It wasn’t so long ago that screened porches were built with utilitarian purposes in mind. Their job was to keep the bugs, and the rain, off of you. Historically, in rural areas and before air conditioning became commonplace, many people used a screened porch as a bunk room (sometimes referred to as a sleeping porch) on particularly sweltering summer nights.
Digging a little deeper into the archives, you will learn that the use of window screens started as soon as people began framing windows. References to window screens can be traced back to 1823. The earliest screens were made of wood, ceramic and stone. Their purpose was to provide protection from animal and human intruders but still allow some light and ventilation into a building. Cloth screens came along and provided protection from dust and insects and allowed some light to enter. During the 1840s, Gilbert and Bennett Manufacturing Co. of Redding, Connecticut, invented affordable wire mesh window screens.
I myself can remember fishing trips I enjoyed in my youth and the way the fishing camp I frequented utilized a screened room as their bait station. The structure consisted of a wooden floor with simple framed posts with screened openings. The sole purpose of the porch was to keep bait safe from flies. Definitely not a place you would want to spend the night!
Another Columbus outdoor fireplace and screened porch combination.
Fast forward to the modern screened porches homeowners crave today. Yes, they keep out bugs, allergens, debris and rain. However, they have become an extension of our homes and an oasis for outdoor living. Modern screened porches are now designed to include many comforting and convenient amenities like fireplaces and televisions, much like you would find in any other room of your home. The screened porch is essentially a more relaxed, casual room addition to the rest of your home.
Anyone who has experienced one has to admit that a screened porch is a wonderful addition to any house. A screened porch offers the breezes, scents, sounds and sights of being outdoors – but without the bugs and the blazing sun. Rough and tumble has its own charm, but these days most homeowners enjoy relaxing under the ceiling fan while listening to their surround sound audio system.
Contact Archadeck of Columbus today to discuss our stunning porch and screened porch designs. Our consultation is completely free. You can reach us at (740) 879 – 3730 or email us at westcolumbus@archadeck.net. We look forward to your call.
When you think of the term “hybrid” the first thing that probably comes to mind is a plant, or maybe even one of the cutting edge hybrid cars that can operate on gas or electricity. The term hybrid is formally defined as “a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture” and we can’t think of a better way to describe our recent outdoor room addition in Dublin, OH.
This four season room addition gets its interior design inspiration from the great outdoors with the rustic wood walls.
Typically, outdoor rooms can be classified in four different ways — all of which are composed as a roofed structure.
A sunroom is a room addition in itself and consists of many windows. A sunroom is attached to the home and is conditioned, meaning heated and cooled, just like the other rooms within your house. Then there is a four season room, which is classified closely to a sunroom but is not considered a room addition or part of your home. A four season room can be attached or detached from the home and can be conditioned, but also has the capacity to be closed off when not in use. Third is the three season room. These structures can be designed attached or detached from the home. Three season porches/rooms are built with screen and in some cases windows and/or a convertible window panel system such as EZE Breeze system that enables use screen and/or panels for closure within the space. Last but certainly not least is a screened porch which consists of a roof and screened openings to protect from inclement weather, insects and debris.
Interior of Dublin, OH, “hybrid” outdoor room.
Our recent outdoor room addition in Dublin, OH, doesn’t fall into the traditional categorization but instead combines elements of both a 3-season and 4-season room. With this in mind, we are referring to it as a “hybrid” outdoor room. There are many factor that make this room unique. The first aspect that is unique to this design is the use of Anderson casement windows. These windows are hinged on the side and the sash opens horizontally opposite the hinge. This type of window allows for full ventilation from top to bottom of the window opening and the extended sash can catch the breeze and direct it into the addition for better air flow. The second aspect is this room, though attached to the home, acts as a detached outdoor room as it is only accessible from the outside through a pair of elegant carriage doors.
No detail was overlooked when perfecting this project either. The interior of the room is finished in beautiful cedar, and on the exterior we installed coach lighting on either side of the painted redwood carriage doors. The shingles were meticulously chosen to match those on the existing home as was the brick skirting used on the room addition.
Dublin, OH, Hybrid Outdoor Room.
This project not only includes the outdoor room addition, but also a low-maintenance deck to help transition the room to the back of the home. The deck serves as a place to enjoy the fire pit and grill out when the weather is right. The low-to grade design helps define the entire space and is built in TimberTech Legacy decking so maintenance is a breeze! The deck also includes lighting to increase function and ambiance in the evening.
