Any way to keep rain off my screen porch (a little)?

15 years ago

We have a screen porch on the south side of our house. It has 2.5 foot knee-walls and the screen panels that extend to the ceiling. The problem is that we (obviously) get lots of rain on the porch with the right combination of wind and rain. I do try to dry it off, but we are already getting some floor damage due to standing water. I would like to find a way to keep the water out, and am envisioning some sort of pull-down shade that would clip at the bottom. I've seen this type of shade to keep the sun out - has anyone come across something that would work the same way for rain? Or does anyone have any other ideas to keep the screen porch puddle-free?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

ptor715

8 years ago

I saw on a cottage show on tv that a gazebo owner installed double screens (back to back) which prevented the rain from penetrating the gazebo. I researched this on line and could not find any reference to this. I am going to buy some screen and try it out on one of my gazebo walls. I hope it works and I hope you can still see clearly out.

I thought of another idea if the double screen does not work. You can buy clear heavy weight plastic at your local Fabric stores. It is sold in rolls just like a bolt of material. I believe it is sold in different widths, up to 60 inches wide or so. I thought of stapling the sheet of plastic on a 1 inch by 2 inch piece of wood to create a header or top. At the bottom staple a 2 inch X 2 inch piece of wood (the thicker piece of wood would be heavier creating a bit of weight to hold the blind down). Drill a hole on each end of the top header. Fasten a nail or screw in the interior of the gazebo (matching the holes you drilled in the header. Hook the blinds on the nails or screws. When you do not want to use the plastic blinds, you can simply remove them and roll them up by hand and store them. It would take seconds to install these blinds and it should stop the rain from coming in. If you have strong winds in your area, you can fasten the bottom of the blinds using wing nuts.

Just a thought..... Cheaper than installing window screens. Also once you install window screens on a screen porch or gazebo it does not feel the same anymore...

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

decker173
15 years ago
What sort of floor do you have that it is damaged. Please don't say it's plywood with carpet.
kjboggs
15 years ago
I am interested in the same thing. My covered deck is open with vinyl railings, and a tongue and groove garapa floor. Even with 2' overhang, one end gets pretty wet when the wind blows the right way. I have thought about glass, canopies, or other relatively inexpensive options our there.

I was hoping to find a type of screen that would stop rain better than others, but I dont think such a thing exists??
Related Discussions
How can I keep earthworms off my porch?
Q
Comments (12)
I think I would wet/dry vac them up before they dried. Try plugging up the drain holes with someting that will allow water to drain like bronze wool, landscape fabric or similar. More likely they are crawling under the sliding door sills. Caulk the track at the slab. Make an effort to see how they are getting in. Take a beer or glass of wine and spend some recon time on your patio when it rains. I thing John was thinking to attract birds that also might eat the worms. A chicken or 2 would probably have a feast & learn where to go when it rains for the treat.
...See More
Now my cute screen porch is sad...
Q
Comments (17)
Our porch screens/windows are similar to yours. If the day is not too cold and is not windy and the sun is shining, it is very pleasant there for well into the heating season. Our porch is on the side of the house so we put up a large tree decorated with little white lights and all my nature and gardening ornaments. We also decorate the rest of the space for Christmas. The tree can be seen from the street and when we entertain we open the door from the house and use two space heaters. There are always people on the porch looking at the tree and enjoying some hot cider that we serve on the porch. If it happens to be snowing, we turn on the out side lights and it is beautiful looking out. Enjoy your porch for as long as possible. Linda
...See More
Any possible way to install an ipe porch over concrete cap?
Q
Comments (12)
Wonderful! But don't bless us until after the job has been declared a success! We're going to stick with our 5/4x4 recommendation. Historically porches are usually x4 as well. It is a little "busier", but two weeks after install you won't notice or think about it. (Along with the bathroom faucets, door knobs and everything else it's so easy to hyper focus on when building a new home... this comes from personal experience) All the following jobs Miami/Bahamas/Sarasota/Palm Springs were slapped down on grade and the customers (against recommendation) went with 5/4x6 and it worked out ok.... but those are your dice to roll. Spacers definitely aren't going to hurt anything. The more height you can squeeze out of it the better off you will be. The fascia board.... its both a drainage and ventilation issue. I would defer to a builder and code on this one, but intellectually here's the logic. If you bring up the stone right to the bottom edge of the deckboards then drill weep holes you're basically closing in the edge of the porch tight with little room for airflow with the exception of the weep holes. Instead, if you bring the stone up to the edge of the concrete then extend your porch and sleepers just a little beyond the edge of the concrete/stone then have a fascia board (like in the photo you posted from Dalrymple Sallis Architecture) the air will flow up behind the board then under the deck for the entire length of the face of the porch instead of just at the weep holes. Additionally, though probably not necessary, it would also afford you the opportunity to add vents into the fascia. Not very aesthetically pleasing, but if you're planning on adding landscaping in front like bushes/shrubs then they may end up hidden anyway......
...See More
Any way to keep hawks from nesting in my yard?
Q
Comments (80)
I have a pocket of oak trees in my front yard that is home to many creatures. We had a hawk in our tree one year and that bird was such a messy, wasteful eater- dead birds and squirrels everywhere. I put up an eagle decoy and moved it around but it didn’t do much. The hawks moved to the neighbor across the street the next year. And then to the neighbor next door after that. IDK if it’s the same bird or maybe there’s more than one bird/family. They do flybys and hunt in my yard but they dont live in it anymore. I thoroughly enjoy watching this little microcosm of forest life...most times. The kids were yelling one day to come look at the window. A heron was in my little backyard pond and was eating my fish like it was a buffet.
...See More
carajon
Original Author
15 years ago
No - not plywood and carpet! The floors are mahogany. The damage is not extreme - really just to the finish. I just don't want it to get worse...
User
15 years ago
Interior shutters?
carajon
Original Author
15 years ago
Interior shutters - I hadn't thought of that. I'd love to see photos if anyone has installed these...
minneapolis
15 years ago
When I bought an 1894 Victorian house in 1966, the 8' x 12' three-sided screened porch (east, south and north) had 2.5 foot knee-walls, with screen panels that extended to the ceiling. It also had one-inch slat (pine stained dark green) rollup blinds on all three sides, with the exception of the screen door. These were not spring-loaded roller blinds but were operated via cords running though two small pulleys at the top of each blind. The cords were cotton, and only one wore out and broke in the 26 years I lived in the house.

