Flooring help for screened in porch

6 years ago

We are literally in the middle of building our porch. I keep changing my mind on the color of the floors and ceiling! It is a slab concrete because grade was too low to do a deck. We cannot afford tile and my husband is opposed to stained concrete. So vinyl plank flooring it is. We live in the mid-atlantic so have all 4 seasons. Its a pretty shady area but we do get some sun.

The photo is the existing wood floors in the family room and the gray stone being used for the patio. We have white french doors going from the family room into the screened in porch.

What color floors should we get in the porch? We will have beams to stain on the ceiling. Should they be stained the same color as the floor? I like a more rustic / farmhouse type of look but nothing too out there. We have kids so something that will hide dirt well. I also want to see a bevealed edge and the individual planks. Does anyone think cork backed is the way to go or not worth it in the space? Please be specific. Thank you! I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone.

Featured Answer

pink_peony

6 years ago

Is it really necessary to put a flooring down? How large is the porch? I'd invest in a large outdoor area rug that covers as much of the concrete floor and call it a day.

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Comments (16)

jillali
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

Here's a another photo of the family room floor. Obviously the second one was done with a flash. They typically look closer to the first picture depending on lighting.
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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
Ok...first things first: Is this a heated/air conditioned "living space"? Or is this going to be unheated space that is subject to the cold of winter and the heat of summer?
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jillali
Original Author
6 years ago
It’s a screened in porch. No windows. No heat or ac. Just a fan (which l still need to pick out).
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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
Ok...then vinyl plank flooring is OUT. No go. Not allowed. Waste of money. Only heartache will prevail. Don't even think about using an 'interior' product for an exterior space. Vinyl is SUPER PICKY about the environment it lives in. It can't handle cold. It can't handle hot. It can't handle direct sunlight. And any attempt to glue it down will fail - miserably and expensively.

A screened in porch = exterior product required. How about something like Dura Deck?
chiflipper
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
https://www.google.com/search?q=cement+stained+to+look+like+tiles&rlz=1C2SFXN_enUS501US542&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCr9r9xJfaAhVSSK0KHXGuBqwQ7AkIUw&biw=1111&bih=619

Lots of options in these photos of stained concrete.
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jillali
Original Author
6 years ago
How much is something like Dura Deck? Any other recommendations that are similar?

Stained concrete is too expensive and my husband doesn’t like it but I appreciate the thought.
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gtcircus
6 years ago
Has the concrete been poured? If no, then look at stamped concrete. If its been poured looked at acid etched concrete and then seal it.
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jillali
Original Author
6 years ago
Concrete was already poured.

It’s not totally necessary to put down flooring but I want it to look nice. It’s a screened room so would a carpet stay wet? Get moldy? It’s a pretty shaded area as well.

It’s a large room about 420 sq ft
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gracie01 zone5 SW of Chicago
6 years ago
You could paint it . Keep in mind that this room will be covered with pollen in spring, dust in summer and fall; snow blowing in in winter.
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gtcircus
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

If the concrete is already poured then get a large area rug which you can change out and hose down. Or look at acid etching the concrete to look like tile. This is why a good plan going in is preferable to fixes after the fact.
pink_peony
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
An outdoor rug is made to withstand the elements. We’ve had our polypropylene ones for several seasons. We rinsed them off and I’ve also scrubbed them down with dish soap then hosed them. We had them on screened porches for years.
btydrvn
6 years ago
What kind of finish does your concrete have?...what does hubby not like about stained concrete?...will attach a pic of our floors...used stain that was about $60 per gallon...just spread it around ...no expertise or experience needed...added a coat of sealer for shine...this was an indoor application and the green was not recommended for outdoor applications but the finish takes it up many notches from concrete...won’t peel off like paint and looks like a real stone floor....
btydrvn
6 years ago
This was an acid wash stain...
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jillali
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you everyone so far with all your input. We are learning lots from it.

Well we might do the tile now.... if we do go that route, what color or look do you recommend? Nothing too modern please
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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
Exterior grade tiles with a decent anti-slip rating. Everything must be to exterior grade materials. I love the look of a slate. And if given the choice, I prefer natural stone outside rather than tile. But that's just me.