The homeowners’ main objectives in building this addition was to be able to sit outside without the nuisance of bugs. We can attest to their happiness in the completed project as it serves as a backyard escape complete with lighting, ceiling fans and even a ceiling mounted TV.
Before and after in Dublin, OH:
Our hybrid has really changed the look of the rear of this Dublin, OH, residence and has changed the way these homeowners live outdoors. The finished project is a winner in their book, as it combines all the elements they love into a hybrid outdoor living oasis!
The Archadeck of Columbus team.
If you are thinking about the addition of an outdoor room, or other unique outdoor living space, contact Archadeck of Columbus today at (740) 879-3730 or via email @westcolumbus@archadeck.net to design and build your project!
We’d all love to spend our summer days in the garden, reading a book by the pool or just taking in the fresh air with a cold ice tea on our patios. But often times we forget to think about the risks of spending too much time outdoors in the sun without proper protection. Numerous medical complications like Melanoma and Cataracts can occur when sun protection is disregarded.
Disregarding the sun’s damaging rays are nothing to take lightly. These serious complications have life threatening concerns that need immediate attention. Melanoma occurs when the pigment-producing cells that give color to skin become cancerous due to overexposure to sun or sunburn. Broad-spectrum sunscreen is used as a temporary protector against the sun but is frequently only applied once throughout the day which becomes inefficient over time if you plan to spend a full day outdoors.
The month of July is observed as National UV Safety Awareness month. Archadeck of Columbus wants to ensure you are worry free when it comes to spending time outdoors. Instead of spending your time indoors in fear of the damage UV rays may cause, invest in long-term protection for your backyard. Archadeck can help protect you and your family by adding a covered patio, screen porch or a 3 or 4-season room addition. Whether you enjoy gardening or sitting in the breeze to read a book these are perfect options to get you the ultimate protection while still enjoying the freedom of being outdoors.
Covered patios and screen porches offer a shaded more private area for you and your family to escape to during lunch when the heat is in full swing. Even with an existing hardscape patio, Archadeck can custom design a covered structure over the top to help provide proper UV protection. With a screen porch you get triple protection. Screen porches provide the benefit of sun protection but also becomes a defense against allegans such as pollen and mosquitoes and other nuisance insects.
Adding a 3-season or 4-season room is like taking a piece of the outdoors and bringing it inside. A 3-season room can be designed and built with an Eze-Breeze® window system. Eze-Breeze® allows your outdoor structure to quickly switch from glass windows to screen panels letting in the cool Columbus breeze. 4-season rooms are designed with HVAC systems to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. These additions protect you from direct sunlight while still being able to enjoy the panoramic views of your backyard garden and landscape with floor to ceiling windows.
It is fairly easy to forget to follow the standard recommendations for sun protection such as continuously adding a strong broad-spectrum sunscreen or wearing sunglasses throughout the day. That is why Archadeck of Columbus wants to help you and your family with long-term sun protection by adding a covered patio, screen porch or a 3-season or 4-season room onto your backyard.
The Archadeck of Columbus team.
Contact Archadeck of Columbus today at (740) 879-3730 or via email at westcolumbus@arcahdeck.net to get out of the sun by designing your custom outdoor structure. We would look forward to connecting with you!
Existing deck before Archadeck of Columbus began 3-season room addition.
Our clients had hoped to build their Dublin 3-season room on the structure of an existing deck that was in disrepair. This was certainly a great idea and a cost-savings tool that we use on many of our redecking and upgrade projects. Unfortunately, in this case, we found during our professional inspection that the foundation was not strong enough to use. And so we went with Plan B.
New three season room!
While it is always nice to save some money, pulling out an unsound foundation offers a few benefits. First, and most importantly, you are looking out for the safety of your family and everyone else who visits the new room. Second, it frequently gives you some additional longevity on your project, whether it is a Columbus screened porch, 3-season or sunroom. Replacing the foundation also gives you extra flexibility when it comes to deciding on the “footprint” of the project. You can expand or alter the shape from your original deck easily when starting from scratch.
Interior of Dublin, OH, 3-season room.
Screened porches are the center of much of the social activity in this neighborhood, so when our customers were ready for an upgrade they had a good idea of what they wanted. Their ideal space was a 3-season room that has both screens and windows so that they can enjoy the space nearly every day of the year. They chose Jeld-Wen Low-E windows which are extremely energy efficient and will save them money in the long term. They also wanted hardwood flooring to give the room a rustic feel.
Interior of Dublin, OH, 3-season room showing king truss detail.
