Screened In Porches – Rooms You’ll Use
As a kid, I remember visiting my aunt and uncle’s house to see their new screened in porch. It was nice, a square room that had 3 screened walls. It fulfilled its purpose as a place to sit and enjoy the outdoors without bugs, but it wasn’t special. It was pretty standard for screened porches of the time, but man have things changed. Knowing what I know now, I see that the plain square screened room is a lost opportunity for a really special space in your home.
Our Archadeck franchisees design and build some of the most beautiful screened in porches I’ve ever seen. As I look at them, it becomes more apparent that the custom design is the key to making sure the room is a true outdoor living space and not just another room added on to the house. Before designing the space, our porch designers will ask questions like: how do you intend to use the space, what time of the day do you want to do use it, how many people does it need to accommodate, etc. These questions lead to projects like these:
This screened in porch in Des Moines is beautiful inside and out and may be one of my favorite examples of an “outdoor” structure that is truly usable. The homeowners wanted an additional porch where they could have a drink with friends and family, enjoy the outdoors without the elements, but most importantly, they wanted an additional outdoor living room. From there, our porch designer in Iowa, 
Harold, designed this space. You can see from this angle that the structure itself blends perfectly with the finishes of the home. To ensure the inside get optimum amounts of light, windows surround three of its sides and skylights were installed on the roof. While the outside looks beautiful, it’s the inside and its details that define the screened in porch as a living room. Take look at that outdoor fireplace! The large stone fireplace warms up the space both literally and figuratively, and its mantle and hearth give it a homey look. The placement of the TV is key to making the space it a true living space. It clearly isn’t an afterthought. I also love the lantern like light fixture on the roof.
The needs and wants of this homeowner in Charlotte were a little different. He wanted to add a screened in porch to back of his home for an additional place to sit and relax, but needed it to also be a smooth transition to his outdoor patio. His neighborhood is newer and because of construction as well as close neighbors, he needed the ability to block off some of the sides from time to time. Archadeck of Charlotte designed a simple space that fit all of the homeowner’s requirements. All of the woodwork was finished in whites and creams to provide the brightness. 
The transition between porch and patio was achieved by using the same concrete inside and outside the space. The last issue to work through was privacy. The homeowner didn’t want anything permanent and building in any privacy walls would take away from the airiness of the porch so they decide to install some curtain rods along the exterior that can be opened and shut as needed or wanted by the homeowners.
If you have questions regarding screened in porches and how one may add to your outdoor living experience, don’t hesitate to call your local Archadeck Outdoor Living office.
Combinations of Outdoor Living Spaces Define Use
One of the first questions our outdoor living designers ask our clients is “how do you intend to use the space?” Without that answer the design won’t be as good as it can be. Answers to that question can vary from cooking with and entertaining friends and family to sunbathing and relaxing. For many of our clients their outdoor living spaces need to multifunctional. If that’s the case, the designer needs to create a project that has a flow that defines the separate spaces for different functions.
Many of our clients choose combination outdoor living spaces, meaning a deck with a pergola, patio with outdoor kitchen, etc. Using different structures is a clear way to define separate areas within an outdoor living area. Here are some beautiful examples from our Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees.
This project from our patio and deck builder in Boston transformed this backyard into a multipurpose space using a patio, deck and sunroom. The sunroom is a beautiful extension of the home that looks as if it’s always been there. It can be used most of, if not all, year when the cold Massachusetts weather may keep the homeowners off the patio. The sunroom is a great place to sit and relax or have a glass of wine with friends and family. The patio’s main use is dining. You can see that dining area is clearly defined by a circular paver pattern that’s different than the rest of the space. Changing the pattern of a building product, deck or patio, is an easy way to break up a space. Lastly, a small raised deck was added as an entrance into the hot tub.
The homeowners of this project wanted space to eat, entertain, enjoy and escape the sun. Our deck builder in Newton created a space that could encompass all those uses. The bottom patio level is made from brick pavers and is the perfect place to enjoy the sun whereas the screened porch is the best place to escape it. The deck is really two spaces with the pergola creating isn’t own space to the right.
While this project is all one deck in Nova Scotia, its multi-level design break it up for its numerous purposes. On the top level, a custom outdoor kitchen, table and chairs define that space as the dining area, while the built-in bench and fire pit create a great place to sit and relax on a cool night.
