What You Need to Know When You fabricate a Screened Porch

Respected scientists have, through painstaking research, discovered that a particular mosquito can lift 10 times its own weight. This means of course, that it takes a mere 11,253,534 mosquitoes to grab, lift, and fly away with an average-sized toy poodle.

Alarming as that may seem, it is not nearly as scary as the fact that 11,253,534 is also the exact number of mosquitoes contained within a cubic meter of mid-summer air found in the typical Midwestern backyard. Which is authentically why those same respected scientists invented the screened porch.

Patio Design

In temperate climates, flying insects can make the enjoyment of warm summer nights very difficult. Americans spend a great deal on money on varied methods of repelling the buzzing vampires. We spend even more money on decks and patios only to find their use little by the local bug population. And that's exactly why so many homeowners make a screened porch an indispensable part of their house.

My clients often ask me whether a screened porch or a "Florida" or "three-season" room is more approved for outdoor living in the Midwest. They're very separate kinds of spaces; a three-season room is much more than just a screened porch with windows.

Building codes typically need any enclosed space that is capable of being heated and cooled to meet all of the requirements of indoor living space. That means going beyond basic structural stability: a room enclosed with walls and glass must be insulated, heated, in case,granted with sufficient natural and/or synthetic lighting, fitted with the permissible estimate of electrical outlets, and meet mechanical energy codes.

A screened porch, however, is considered to be outdoor living space and need only be structurally sound. As long as it isn't high sufficient off of the ground to need a railing, few other code demands are made. There's a cost difference, too, since a screened porch requires fewer trades and far less material to build. It's a relatively cheap way to add living space and increase the enjoyment of your yard and orchad into the spring and fall.

But the true satisfaction of a screened porch is the feeling of being outside, without the rain, blazing sun, or bugs. That's an experience that isn't felt in even the most very glazed "Florida rooms". It's a base mistake to overdo a screened porch, to add more columns than indispensable or to setup a half-height wall around the perimeter. Whatever that creates corporal or optic disjunction in the middle of the inside and face erodes the illusion. The best screened porches are as transparent as possible.

Finding just the right location for a screened porch can be tough, especially on narrow suburban lots. In most cases, the screened porch should be related to another family conference area and close to the kitchen, with views of a yard or garden. But how to do that without blocking the views from other rooms? Again, transparency is the key. Make the screens as big as possible and the ceiling high, add a skylight or two, and you'll still have a good view from inside the house.

Materials for a screened porch should be chosen first for architectural compatibility with the house, and second for durability. If the porch is to be painted, make sure to choose a species and grade of wood that will hold paint well. Cedar, redwood, and other Western softwoods are excellent for paint adhesion. Cedar and redwood are also known for their natural resistance to insects and rot.

Other options for the porch's frame contain pressure-treated lumber and some recently introduced simulated wood products made from varying proportions of post-consumer recycled plastics and waste wood fibers. These "polymer-lumber" materials offer excellent rot and insect resistance, and eventually weather to a pleasing gray color.

The screens themselves can be made of metal or plastic screening. Plastic screening is normally the best choice, offering rust resistance, light weight, and durability. And although the screens can be attached directly to the porch frame, a "pre-framed" screen theory allows for easy transfer and cleaning by naturally removing the whole screen and frame as a particular unit. A local screen contractor will portion the existing openings and build the pre-framed screens to fit.

A well-designed and well-built screened porch adds value, function, character, and enjoyment to a home. It can get you a little more in touch with the outdoors, and give you another calculate to keep the orchad weeded. It can also get the bug zapper out of your yard -- and save you a small fortune on citronella.

What You Need to Know When You fabricate a Screened Porch