Archadeck enhanced the rustic theme with cedar wrap and trim, as well as exposed tongue & groove wood on the ceiling and interior walls. The decorative king truss is a thing of beauty. It’s a stunning visual focal point for the entire room. From the outside you will see vinyl siding installed to match the existing home with cedar trim that will weather beautifully over time. Deckorators made the balusters for the exterior railing.
This three season room and patio prove that plan B can stand for beautiful!
Because we were starting essentially with a clean slate, Archadeck of Columbus was also able to install a curved Unilock paver patio for eating or barbecuing. In one fell swoop this family traded one tired deck for a 3-season room-paver patio combination that will be the hot new place to visit and socialize in the neighborhood this spring, summer, and fall.
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, email us at westcolumbus@archadeck.net or visit our website at columbus.archadeck.com. We look forward to connecting with you.
This week, Archadeck of Columbus highlights a project we recently completed in Worthington, OH that encompasses a deck and 3-season room addition, and saving a beloved tree in the homeowner’s backyard.
This 3-season room and deck combination in Worthington, OH was built with the preservation of the family’s beloved silver maple in mind.
When Archadeck of Columbus met with these Worthington, OH homeowners their family had outgrown their existing outdoor space which consisted of a small deck attached to the back of the home. In addition to improving their outdoor living by way of a larger and more functional outdoor space, the homeowners also had a beloved silver maple tree that was infringing on their deck. As the tree grew, it began to move the existing deck. The homeowners not only wanted a revised deck that would work well this beautiful silver maple tree, they also wanted to add a 3-season room to the space.
This picture shows the backyard before we began the project.
Even though the home faces south and preservation of the large maple tree was an important prerequisite to the new design, the homeowner also wanted to ensure the 3-season room, and their home would still receive plenty of natural light. Archadeck of Columbus used tan-colored vinyl windows in the design of the three-season room to minimize loss of light within the space. Each window has two sashes, allowing both to move freely which gives greater access for screen and also more options on how much window the customer can leave opened or closed. A pair of trapezoid windows used in the gable end of the space allows plenty of light to flow freely into the space, and thus into the home, overcoming any loss of sunlight. We also used a dual tie-in for the 3-season room where a portion is a sidewall connection and a portion uses a roof tie-in connection. This forward thinking design allows more freedom when working in challenging site situations, and it looks really nice too!
The new three-season room addition looks original to the home.
In keeping the exterior of the outdoor room addition original to the existing home we closely mimicked the T-111 veneer and the shingles used on the existing home. We also avoided hitting the roots on the homeowners beloved silver maple when digging the footers for the addition, no root damage was incurred so the new space will not interfere with the location of the tree. Since the homeowners wanted to use wood flooring inside the 3-season room, we made sure the addition was properly insulated to facilitate using the hardwoods. This meant insulating beneath the floor, within the walls and ceiling as a three season rooms is not a controlled air space, so in order to use the wood floors insulating properly was crucial.
Detailed image of the dual trapezoid windows and beautiful tongue and groove ceiling on the interior.
On the interior of the 3-season room, along with the vinyl window system and hardwood flooring, we also used a 24″ T-111 cedar knee wall within the perimeter. In most situations we generally match the knee wall with the ceiling, but since the T-111 is showing on the house siding we customized the knee wall to match. The ceiling is built from tongue and groove which we painted.
The revised deck is located adjacent to the new outdoor room and is spacious enough to hold a small table and grill. The deck is built with low-maintenance TimberTech Terrain with cedar veiling and aluminum pickets. We wrapped all exposed areas in Polonia wood, which was painted to ensure a perfect color match with the entire design.
Notice the 24″ kneewall and rustic wood floors within the 3-season room interior.
The finished project is a delight for these Worthington, OH homeowners. Not only do they have a beautiful, and versatile outdoor living combination of a deck and 3-season room to enjoy, their silver maple tree is still there to provide many more years of grace, shade and nostalgia.
If you would like to learn more about how an outdoor living combination space or outdoor room addition can benefit your backyard enjoyment, contact Archadeck of Columbus today (740) 879 – 3730 westcolumbus@archadeck.net
Please visit our three and four-season room photo gallery and our composite and PVC decks photo gallery located on our website for more inspiring images of outdoor combination spaces that may be perfect for your backyard.
Archadeck of Columbus highlights our most recent outdoor room project in Newark, OH.
Since warmer weather and longer days have arrived, do you wish you had an outdoor room to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors in cool comfort all summer long? Do you wish you had a place to escape the dangers of the sun and pesky mosquitoes? One Newark, OH family recently added a 3-season room and achieves all of those objectives and more!
