Which is more expensive – a rustic-style porch or a more finished style?

Once you’ve decided you want a screen porch, the size, spatial considerations, and functional considerations should always be decided first. The next thing to consider is the look and feel or the interior finish options.

A fair number of our customers want a rustic cabin type feel to their screen porch. This rustic look may be reminiscent of a porch you had in a childhood home or may conjure thoughts about a remote cabin right outside your back door.

Rustic is less ornamental and less finished looking, but is a rustic style less expensive? To answer that we should try to define rustic. On a screened porch, rustic generally means having exposed beams and rafters. Rustic also generally means using mostly bare wood. In most cases it’s pressure-treated pine or cedar. Luckily for those who prefer this style, these are also going to be your value choices.

There are many factors that determine the cost of your screen porch. From an interior finish perspective, a good general rule is that enclosing and wrapping structural elements adds to the cost. You may want enclosed rafters or wrapped columns. These require additional labor and additional materials.

Here are some common upgrades to a rustic style porch. You may want to upgrade your rafters from pressure-treated pine to cedar. When we wrap in cedar, it’s usually a rough finish cedar and that’s less expensive and adds to character of log cabin feel. We can also use smooth cedar with is a little more expensive but is also a nice upgrade to pine.

Here are some common upgrades to a formal style porch. You may want to wrap the roof beams or enclose the rafters to have a more finished ceiling. Some common ceiling finish upgrades from least to most expensive are:

1. Pine tongue & groove
2. Cedar tongue & groove
3. Low maintenance synthetics material like PVC trim

As you can see, there are many factors that determine the cost of a screened porch. Generally rustic style selections are more value oriented than a more finished style porch but there are iterations in between such as enclosing the rafters with a rustic style wood finish. What’s most important is creating a room that you’ll love. A porch is an investment not only in your home but in your quality time. You will likely spend time on your porch every day so make it a room you will thoroughly enjoy for many years to come.

Author: archadeckofcolumbus

I began my association with Archadeck in 2001 when I was working for a subcontractor that Archadeck of Columbus was employing for patio installations. I had been working in the Landscape/Hardscape industry for quite a few years at the time and immediately noticed a difference in how Archadeck operated in comparison with other deck companies that we worked with. Over the years of working with Archadeck on numerous projects, large and small, I came to realize the importance of what they were selling; beautiful designs, top-notch craftsmanship and a world class customer experience. This is what drove me to start working for Archadeck in January of 2011 and eventually buying the company in 2016. My wife, Amber, and my son, Logan, could not be happier to be a part of such a wonderful organization. We look forward to the future as we build the outdoor living environments our customers dream of with the “world class” service they deserve! View all posts by archadeckofcolumbus