Hey! We have a covered terrace off of our family room. It faces east. I was petrified of the room being dark, so our builder suggested skylights even though he thought it would be fine without them. We had them installed, and I do think they make the porch more "sunshiny." :) However, I think several other factors contribute to our kitchen, breakfast room, great room being light-filled much moreso than the skylights. First, even though our ceiling in the kitchen/great room is a standard 10' ceiling (no vault) the foyer which leads into the family is 2 story. It has a large window at the top, and our double front doors are 3/4 glass. Sunlight pours into the great room in the afternoon from them. Also, the study and formal dining room have cased openings that open into the back of the house. Finally, we have large windows in the breakfast room, kitchen, and my little office. These are south facing windows (and west, my office has windows on 2 walls.) plus, 3 glass doors to terrace. I think, looking at your plan, you'd be ok. Personally, I'd move that fireplace out of that corner and onto that left wall, then put in another set of doors or windows, but that is just a balance thing for me, probably not necessary for light. If you do get skylights, we haven't had any problem with them. The window cleaning company we use just charges them as another window. We could also easily access them ourselves from upstairs windows onto the porch roof. They really weren't that expensive, maybe $600 each? (or total, I can't remember, we have 2.) here are some pics: Back of house, showing terrace and roof Here is one skylight. Oh, and we painted the tongue and groove ceiling blue, which helps, too.

Phanthom screens can make and install large roll down screen walls. The large ones are motorized. Here are some of the specs. for the large roll down screens: * * * (cut and pasted from http://www.phantomscreens.com/products/execspecs.html) Executive features Fits most oversized applications Retracts out of sight when not in use Adaptable and versatile Remote controlled at the touch of a button Optional manual retraction system Complete ventilation Keeps pests at bay Enhances privacy Popular, designer colors Variety of screening and shading options to suit your needs Professional service and installation Limited Lifetime Warranty Adaptable to your needs Executive Motorized Screen Sizes Width ......... Pull Length 40" to 25' ..... 2' to 16' Executive Manual Screen Sizes* Width ......... Pull Length 18" to 19' ..... 2' to 11' *Not all mesh options are available in all sizes. A choice of colors Executive Screens are currently available in White, Brown, Almond, Bronze, Sandal Wood and Driftwood Beige. Classic White Rideau Brown Slivered Almond Bronze Sandal Wood Driftwood Beige A variety of options The Executive Screen has a variety of screening and shading options to enhance your home's unique features: Insect screen: Reduces up to 55% of UV rays and is recommended for large openings and to keep bugs out. Solar Screen: Blocks the sun's heat and glare by up to 75% while keeping pesky insects out. Premium Solar Screen: Offers substantial shading and reduces fading by blocking up to 80% of UV rays. Privacy Screen: A complete block-out material that provides up to 100% blockage of UV rays. Ideal for home theatre rooms. * * * Katy Here is a link that might be useful: Phanthom screens

Most that I have done have been the black fiberglass. It's cheapy & easier to install, however not as durable. al

"The contractor said it was structural..." I believe that what he really meant is that the way the rafters were cut did not pass code, and this is what fooled the inspector. Even with the loosest interpretation of the code, it does not look like it would pass. Apparently, because of height concerns, they convinced themselves that because a standard engineered truss only needs a 3.5" heel, they could do the same with a rafter. While it is true that trusses are made up of triangles, putting boards together to make a triangle does not make a truss. I do not know of any engineers that would dare to put their stamp on this as is.