Even though our most recent completed project is an outdoor room, the lack of and HVAC unit means we refer to it as a 3-season room. However, the room is geared for comfort in all weather conditions with the Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling system we installed. In addition, we installed ceiling fans to help the homeowners cool off on those humid Ohio afternoons. These heating and cooling systems are innovative in that they don’t require extensive HVAC tie ins to create an efficient means of keeping your outdoor room the perfect temperature when in use. This “per room” unit is controlled separate from the home’s interior HVAC system putting you in charge of how cool or warm you want the 3-season room to be at any given time. This approach also means the unit will not be in use unnecessarily when your room is not in use. This 3-season room also includes well insulated walls, floors and a heavily insulated ceiling. This insulation will help keep the room cool in the summer months and warm in the winter months.
The diverse use of windows in this space provides unobstructed views to the outdoors and ample sunlight, giving the illusion that you are indeed outdoors. This three season room was built using vinyl clad windows to match the windows of the existing home. These windows are double hung including the screens and really open up the view for the homeowners because they are six feet tall! The size of the windows and the stunning panoramic views give the space the feel of using window walls. The windows we used were placed in the roof beam. These and the columns between the windows are wrapped with Paulownia which we primed for painting. The trapezoid windows we used between the windows and ceiling space are fixed glass meaning they cannot be moved up or opened.
On the interior of the outdoor room we installed a 12″ knee wall and also placed plenty of outlets into this area. We also finished the ceiling in rustic cedar tongue and groove within the closed rafter design. The space boasts plenty of recessed can lighting which was a wise choice since the homeowner’s plan to spend quiet time reading in their new 3-season room. The homeowners have a standard steel door which goes out to their pressure treated deck adjoining this new space. We also built a Grand flared staircase built to grade.
If you are on the fence about adding that deck or outdoor room addition this season, now is the time to get started. We can schedule your design consultation and you too will be on your way to making your outdoor living wishes come true. Contact Archadeck of Columbus today for a free consultation(740) 879 – 3730 or drop us an email at westcolumbus@archadeck.net
Archadeck of Columbus urges homeowners to schedule their outdoor structure endeavor now to ensure a spring ready completion.
Imagine this beauty ready and waiting for you to enjoy with the first blooms of spring.
Usually our phones start to ring off the hook around Groundhog day each year. Whether it’s only six more weeks to spring, or six more weeks of cold weather, that’s when many people start thinking about getting started on their new deck or porch or patio. No matter how you look at it the answer comes out to the same conclusion. Spring is just around the corner. With that sudden realization, whether it comes from a groundhog, or the first traces of dandelions sprouting under the snow, many homeowners are getting ready to get started on their spring projects.
A new deck or outdoor structure can be ready for you to enjoy this spring.
On average a typical deck project takes about a week to construct. But what takes time if you’re working with a reputable builder is getting your project scheduled. Reputable builders will have projects on the docket and may be 6 or 8 weeks out before they can start your project. Unfortunately, many homeowners wait until they are within the warmer months to begin planning their outdoor project, and this often means a longer wait time to start enjoying the benefits and living outdoors. Right now in early February when people sign, we are scheduling start dates in March for the structures to be ready in April. We serve our customers on a first come, first serves basis and if you wait too long, you won’t be able to enjoy your project this year in the prime months of the year.
Here in Columbus we build year-round and cold weather does not keep us from constructing your deck , screen porch or other structure. It’s so important to call early to avoid long wait times and to ensure you get to enjoy your structure this spring.
Michael Reeder, Archadeck of Columbus
Being the early bird is vital in getting the outdoor structure you have dreamed about all winter ready in time for for those warm, sunny days. Contact Archadeck of Columbus to get started. Give us a call for a free consultation and come see us at the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show Sat Feb. 25 – Sun Mar. 4 located in the Celeste building booth #2306 & 2308. See you there!
The interior of this screen porch displays design perfection in every detail
Have you ever been flipping through your favorite home and garden magazine and seen an image that makes you wish you could have something just like it? If you are a proactive homeowner that is always looking for ways to improve upon your home or landscape then the answer is most certainly yes. These Powell, OH homeowners recently turned their dream of having a screen porch into a reality.
