In keeping with the endless outdoor living opportunities present with a screened porch addition, many homeowners are opting for less traditional screened porch designs. Most conventional methods of screen porch construction consist of being built on “top” of some kind of deck-like structure, be it wood or composite. However Archadeck of Columbus has built many screen porches and open porches over concrete pavers or hardscapes. These are generally referred to as screened patios, or covered patios with the only difference essentially being the grade of the structure and floor medium used.
Paver and hardscape patios can make a wonderful screened or covered/open porch addition. These outdoor living spaces are often built on the ground, or at a lower grade than traditional screened porches, but can also include an elevated design. Screened or covered patio construction begins with planning the corner columns of the structure. Here we install a standard footer set in concrete to secure the columns and create a base from which the structure is built out. In this part of the country we typically install these footers at 3 feet in depth due to freeze lines. Once the footers are installed, they serve as the base from which the rest of the structure is built. This includes the walls, rafters, roof and remainder of the structure. In constructing some of our screened or covered patio designs from scratch we will often extend the paver or hardscape out past the covered portion. This will allow a good transition and add valuable outdoor living space too!
Often the question may arise, how do we adhere the walls when knee walls are present in the design? The answer is simple: we attach the walls to the pavers themselves with concrete fasteners. Another viable consideration is how do you combat the undulation of some pavers or hardscape mediums? When choosing a paver the homeowner needs to keep in mind the different paver textures. Using a hardscape material with varied undulation is actually no different from the undulation or character of a decking board — because no two are exactly alike.
There are many reasons homeowners choose a screened patio or covered patio design. These include the low-maintenance qualities tied to using a hardscape floor. Pavers and hardscapes are easy to maintain and to clean. Hardscapes are also strikingly beautiful from an aesthetic standpoint, and homeowners like to tie their screened or covered patio into a new or existing patio space as well. The mixture of wood and stone is also appealing aesthetically to many homeowners.
You can also add a porch over an existing patio—this is done by installing footers which requires removing sections of the existing patio, setting posts, back filling and reinstalling the pavers. Portions of the pavers or hardscape of your existing space will have to be removed but once the porch is done, you won’t be able to tell. Our renovations look original once completed.
The price of adding a screened patio or covered patio all depends on the elevation of your design and the hardscape flooring you choose to use within the design. You can have it built two ways, either low-to-grade, which is essentially on the ground or elevated. Elevated screened patios generally cost 20% more than a regular elevated screened porch. The increase reflects the construction dynamics involved which consist of layers of aggregate that are necessary in patio construction. Low-to-grade designs usually cost approximately 10% more over standard screened porches built using wood. This increase may be non-existent or even a decrease when compared to screened porches built with higher-end solid PVC decking or its counterparts. Just like a savory recipe, it is the ingredients that go into an outdoor living design that make the difference, and reflect the costs involved.
To find out more about our quality hardscape outdoor living designs, including patios, screened patio and covered patios, contact Archadeck of Columbus today. Call us for a free consultation (740) 879 – 3730 or drop us an email at westcolumbus@archadeck.net
Please visit our patio and hardscape photo gallery and our outdoor living photo gallery located on our website to see more of our fabulous Columbus area hardscape designs!
Columbus Decks, Porches and Patios by Archadeck of Columbus 