Fix an ugly and poorly constructed screened in porch

2 years ago

Hi All. I have a screened in porch. It is one of my favorite places but it is a mess in terms of how it was constructed. The finish/trim work is shoddy and it's a b**tch to maintain. I've had two contractors tell me they think that it's fine structurally, but that to make it look better, it would be cheaper to tear it down and start over...at a cost of $60,000 which is way out of budget. My goal is to make it easier to maintain (single mom of three) and 'cleaner' looking. Currently it has vinyl sliding windows which I'm not a fan of. A Styrofoam airplane took out the top one within months of moving in. (see pic) I'm perfectly happy with just screens.
So, I'm wondering - if I remove the vinyl windows, bulky tracks, and excess trim and rescreen, is there a way to cover all of the wood posts and beams with pvc, vinyl...? I'm also thinking I could remove the wood beadboard on the ceiling and replace that with pvc panels as well. I'm fairly handy and not afraid of putting in some sweat equity but wrapping this beast, if that's even possible, is way above my pay grade. What would you do to neaten up this space and make it easier to maintain? Thanks in advance! (Please ignore the furniture that's strewn about and the gross ceiling fan.)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

party_music50
2 years ago
What is it that requires constant maintenance? That one broken/missing trim piece could be repaired, but otherwise it looks like all it needs is a fresh coat of paint.
Dana
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you for your response. The mold/mildew on the wood surfaces are there every year. To get it ready for the season I have to scrub every surface including the ceiling. I do realize paint would help but I would be painting yearly. I simply don't have time for that. Ultimately I'd like to be able to take a hose or pressure washer to it on a regular basis instead. Also, the trim pieces were added after they realized they measured wrong. I can't bring that angled 2x4 up because it hits the frame around the window. There are multiple examples of poor workmanship like this one.
Related Discussions
Anyone with a screened porch?
Q
Comments (6)
Carole, I'm in a northwest suburb of Columbus and we have a screen porch almost the exact same size as yours. When we bought this house 11 years ago it already had a screened porch that was in bad shape. When we decided to replace it 8 years ago (total rip our and replace) we got several estimates (be prepared to be shocked). The original porch had screen clear to the floor but we wanted a 12-18" knee wall so that the dog and kids wouldn't kick through the screen but we could still have a good view of the yard. Well, after the contractor (who also is a building inspector for a nearby city) had the floor, kneewall and wall framing in, our city building inspectors came out (they did this at least 8 times during the process) and said that the kneewall would have to be at least 3' high because the floor is over 4' above ground level. Since we live along the river, our yard is very hilly and drops dramatically in the back. So, with the 3' kneewall we can't see most of our yard when sitting down. Make sure that you know what the city will and will not allow BEFORE you start building to avoid issues like this. We had the outside of the kneewall and the roofline sided to match the house so it looks as if it was built with the house. And since the city inspected so much, it should stand for quite a while (they required pillars buried in 3 feet of concrete every 4' apart We went with just the screens and a regular screen door to the outside. Since the room backs up to the family room, there are sliding doors to enter it. The screens are individual screens in frames that can be removed and could be replaced with glass later. Also, there is at least 6" of space between the interior wall and the siding that could be insulated if we wanted to make it a 3 season room later. I do enjoy being able to avoid the mosquitos at night and sit outside and listen to the birds. I couldn't live without one now. We restain the interior every 3-4 years. For winter, all I do is move my furniture to the middle and cover it with plastic. That's worked so far. I'll take some pictures and email them later.
...See More
New screened porch and no eaves
Q
Comments (4)
This is an awkward after the fact position for a buyer to be in. You really should have brought it up to the carpenters attention during construction. I'm not taking his side, rather just pointing out what I feel he'll have to offer. Roof overhang is most likely not mentioned in your agreement (contract) and is probably not referred to on the final plan. For your sake I hope it is because my guess is he'll use this as an out to not come back and redo it without additional charges. Most homes and covered porches are constructed with 12 to 18 inches of overhang. However, some homes and porches are constructed with zero overhang. Without roof overhang being specifically mentioned in the contractual agreement or referred to on the final plan there's nothing binding him to be obligated to construct the improvement to include it. It's probably not what you wanted to hear. I'm just giving you my .02 See Ya, Kelly
...See More
Porch window WeatherMaster Sunspace vs Ez screen vs Eze breeze
Q
Comments (85)
I looked at all the vinyl window options and came across energy wise manufacturing out of Schullber, WI. I could not be happier w this product! I have been wanting a screened in porch for many years, but could not justify the cost if it was not used "most" of the year. I live in Richmond, VA where we have mild winters and it is not uncommon to have sunny 60 degree days in Dec/Jan/Feb. These windows create a "greenhouse effect" and allows me to enjoy my screened in porch most of the year. Alot of people thought this idea was crazy - but I am glad I stuck with it and found a company that makes them and was willing to ship them to me. Besides for retaining heat in the winter, I really enjoy the fact that the room stays clean from dust and pollen most of the time. Some people balked at the idea of taking them in and out, and also storing them. But for me it’s worth the trade off. The shipping cost is high ($300.00) especially in my case bc my window openings were SO LARGE (60 X 66). An added bonus is that the shipping container acts as a heavy duty storage container for the windows when not in use. I store the container under my deck. Eugene is a great guy and extremely responsive to his customers! This a unique product and for people who don’t mind the effort, it is the perfect solution to get more use out of a screened in porch. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
...See More
Would like to add screen porch...
Q
Comments (11)
Klem, You know, when I brought this idea to my Dad he said "buy a new house". Since this would be the first project of it's kind that I'll have done, I'm also probably underestimating complexities. I like the idea of a screened in front porch and see even a small area that could accommodate it, I'm just trying to make it a reality, yet the more people I talk to, the fewer think I should do it or it should be done. I perhaps should have pursued a permit to see if the city would even allow it, but I really want to see if my idea itself is possible, not necessarily if it is allowed. Kind of a validation thing. Maybe one day I'll seek out a contractor because this is sounding like a bit of a heavier project than I initially thought/hoped. Millworkman, If I had ever figured out how to build it, I would pursue a permit. Maybe that's the opposite of how it should be done...?
...See More
HU-187528210
2 years ago
The room has so much potential!! I love it! Is the ceiling wood? Or vinyl?
If it’s wood I think I’d sand it and add a clear coat to it. Or maybe remove what’s there and add wood. So it can last...
I also cannot tell if my next suggestion would make sense because I only see 2 walls. And I also don’t know your style. But I think taking a French cafe look into here would be beauty!
And with that I’d tile the walls with something you love. This way you can spray and wipe easily.
I’d also remove and replace the fan with a new one.
Great great space!! So excited to see it transformed
beesneeds
2 years ago
If you have mold/mildew, you could still paint and not have to repaint every year. Do a serious deep clean first to kill the stuff as throughly as possible, then follow up with priming well with exterior primer meant for mold/mildew. There's a few really good brands that offer this. Follow up with a good painting with paint also meant for exterior mold/mildew. If you do a good job of it, you might not need to repaint every year.

