Porch of the Week: Comfy, Low-Maintenance Space Used Year-Round
Movable vinyl windows and a heater extend an Atlanta-area family’s porch season through the winter months
This Atlanta-area family was eager to expand its living space in a way that would allow it to connect with the outdoors while relaxing with friends and family. “Our goal was to bring the comfort of the indoors outside in a unique, low-maintenance space that we could use all year round,” homeowner Kevin Patel says.
Kevin and his wife, Urvi, worked with Gert van Rooyen of Iroko Properties to design and build a screened-in porch to replace an existing deck. Large screened openings let in the breeze and provide expansive views, while vinyl windows allow the homeowners to seal up the space during inclement weather and pollen season. These windows, two ceiling fans and a heater mean porch season for the Patels can last all year long.
Kevin and his wife, Urvi, worked with Gert van Rooyen of Iroko Properties to design and build a screened-in porch to replace an existing deck. Large screened openings let in the breeze and provide expansive views, while vinyl windows allow the homeowners to seal up the space during inclement weather and pollen season. These windows, two ceiling fans and a heater mean porch season for the Patels can last all year long.
After: The new porch measures 24 by 16 feet and a small deck on the right was left open for grilling. Van Rooyen poured a new concrete slab to support the structure and stipulated 6-by-6-inch supports spaced 5½ to 6 feet apart. He planned these structural elements so they could support a fully enclosed two-story addition in the future if necessary.
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Inside, the space is an entertainer’s dream, complete with a fireplace, lounge, dining table and bar. The homeowners completed the interior design, choosing the furniture and a lot of the finishes themselves. “To reflect our aesthetic choices, we opted for a design that leveraged modern materials and a modern color palette, blending in natural elements such as open wood rafters and a live-edge black walnut mantel for warmth,” Patel says. Clean, modern lines mix with the organic materials of the accessories and wood tabletops.
Van Rooyen transformed the 6-by-6-inch support posts that extend from the ground to the roof into a lovely design feature in the space by wrapping them in anodized aluminum. The windows are attached to these posts.
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Van Rooyen transformed the 6-by-6-inch support posts that extend from the ground to the roof into a lovely design feature in the space by wrapping them in anodized aluminum. The windows are attached to these posts.
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Creating a low-maintenance space was important to the Patels, so van Rooyen used durable materials like exterior siding on the ceiling and the wall on the right and a waterproof wood-look luxury vinyl tile on the floor. “We wanted a high-durability product capable of sustaining temperature variation that would also be comfortable to walk on barefoot,” Patel says. While the room is highly durable, it also has all the sophistication of a beautifully finished interior space.
The Patels opted for a linear electronic fireplace. They also picked out a 3D tile with a wavy pattern for the fireplace surround.
The Patels opted for a linear electronic fireplace. They also picked out a 3D tile with a wavy pattern for the fireplace surround.
The retractable windows are from Amazing EZ-Screen Porch Windows. The clear vinyl windows keep out rain, wind, snow and pollen when closed and let in the breeze when open. Paired with a heater in the ceiling, they allow the family to use the porch year-round. “The windows are also very durable — a kid could run into one and it would contract and then bounce back,” van Rooyen says.
The bottom panel of each window is fixed, and the rest of the panels lower and stack next to the fixed panels to let in the breeze. The windows are screened.
The bottom panel of each window is fixed, and the rest of the panels lower and stack next to the fixed panels to let in the breeze. The windows are screened.
Behind the screens, van Rooyen installed steel cable railings to keep the views as open as possible. They fit right into the design, almost disappearing into the windows.
Exposing the stained 2-by-6-inch yellow pine rafters added another natural element that warms the modern room. Van Rooyen covered the ceiling in fiber cement exterior siding. This product is durable, waterproof, low-maintenance and resembles shiplap. “My clients wanted a slightly more rustic look than tongue-and-groove paneling,” he says.
On the wall on the right, van Rooyen used fiber cement smooth siding panels. “This looks like drywall but it’s waterproof and much more durable,” he says. The clients opted for exterior fiber cement trim pieces painted black atop the panels. These nod to the aluminum-covered support posts around the other three sides of the porch.
This bar is temporary, holding a place for a wet bar. The homeowners intend to add plumbing for a bar sink here in the future.
Speaking of the future, van Rooyen designed the structure so the porch and the area beneath it could be fully enclosed, insulated and climate-controlled. The support structure and the foundation strength of the slab can support a two-story, fully enclosed addition. It would also be relatively easy to hook such an addition into the home’s heating and cooling system. With this design, insulation batting could be run between the 12-inch joists under the deck, and the HVAC system could run through the lower level to the porch and a room beneath it.
For now, his clients prefer that the new living space have more of an indoor-outdoor feel. But this kind of forward-thinking planning allows for flexibility and would avoid a lot of construction waste should their needs change. Also, if they decide to sell at some point, the house should appeal to a wider range of buyers.
For now, his clients prefer that the new living space have more of an indoor-outdoor feel. But this kind of forward-thinking planning allows for flexibility and would avoid a lot of construction waste should their needs change. Also, if they decide to sell at some point, the house should appeal to a wider range of buyers.
The glass door on the left leads to the kitchen and breakfast room. The door off the porch on the right leads to the small deck.
Van Rooyen left enough room on the open deck for a small grilling area. He also came up with something new for the stairs.
Before: On the existing deck, the stairs took up too much horizontal space.
After: The Patels wanted access from the deck to the backyard and wanted the stairs fully contained within the patio area. Van Rooyen relocated the stairs and used a space-saving spiral staircase. He created a beautiful transition between the straight line of the porch railing and the staircase’s handrail. This gave the design a seamless and cohesive look.
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Here’s a closer look at the spiral staircase.
On the exterior, van Rooyen installed a ledgestone tile behind the fireplace. It creates a connection between the house and the landscape. The Patels are very happy to have an outdoor retreat where they can come together with friends and family and relax.
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Read more stories about porches
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Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: Kevin and Urvi Patel and their two daughters
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Size: 384 square feet (36 square meters); 24 by 16 feet
Designer and builder: Gert van Rooyen of Iroko Properties
Before: The home had a deck off the kitchen that the Georgia climate had warped, cracked and faded. The bay windows on the right mark where any new deck or porch would need to end.