Talk about a multi-purpose space! This project from our patio contractor in Macon has it all! The custom outdoor kitchen has a large eat in bar to sit or stand at while cooking and the fire pit is clearly defined with a different colored paver. The large patio surrounds a pool where everyone can sit and relax.
If you are interested in learning how a combination project can enhance your outdoor living space, contact your local Archadeck Outdoor Living office.
Sunroom or Screened Porch? Why not have both?!
Deciding on a new outdoor living space is a big decision. There are so many options now, decks, patios, sunrooms, porches, outdoor kitchens and more, and they all have their own benefits. In preparing and budgeting for your projects, it’s important that you weigh what is most important to you. Is it size? Material? Budget? These are all questions that you should be able to tell your contractor when the time comes.
One question we at Archadeck Outdoor Living often hear is what’s best, a sunroom or a screened porch? In short, both are great outdoor living options that can add significant value to your home. But now, you don’t have to make the decision of sunroom or screened porch. You can have them both, in one project.
Our customers love sunrooms as they can use them all year round while still being surrounded (on three sides) by the outdoors. Those with screened porches love to sit in the shade and feel the breeze without being bothered by bugs. And then there are the lucky few that have both.
PGT Eze-Breeze in use on an Archadeck of Central Arkansas project
Sliding and removable panels are becoming more popular in the outdoor living category because they provide customers with a variety of ways for their rooms to be used i.e. as both a sunroom AND a screened porch. PGT Eze-Breeze is a vertical sliding panel of vinyl windows that are backed with screens. When the weather is right, slide them down for a screened in porch, and pull them right back up when it’s raining! The panels are custom-made for your project and available in a variety of colors to make sure they complement your home perfectly. The vinyl window is lightweight to make the sliding easy and still provides the same view as regular glass.
Vinyl windows may not work for every location. Some homes need something more durable and insulating. For those customers, we have removable glass panels and windows. In the warmer months, the panels/windows can be removed so that the sides are just screened. And when it gets cold again, just put them right back into place. It’s all about options people!
If you are planning an outdoor living space and aren’t 100% sure what you want, it’s important to start asking yourself some questions, like how are you going to use the space? What views are important to you? The Archadeck Design Guide can help guide your thinking and prepare you for future meetings with contractors. And, as always, feel free to contact us, or your local Archadeck office for more information.
Don’t let the chill in the air discourage you from enjoying your outdoor living space
This magnificent screened porch by Archadeck of Maryland uses skylights to add additional height to the vaulted ceiling, this result is open and airy.
The chill in the air is beginning to become more noticeable all around the country. It signifies the end of summer splendor and its long balmy days spent enjoying your deck. Just because summer has ended doesn’t mean you have to cuddle up inside to keep warm and miss mother nature’s splendor that is still unfolding all around you. Many homeowners are considering the ever-popular option of closing in their existing deck, or a portion of their deck and creating a three or four season room or other outdoor structure that can extend your outdoor living enjoyment into and beyond the cooler months of the year. In order to determine if closing in to create an extended season outdoor living structure would be right for you there are several considerations that have to be bought to the forefront.
The first consideration that has to be addressed is the structural integrity of your existing deck. In order to accommodate the weight of a roofed structure. Many decks are not built to withstand the weight of adding a roof. In order for a deck to be able to withstand the weight of a roof. The foundation of the deck will have to extend all the way to the corners of the structure. In cases where the foundation does not extend to the corners, changes must be made to have the foundation extended and new footers will have to be added in order to safely support and hold the weight. Determining whether or not your deck fits conversion criteria can be answered from a quick inspection by a professional outdoor structure builder, and depending on their findings will let you know how you wish to proceed with getting the deck structurally compatible to withstand a conversion such as a three or four season room, a screened porch or even a sunroom.
