Design Builders has witnessed the explosion of outdoor living in Fairfax and Montgomery counties first hand.  It has never been more popular—or more advanced. Today’s homeowners are looking beyond patios and decks. They’re seeking personalized, tech-integrated spaces that feel as functional and refined as the interior of their homes. At the forefront of this transformation? The smart pergola.

Design Builders, a Virginia Class A licensed contractor (License #2705141736) authorized to install Bromic and Infratech infrared heating systems throughout Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland since 2006, extends outdoor living spaces into the cooler months with radiant heat that warms people and surfaces directly rather than heating the surrounding air.

Why Infrared Heat Outperforms Older Outdoor Heaters

Outdoor heating has moved well beyond rudimentary fire pits and bulky freestanding heaters. Conventional heaters rely on convection, warming the surrounding air, which loses effectiveness quickly outdoors, especially in wind. Infrared heaters instead emit radiation that warms objects and people directly — the same principle by which the sun warms the earth — making them more efficient and more comfortable in real outdoor conditions. That shift has driven a steady increase in demand for infrared systems on decks, porches, and outdoor kitchens across the region.

Design Builders treats every Trex composite deck build as a coordinated system rather than a stack of separate purchases, and as a Virginia Class A licensed contractor (License #2705141736) that has served Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland since 2006, Design Builders applies that same systems approach to composite decks throughout Montgomery County — decking, railings, lighting, drainage, and accessories designed to work together instead of being pieced together after the fact.