You’ll be really disappointed if you built a screened porch that just wasn’t big enough for your needs. Here are our top 7 things to consider first.

There are many decisions to be made when designing your new screened porch. One that is often not considered strongly enough is size. An extra 2 feet of length, width or both can make a big difference. The last thing you want to do is fill your new screened porch with your new furniture only to realize it doesn’t really fit. Or, you don’t want to try to push your chair back after dinner only to find out you are locking horns with the porch’s chair rail. Below are some general considerations to begin considering the best size. Utilizing your considerations along with our expert recommendations, we will determine the best size to fit your outdoor living needs.

Based on our decade+ of experience with outdoor living spaces, here are my Top 7 details to consider for creating a porch that looks and feels great and is spacious enough to fit your outdoor living needs.

#1: Give yourself space to stretch out. Your dining room is the place where you go to sit formally around the table and sit up straight with your feet in front of you and your napkin on your lap. When you want to relax with friends or family after a long day, you head to the porch. That means you need to leave a little extra room to extend your legs or even prop them up on the coffee table.

#2 Include comfortable cushions. Again, you don’t need your kitchen or dining chairs to have the kind of softness that you can melt into. Those are utilitarian chairs. You eat, you stand, you go. When you want to spend an hour with a book or entice your friends to stay out past their bedtimes, you want a chair that doesn’t want to let you leave.

#3 Plan for the number of guests you will usually have. You can always borrow or rent extra chairs or tables for a large event like a graduation party, but you don’t want to be constantly moving or walking around chairs that almost never get used. Would you buy a pickup truck because you want to haul a big load twice a year?

#4 Don’t forget your pets. Most Columbus screened porch owners find that their pets are huge fans of their new space. If your pets are going to spend time out on the porch with you or on their own, make allowances for that. Talk to us about screening options that are pet resistant. And, even if they won’t have their own furniture, leave them a little space to enjoy the porch too.

#5 Measure furniture twice. I don’t mean measure it twice because you might have made a mistake the first time. Measure it once by itself and once with a person using it. That Adirondak chair is very hip and attractive, but it takes up much more space while it is being used. Think about your dining room table. You need 2-4 extra feet around the perimeter when it’s being occupied.

#6 Use outdoor furniture. I know that the two most popular places to put your old indoor furniture are on the porch and in your adult child’s first apartment, but indoor furniture should really stay indoors (or just send it to its next home). You are already tired of it, it doesn’t have much life left anyway, and it will be terrible to try and clean. Let us show you some of our Casuwel outdoor furniture. It is without peer in its combination of comfort, style, durability, and value.

#7-ish OK, while this one is not about size, it was important enough that we wanted to make sure to include it here. Don’t fear the mess, prepare for it. Outdoor living will always be a little messier than indoor living. Bugs, dirt, rain, pollen, muddy feet. You can’t change that. You can, however, use materials and fabrics that will make a huge difference in how your porch and furniture will stand up to abuse and how easily it will clean. Sunbrella fabrics from the Outdoor Living Brands Casuwel line of furniture and umbrellas are the industry standard for beauty and durability. Ask to see swatches from our line: Carnegie Celeste and Astoria Lagoon are just two of the dozens of stylish options available.

If you’re thinking about adding an outdoor living space to your Columbus backyard, give us a call to see how we can make creating your dream backyard an enjoyable experience, start to finish. The consultation is completely free. Call (740) 879 – 3730 or email us at westcolumbus@archadeck.net. We look forward to your call.

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