Cedar screened porch in Ankeny Iowa
Once the issue of foundation reinforcements has been addressed, the next step is to decide which type of conversion would best suit your individual needs. Screen porches are very popular and can be enjoyed late into the fall in many areas around the country, but this all depends on your geographical location and whether the area you live in experiences mild autumns or more harsh, cold autumns. Making the decision to convert your deck or a section of your deck into a screened porch will have benefits even in the warm summer months by keeping insects at bay and protecting you from the sun. Screen porches can be in use even during inclement weather since they are roofed. This means that the backyard dinner you had planned won’t be put on hold with a little rain because you would have a roofed screen porch to utilize. Many homeowners also opt to use a sliding window panel system to make use of their screened porch later into the year. A convertible windows like the EZE breeze sliding panel system and the Artistic Enclosures Screen Plus System offer you the ability to convert your screened porch into a three season room on demand. These convertibility systems use sliding glass panels that mimic the function of a sliding door and can be set into place very easily and quickly. By adding a space heater to the structure you can utilize the space for longer periods through even the chilliest season. By using a convertible system on your screened porch you can still feel the warm breezes of summer, and when the temperature drops you have the peace of mind knowing that your screened porch also offers more function with added cold weather protection as well.
This design by Archadeck of Chester County includes a deck and a custom sunroom.
Another viable option when making the decision to enclose a deck or portion thereof, is a four season room or a sunroom. These type of structures function as an extension of your homes living area as well as an extension of your outdoor living area. Four season rooms, as well as sunrooms give you an unobscured view of nature by the use of numerous windows that sometimes even feel as though they are window walls. These structures can be used year round, snow or sleet because sunrooms and four season rooms require a HVAC system, or instill the use of a wall mounted electric inversion heating and cooling system that offer individual room control like those offered by Mitsubishi electric. In essence the presence of HVAC, or heating and cooling system creates a dynamic where you actually are getting a room addition when you choose to convert to a four season room or sunroom.
The world is your oyster in terms of design,when you choose to transform your deck into a four season room or sunroom.
Another benefit of converting your deck into a sunroom or four season room is the freedom of material choices that can be used within it and to finish out your structure. A whole new set of design choices open up to sunroom and four season room owners. All of the same materials that can be used safely within an interior room inside your home can become finish options for your sunroom or four season room. These include sheetrocked walls, carpet, hardwoods and a myriad of other design choices. An added benefit is that the furniture used within your structure won’t have to be weatherproof when considering using it on your sunroom or four season room. The world is truly your oyster.
If you are on the fence about considering an enclosure or conversion of your deck, or a part of you deck into a screened porch or three season room or even a sunroom or four season room Archadeck can make it happen. Contact us today to learn more about improving the lifestyle you lead on your deck.
To learn more and find an Archadeck in your area, see our locations list located on our website.
You can also get more ideas and design inspirations by visiting our screened porch gallery, sunroom gallery, and our three and four season room gallery, also located on our website.
Archadeck and Eze Breeze enclosures give you a breath of fresh air without the headaches
TimberTech Screened porch with and Eze Breeze system and Pergola by Archadeck
We’ve all been there. We eagerly await going out on the screen porch for some morning coffee or to do our daily crossword puzzle or relax for a few minutes and grab the sports scores or weather before heading out for the day. Only some days, mother nature puts a damper on those plans. Maybe you live down south and are greeted with a yellow covering of dust all over everything. Maybe it rained last night and there’s a faint moistness to your fabric-covered chairs. Maybe it’s just too darn cold out there.
There is a way to “convert” your screen porch without having to sink a fortune into windows.
There is a company called Eze Breeze that has a convertible enclosure system allowing you to convert your screen porch into more of a multi-season room. These screens can add protection from temperature as well as the elements.
We have been using this system for homeowners who want to get access more time on their screened porch. Eze Breeze systems are easy on the eye and on your wallet in terms of adding more seasons that you can spend on your porch.
Extending the time frame for use in your screened porch is not the only reason many homeowners are using the Eze Breeze system, other factors are influencing their decision as well. Let’s face it, sometimes you want the freedom of the screen but you don’t want the negative things that can still get through that screen. Screens keep out the insects and the harmful direct rays from the sun but pollen still comes through a screen, as does the wind, some the rain and the cold. Eze Breeze makes it possible to enjoy your porch without those negative factors getting in the way of your enjoyment. When the weather turns cold, you can also add the use of a space heater within your porch with Eze Breeze and turn your structure into a 3-season outdoor living room as well. The beauty is that anytime you want to take advantage of the favorable weather or an unobstructed view, this system can be slid out-of-the-way either horizontally or vertically, depending on which system you have, to get you back to the very reason you wanted a screened porch in the first place – to be closer to mother nature and take advantage of all that fresh air.