What condition is the roof in, and the sealing around they skylights? What condition are those large windows in, how old are they?
millworkman
2 years ago
Bare wood wood will need more maintenance then properly prepared and painted wood. Of course in some cases it is lipstick on a pig. If the trim work is it is as bad as you state (the pictures do not show it as that awful), then by all means get someone in to repair/redo this before painting. Good quality oil based primer/sealer over prepared surface and quality exterior paint should hold up more than one year for sure.
Dana
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you for all of the feedback.

HU-187528210 - I hadn't considered tile. Thank you for the suggestion and for making me appreciate what I DO have and not the imperfections.

Beesnees - I hadn't considered the type of paint. Perhaps the right prep and the right paint would help. It's possible the previous owner used interior paint.

The roof leaks terribly. I'm getting a new roof on the main part of the house so this will be done as well... Assuming I decide to put lipstick on a pig and work with what I have. I'm debating on keeping the skylights because they all seem to leak eventually. Here are a few more pics of the finish work.
Sandy V
2 years ago
We had French doors including the surrounding wood on a back patio area that was mainly shaded. It would get mildew/mold every year and cleaning with bleach and using Kilz was only a temporary fix. It returned every year.

A painter friend told us in order to kill the mold it required a higher concentrate of bleach. He said Lowes sold it. Who knew??? We used that bleach, painted with Kilz and then another paint layer. We never had mold after that.
Dana
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks Sandy V! That's helpful to know the concentration is important.
PRO
toddinmn
2 years ago
I’d concentrate on replacing the roof first and would consider replacing the skylights Since it is much more diffiv to do do later.
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
2 years ago
I would wrap and trim everything out with composite material.
Dana
Original Author
2 years ago
GN Builders - Do you do work in northern Delaware?
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
2 years ago
Hi Dana, unfortunately, no, I'm located in NJ.

Fix an ugly and poorly constructed screened in porch

Comments (12)

party_music50

Dana
Original Author

Related Discussions

HU-187528210

beesneeds

millworkman

Dana
Original Author

Sandy V

Dana
Original Author

toddinmn

GN Builders L.L.C

Dana
Original Author

GN Builders L.L.C

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Fix an ugly and poorly constructed screened in porch

Comments (12)

DanaOriginal Author

Related Discussions

DanaOriginal Author

DanaOriginal Author

DanaOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Dana
Original Author

Dana
Original Author

Dana
Original Author

Dana
Original Author