It all began when we initially sat down and met to get an idea of what they were looking to build. They told us that what they wanted most was a unique structure and they even gave us some pictures they had clipped out to use as a starting point for their project which showed a very finished structure that had wrapped beams and lots of architectural reveals on the inside and outside. The pictures provided valuable insight into developing the concept of the screen porch’s design. (see picture of clipping below). With the homeowner’s requests in mind we were ready to begin the design process.
This screen porch in Powell, OH by Archadeck of Columbus is picture perfect in every way.
The finished porch boasts an abundant 16′ x 16′ sq. feet of blissful outdoor living space which includes 9′ high walls which are higher than standard screen porch walls. High ceilings are becoming more and more popular and we like to build the walls of our outdoor structures to match the the walls inside the house on the adjoining room. Your outdoor room is truly an extension of your home.
In terms of trimming out this screen porch, we used “build-up” columns in the screen porches interior. In essence this means we actually build them up to make them appear larger and more finished. By having thicker columns in the middle, we were able to put sconce lights in the interior and these more robust columns add to the elegance of the entire room. When working with certain interior design aspects of an outdoor structure, bigger is usually better, it gives your finished room a richer feel.
Powell, OH screen porch Cedar tongue and groove ceiling detailing
We used Paulownia trim on the posts which comes ready to paint upon installation. On the floor the homeowners chose a pressure-treated pine floor laid on a diagonal pattern. Using pine adds a rustic, natural ambiance to a room like only real wood can, and choosing the diagonal patterning conveys a sense of creativity by steering away from the traditional pattern commonly seen in screen porches. These Powell, OH homeowners played on the rich lines and wood within the flooring and took it a step further by choosing an unfinished cedar tongue and groove ceiling. Also included were some little creature comforts and extras. These included a wall mount system for the homeowners TV, ceiling fans, and ample electrical outlets on those hearty posts.
This image shows the majesty of the porches exterior
Of course, the quality and sense of exclusivity was carried on to the exterior as well. We put architectural reveals on the outside with the use of additional trim that creates the appearance of a more layered look which shows shadow lines. We also installed siding on the exterior of the porch and painted it to make it look natural to the house. We used aluminum screen inserts and also placed white reveals around the screens to add character.
If you are looking for a builder that can deliver you a “picture-perfect” outdoor structure, contact Archadeck of Columbus to get started today call us at (740) 879 – 3730 or email us at westcolumbus@archadeck.net
Archadeck of Columbus explores the interior design options and considerations in screen porches, 3 and 4 season rooms and sunroom additions and how they can harmonize so effortlessly with your existing home.
Columbus OH rustic sunroom with exterior grade door
Wouldn’t you love to have that room addition you have always dreamed of? A place to relax, read a book, take a nap or even a room where you can watch the sun fade into the horizon. Nowadays room additions don’t have to be “plain Jane” sheet rock with four walls and no pizzazz. Room additions can come under the guise of many other titles, like sunrooms, 3 and 4 season rooms and even screened porches. Any room that is attached to your existing home that serves to improve your way of life can be a room addition. That being said we are going to explore the interior design options that can be incorporated into various room additions.
When we refer to the term interior design, this does not mean you have to be a licensed interior designer with an association like ASID ( American Society of Interior Designers) in order to turn your room addition into a work of art. The first vital observation to make is to what extent you will be able to trim out your structure and what medium would be appropriate for your structure. This depends solely on what type of structure you choose to build. For example, a screen porch interior can be trimmed out with a myriad of beautiful interior details, but since a screen porch is subject to temperature variance and inherit moisture your interior design choices may be a little more limited than that of a sunroom, which is insulated. By adding insulation, windows and the HVAC you are in essence dealing with an interior room addition that just so happens to take its inspiration from the outside world around you from the beauty of nature and gives us the ability to coexist with that beauty from within an insulated, temperature controlled structure. A sunroom , also referred to as a 4 season room, addition to your home will come with endless interior design possibilities because having insulation and a consistent temperature free from the exposure of possible moisture will give you the ability to explore more options in flooring, ceilings, trim, wall finishes and even furniture and accessories.
This screened porches interior design gets its inspiration from nature.
Within a screen porch we are seeing many interior choices that reflect the rustic look. Rustic design options include exposed beams, rich deep wood tones used in the floors, bead board or ply bead ceilings, and even the addition of stone fireplaces within the structure. A good analogy is to compare the interior design options that are popularly used in today’s screened porches is a design that mimics a wilderness lodge full of earthy tones and hues that create a natural appeal for such a structure. Making sure your interior design choices are weather-worthy is crucial to the life and required maintenance of your screen porch here in Ohio where the winters can be quite brutal.
This four season sunroom has a beautiful tile floor.
