Screen porches are an excellent tradeoff for the homeowner who loves the outdoor elements, but want to be sheltered from direct sunlight, rain and pesky summertime bugs. Screen porches have the ability to offer an indoor atmosphere with having the ability to be outside when it is raining, or full sunshine with a slight breeze to make you comfortable.
Construction of a screen porch is pretty much like a 3-4 season room, with the elimination of windows, a heating and cooling source, and insulation.
- The flooring material should be a typical decking, such as treated wood, vinyl or composite material, so in the event there would be a driving rain and the floor absorbs moisture, the flooring will be more resistant. (The floor of a screened porch can also be a solid surface such as concrete sitting on a continuous footer)
- Typically, the walls are constructed with a 2x substrate, which could consist of treated wood 2x4’s, cedar 2x4’s, and even a vinyl 2x4 profile. Usually these walls are not weight bearing, meaning they do not support the roof. These substrates primary function is to support the screen system being used.
- Railing is often still used, but not always required per local building codes. In the event a homeowner has pets, mainly dogs, a railing system can help prolong the life of the screen material.
- The ceilings are mostly finished with a vinyl soffit material, or a wood tongue and groove product made from pine or cedar. Ceiling fans, can lights (recessed lighting), track lighting, electrical outlets, and cable for TV are very popular selections for finishing touches to the new room.
- For the homeowner that enjoys sitting in the sun, adding a small deck off to the side of the screen porch is very economical. This space can be utilized for multiple uses; sun tanning, grilling, adding an outdoor kitchen with granite countertops, refrigerator and built in grill combo finished with veneer stone or hardi board siding! This added deck off to the side option allows the best of both worlds.
- The open portion of the project between the ground and the frame structure, can be closed off with several different options;
- Solid treated wood decking, installed horizontally or vertically. When this application is used on a project that is low to the ground, it is highly advised to install a “venting system” such as lattice panels, or a gap in-between the boards when they are installed, to allow the space below the floor to breathe.
- Stone veneer
- Lattice, either vinyl or wood
Planning your new room with Stellar Construction is typically based on timing of events you and your family have coming up in the year. If this project is something you want to be able to utilize most of the upcoming year, then the planning stage should start to take place in February and March. This gives sufficient time to finalize plans and then able to get scheduled once (inclimate) weather breaks. For other factors within, a 4-6 week window is typical from the initial phone call to Stellar Construction, and then to the start date.