Screened-in porch advice?
juleecat
12 years ago
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cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
12 years agojustgotabme
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Need Screened Porch advice
Comments (15)Mythak, I have much the same situation as you in that my proposed screened-porch roof will be above two windows, reducing light to the affected rooms. My contractor will install skylights in the roof above the two windows. I, like you, spent a year trying to figure out all the possibilities while keeping the cost down. I spent hours with graph paper just trying to see how my wicker furniture and tables and chairs could be arranged in this-sized or that-sized porch. Like you, I couldn't imagine how my roof line(s) could be accommodated. Once I talked to contractors, it became apparent most of my "dreaming" was a waste of time. Clearly, a 16' x 16' porch was the answer, making the furniture question moot. The roof line(s) problem wasn't a problem at all. Unless you're familiar with all the ins and outs of construction and code, I heartily recommend you call in contractors and get bids if you're still living without a screened porch and unsure about the location of it. I have never heard of a contractor charging for this service. (In the year since you posted, the housing-market collapsed, leaving many contractors without their usual workload--and very competitive.) Once I started talking to pros with informed answers, a great sense of relief came over me. The project became exciting, not stressful. Fear of the unknown is the worst, and ignorance is not bliss. In the meantime, you can prepare yourself to communicate with/understand contractors by using the internet to familiarize yourself with construction terminology and options you might have in the way of building materials, screening, etc. As one who lives in Minnesota, where the state bird is the mosquito, I would never take the suggestion of likesdoilies to place the porch on the back side of the deck. You do not want to have to carry food, drinks, etc. to and from the porch in the rain, leaving mosquitoes into the porch and sunroom whenever their doors are opened--rain or shine. And juggling the same while opening and closing two doors would be a nightmare. As for using clear polycarbonate sheeting over pergola beams as birgit was doing last April, no building inspector hereabouts would allow it. A contractor who knows your local building code might suggest you remove that particular idea from your "dream factory." Unless your deck is sub code/not substantial enough to underpin your porch, using it would be a huge money saver. And you've already got a door to it--knocking out an exterior wall just to access a new space is expensive even if the interior of the wall isn't brick. Skylights are far less expensive than starting to build from ground up. And remember, you have one side of your sunroom, with its four windows, to provide light to that room. Your roof line is a piece of cake compared with mine; unless I'm mistaken, the answer is a simple shed roof. I've had screened porches, three-sided sunrooms, gazebos, pegolas and patios in the many houses I've lived in during my 70+ years on Earth. I'm sure you, who have six months of mosquitoes as opposed to my three, would agree that nothing beats a screened porch and the sensation it gives of being out of doors--but without mosquitoes. Columbusgardener would, like me, use the deck as a subfloor for the screened porch but would want to have a patio built, too. I say, What for? I and, I suspect, you, would never use it. Perhaps columbusgardener has never experienced the joy of a screened porch. Good luck!...See MoreScreened Porch Advice
Comments (1)You have listed some good points to consider, especially the overhang. I am still building my screened in porch, and I listed a link below that you can see a picture of the ceiling. We used 3/4 TG Fir for the ceiling and soffits and kept the wood natural color with a sealant. On the floor, we used TG IPE, however it sounds like that would require you to replace the whole floor. Ken http://wedman.smugmug.com/gallery/2116403#123006690...See MoreAdvice on three- or four-season (or screened-in) porches
Comments (12)Thanks for the eze breeze tip, scrappy. I did some searching and they look like a promising option! Some people complained that the windows had no R value and thus didn't work great for keeping plants through the winter. (All we would do would be herbs, I think.) But it sounds like you and your company were able to stay very comfortable, regardless of the windows' lack of insulation. With the space heater, how long into the winter can you use the room? We've only lived here for a few months, littlebug and lavender_lass, so we're still figuring out traffic patterns. Right now this side door is our main avenue to the car / outside, but that might change to our back door once we redo our kitchen and mudroom. (Thanks again, lavender_lass, for your advice over on the kitchen forums!) I'd want to keep a pathway on this new porch, either way, so the most you could probably do would be a couple chairs OR a sofa and a table for herbs. There's not a ton of space, and I agree that that might mean it's not worth glassing in. I'm still stumped, I guess. Maybe the best option would be to frame the openings, staple on some cheap screens, and add a Habitat Restore screen door -- then we can see how we like it as a screened porch. But we could also frame the windows with the idea that we might add single-pane windows in the future. That way the conversion wouldn't create too much extra work. klem1, I appreciate your suggestions on how to make the glassing in work. I hadn't really thought about shades but you're right -- they could allay a lot of my worries about the summer heat....See MoreScreened in Porch -- advice?
Comments (11)We built a screened porch on the back or our house in St Louis many years ago. Yes, pollen was a problem, but not on the screens. The porch was screen (copper) attached to posts with beading covering the raw edges. Dust from the yard, especially after mowing, was also a problem. I adore having a screened in porch but must admit that the daily dusting/keeping it clean is a real bother. ALL outdoor areas are a bother! I see all these pictures in catalogs of outdoor furniture (Frontgate etc), and all those white cushions on all that furniture, and all I can think is I hope they have daily help to keep it all clean enough to actually be able to sit on it. I have a beautiful terrace in back but rarely use it as all the tables and chairs must be cleaned before each use. At my age, I don't have the strength. It get used when DS and his children come to visit and I send one of them out to clean it before dinner. I wish I lived in a climate where an English Conservatory was practical as then I could see my garden and enjoy the sunshine in the winter, without all the dirt. I have a friend in NJ who has one - very, very impractical and in the midwest, one would roast to death in the summer....See Moreamysrq
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