When the blinds were locked in the rolled-up position, the excess cording was wound around marine-style X brackets screwed into the pillars between the screen panels. Such brackets were also located further down on the wall, near the floor, for anchoring the blinds so they didn't blow in during a windstorm.

Minneapolis gets some volatile thunderstorms in summer, but if somebody was home to roll down the shades when one hit, nothing inside the porch ever got wet. And I had an upholstered wicker sofa and chairs, with lots of down-filled throw pillows.

The floor was painted wood, re-painted once or twice over the years with deck paint. I put an excellent quality sisal rug down, and if it ever did get wet it didn't matter.
User
7 years ago
I found a terrific solution on the web..called porchkeepers ..they have marine grade vynal ROLL UP blinds made to fit any opening. my husband and I just eclose a 19 x 12 area of our covered deck off the house attached go our pool deck. we built a 45" knee wall all around with tounge & groove siding and used 2 solid vynal georgian style screen doors on a barn door railing system. I built a beautiful double swing bed to hang on the deck for nap times for grandbabies and I cant have it get wet either, I debated laying ceramic tile in the area but really prefer carpetinc. our screened areas are 12' x 3' on both sides and 6' x3' oj front facing pool wall, plus the 2 screen doors and they make blinds for the screen doors as well. It may be so money to get but we r in our mid 50's and we have a lot of bone breaking time in it now and saved alot by doing it ourselves so splurging on keepin it dry will deff be worgh it. im envisioning the first rainfall on the swing bed with my 2 grandbabies now. porchkeepers worth a look!
PRO
Brennan Enterprises
7 years ago
Discover how a patio cover can not only protect your deck, but also ensure that your enjoy the outdoors no matter the time of year.
janthousand
4 years ago
I sure wish I could give you the name of my exterior remote controlled covering to my screen in porch. Purchased our home and they were already installed and no information. But keep the weather out completely. Hard driving rain, snow etc., I keep them lowered for the sun also. The remote is somfy maybe that will help
K P
4 years ago
Has anyone heard of / used “Isinglass” roller shades by Porch Enclosure Systems (PES)? If so feedback appreciated

We’re building a home w/a Screened in Porch & looking for a way in the Fall / Winter to retain the heat from a wood burning stove in the Porch. Supposedly these are marine grade / clear blinds that can be pulled down to block pollen & rain... plus retain the interior heat.
smcwillie
4 years ago
I haven't used this product yet, but am considering it. https://ezstormpanels.com/

They say it's a custom removable vinyl window that makes it waterproof inside.
Ilene Weiss
4 years ago
You can buy waterproof outdoor curtains, which may be an easy solution.

Any way to keep rain off my screen porch (a little)?

ptor715

Comments (13)

decker173

kjboggs

Related Discussions

carajon
Original Author

User

carajon
Original Author

minneapolis

User

Brennan Enterprises

janthousand

K P

smcwillie

Ilene Weiss

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Any way to keep rain off my screen porch (a little)?

Comments (13)

Related Discussions

carajonOriginal Author

carajonOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

carajon
Original Author

carajon
Original Author