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Porches & Decks

Help, Want to make Screened porch into 3 Season Rm.

15 years ago

Our home has a screened in porch, we want to make it into a three season room. It has electrical and insulation in the ceiling. The porch is on pillars with a regular deck flooring. Sunroom companies are so expensive. We thought we would try to do it ourselves. We thought we could put a wall unit in it for heat and cooling, plus we would like to get fresh air. Any ideas? This room will house our two male cats. Help

Thanks, Svenskagirl

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Comments (3)

deckman22
15 years ago
That seems to be a doable deal & not very hard, but if you can't figure it out on your own you're probably better off hiring a contractor.

Al
blanche65
15 years ago
As you probably already know, you have plenty of options. You can try adding panels that can be removed when you want fresh air again. If you're willing to spend more, you can have it enclosed more permanently and get a longer season, in which case you might want to include sliders and windows to allow for a "breeze" when the weather is right. You might also want to include a ceiling fan. And don't forget, you will want to cover any gaps in the flooring. I had a porch enclosed last year, and I found that sliders, windows or french doors were worth the expense for the flexibility. Speaking of flexibility, I avoided the "sunroom companies" because I knew what I wanted and they offered very little real flexibility.

If you told us more about your current porch and your priorities, also where you live, maybe we could be of more help.
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Thanks PG. I do like the look of the awning windows and the fact that they can block the rain if left open when we are not home. The crank open windows I was trying to describe in my original question are called casement windows I believe. Are these also recommended for sunrooms/porches? I guess a severe storm that is blowing the rain sideways can cause water to get inside through casement windows though. Are casements typically cheaper or more expensive then awning windows? The other option would be sliding windows although again the protection from rain when we are not home is not there. Thanks!
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What kind of setup do you have? Do the screens stay year round and the storms are interior? That's kind of what it looks like. Depending on how snug the current storms are... you can use weather stripping around the edge to make the storm snug into frame. Screw small handles into the sides of the storm frame to make it easier to push and pull the storm in place. You might want two on each side, the windows look kinda big from the pic. Drill a few small holes into the sides and bottom of your sill- use wooden pegs to hold the storm in place during winter. You can also do this with barrel bolts and include the top of the frame, using the bolts on the window and holes in the sills. Or for a much more attractive look, use casement locks.
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theporchguy
15 years ago
Build a perimeter 32" high knee wall. 2x4 - 16" OC, insulate sheat and side the outside. You can use many different types of interior wall applications.
Install replacement windows in between your posts on top of the new knee wall. Three season.

The PorchGuy

Here is a link that might be useful: My album

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