Our Archadeck location in Charlotte sums it up in this short clip about the Eze Breeze system :
Eze Breeze is strong and durable.
Eze Breeze enclosures are easy and affordable, here’s how they work- the system is made from 10-mil vinyl glazing that gives you the same clarity of glass. This innovative material is not susceptible to cracking or breaking and with many mishaps will return to its original shape within minutes. The enclosures can be installed either horizontally or vertically and the panels can be slid out-of-the-way to obtain a unobstructed view and take advantage of the “feel” of nature. Eze Breeze presents homeowners with a win/win answer to having your cake and eating it too!
Contact Archadeck to learn more about Eze Breeze enclosures and start maximizing your outdoor structures function and beauty. If you are interested in turning your outdoor structure into a safe haven from the elements, the insects and the pollen and don’t want the expense or building constrictions that are present with glass, contact Archadeck today 888.687.3325 or 804.353.6999 • info@archadeck.net
A drab deck turns into a fabulous sunroom in Olathe Kansas
When Steve Folsom of Archadeck of Kansas City first started talking with homeowners in Olathe Kansas, they were looking for replacement for a two-story rotted deck that adjoined their kitchen and living rooms. They wanted an upper sunroom above a new lower deck to replace their old two-story deck.
Olathe KS Sunroom converted from old deck
They didn’t know all the features and final design details they wanted for the room but they did know he wanted to use it as much as possible, both winter and summer, and throughout the year as much as possible.
Pella Windows and French patio doors
The planning process becomes a really interactive discussion at this point. Since the homeowners were not sure about the details, here are some of the things that Steve recommended. They wanted to install new french doors from the living room and keep them open a large part of the time so Steve suggested a fully insulated room with auxiliary heat and cooling.
Beadboard ceiling in sunroom with track lighting
Steve suggested low-e double pane energy-efficient windows to maximize comfort and year round occupancy. Then for the design details, in order to give unique architectural look to the room, Steve suggested tongue and groove cedar ceiling trim with painted beadboard wall trim.
Kansas City sunroom by Archadeck
The total project included:
- a new sunroom with new Pella french doors
- Pella low-e double pane energy-efficient windows to maximize comfort and year round occupancy
- an outside upper deck for cooking
- a larger lower deck under the room.
- AZEK decking
- Fortress railing
- Timbertech Radiance rail posts
Steve Folsom, Archadeck of Kansas City
If you live in the Kansas City area and you’re thinking about an outdoor project – whether it’s a sunroom, deck, porch, pergola, outdoor fireplace, outdoor living room or another vacation spot in your back yard, give Steve Folsom of Archadeck of Kansas City a call. (913) 851 – 3325. kansascity@archadeck.net
Privacy fences and enclosures don’t need to be ugly any more – see some beautiful pictures!
When I think of privacy fences, for some reason the first thing that pops to my mind are those terrible walls that you see on the side of a highway which are likely created to contain the noise of the highway. If someone steers my thinking to a privacy fence for a hot-tub, I generally think of something that looks like 3 8-foot fence walls that are bought at Lowes or Home Depot and put together to create hot tub privacy on 3-walls.
At Archadeck of Austin, this is just one of their specialties. Take a look at some of these photos to dispel the myth that privacy fences and enclosures need to look functional. Functional can be really beautiful if designed right.
This hot tub enclosure is designed with a cover for shade, one privacy wall to hide the surrounding fence, two partially open sides, an adjoining bar, and an open side for easy access to the hot tub from the deck.
Here’s another view from the side.
One of the nice things about the way they design privacy enclosures in the Austin office is they only put full privacy walls where needed. If you look at the back of this picture, you will only see a partial privacy wall. This privacy wall is designed to block only what they don’t want to see – which is over the barrier fence. The pergola provides a great structure to attach the partial privacy wall to.
Austin Pool Enclosure with Pergola
One of the things that can make a privacy wall an eyesore is how it’s finished at the top. In Austin, they often finish the privacy walls with a pergola style top as you see here. This wall is a beautiful and very functional addition to the stone wall.
Austin Privacy Enclosure over Stone Wall
Archadeck of Austin is owned by Jim and Julie Odom. Give them a call for composite decks, tigerwood decks, cedar decks, pressure-treated decks, flagstone patios, stained concrete patios, covered porches, front and back porches, or to build your own custom outdoor structure for your backyard.
