. That’s why some people decide to fix whatever needs to…
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Enjoy the Outdoors Year-Round with a Louvered Roof Deck
One of the best decisions that homeowners make is to invest in a new deck. It’s a fantastic project that enhances your quality of life in a variety of ways while also improving the value of your home. If you’ve been considering replacing an outdated deck or repairing an existing one, in this article you will find a good idea on how to add add a motorized louvered roof on…
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What is the Lifespan of a Louvered Pergola?
Enjoying the nice weather? Thanks to the innovative louvered Pergola systems in Seattle you can create an outdoor area where it is great to relax at any time of the day. Whether you choose louvered blades or a laminated awning fabric, this is the ultimate system for larger residential spaces and restaurant cafes. These systems can be used both as sun protection and inclement rain protection, with…
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Benefits of Installing a Louvered Roof in Seattle
Seattle is famous for Starbucks and overall coffee culture, grunge music scene, the Seahawks, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, headquarters of a lot of the tech industry (including both Amazon and Microsoft), hiking, kayaking, and general outdoors lifestyle (think REI). But that’s not all! Seattle is also know to be a rainy city. Seattle locals receive in an average of 151 cloudy days per year, with…