Once you move into the realm of the 3 season room addition more interior design choices will begin to unfold especially if you choose to build a structure that offers the option of convertibility by changing out the screens for windows when the weather changes such as an Eze Breeze convertible system. In doing this you will expand your choices for suitable design choices . More flooring, wall and finish options are within your grasp. The addition of windows to your 3 season room can open up a world of interior design possibilities.
Notice how this sunroom flows effortlessly to and from the existing homes interior through these stunning french doors.
A sunroom is the coup de grace of room additions. Sunrooms offer an extension of your interior living area that offers a bird’s-eye view of the outside. Sunrooms are insulated, heated, and cooled to keep the room and you at a constant comfortable temperature no matter whether there is snow on the ground or 100 degree temperatures outside. By choosing a sunroom addition you open all the choices in interior designs. With a 4 season room there is no danger of freezing temperatures causing flooring choices such as tile to crack. You also have the ability to trim your 4 season room with interior grade hardwoods without or without rugs used atop, wall-to wall carpeting, and even the popular laminate floors seen readily in today’s homes such as the popular Pergo laminate flooring. By adding the simple element of insulation to your room addition you have opened the door to endless wall finish options as well. Without insulation wall finish options such as crown moldings, faux finishing and even wallpaper aren’t possible because without insulation putting drywall in your room addition is not possible because of the presence of moisture.
This sunroom has track lighting and ceiling fans for added appeal and convenience
No matter what type of room addition you are thinking of, it is important to also consider the way the structure harmonizes with your existing home. Taking into consideration door swings, and traffic flow as you move from the addition into your existing homes interior is important to get the most enjoyment out of your room addition. Taking the functionality of your structure into view is also crucial, for example if you intend to use your structure as an extended room for dining and entertaining close proximity to your homes kitchen would be a necessity for utmost enjoyment. Imagine taking your morning coffee and danish on a sunroom alive with the first morning light, the whole experience can turn from mundane to moving just by your surroundings.
Michael Reeder, Archadeck of Columbus
Archadeck of Columbus can plan, design and build the perfect room addition for your home. We make certain that our room additions are cohesive to your existing homes character and style down to even the smallest elements, matching carpet, ceilings , flooring and even paint to ensure your room addition will look original to your home. Contact us today to learn more (740) 879 – 3730
westcolumbus@archadeck.net
Visit our screened porches gallery for more images of sunrooms and 3 and 4 season rooms visit our outdoor rooms gallery for design inspirations
Archadeck of Columbus explores ways to utilize your screened porch well into the autumn or all year through by converting your screen porch into a 3 or 4 season room.
Archadeck of Columbus can convert your screened porch to a 3 or 4 season room
For many homeowners who have a screened porch they look at it as a structure that can only be used during the warmer months of the year and once the weather turns colder they can no longer spend time enjoying their screened structure. Many screened porches are treated much like a seasonal outdoor pool would be, opening in the spring only to close it down a few months later after the warmth of the sun has made its grand appearance and faded back behind the clouds of autumn. This doesn’t have to be the case. There are many ways to convert your screen porch into an outdoor living space that can be used beyond the end of summer and in some cases all year through. These conversions still take advantage of the whole reason you wanted a screen porch to begin with – the freedom and fresh air without the hassle of insects and the suns dangerous UV rays beaming down upon you and your family. These conversions won’t take away all the glory that is the screened porch, only enhance it and make it a livable addition to your home and backyard for extended season enjoyment.
A screen porch does have it’s limitations and in some cases only be used between five and six month out of the year. Screened porches can be converted into 3 and 4 season rooms that can be used for longer time periods throughout the year. If you are considering a new screened porch in your future and think you may want to convert the structure at some point, it is good idea to convey this to your builder so that certain prerequisites for conversion can be met ahead of time, such as the use of standard window sizes to make conversion easier and less hassle in the future.
Here is a look at some of the options available to screened porch owners who are thinking of a conversion:
The addition of windows turn this amazing screened porch by Archadeck of Columbus into a 3 season room
The 3 season room
Converting a screened porch to a 3 season room can be as easy as adding windows. By adding windows you can take advantage of 3 or more months of enjoyment on your screened structure. All windows come with screens that can be used when that Indian summer arrives. Many homeowners use acrylic inserts that block out the weather and when the temperatures dive into a less comfortable zone you can easily add a space heater to add warmth on those days when the windows won’t block a sufficient amount of the chilliness to keep you comfortable while using your screen porch. Vinyl window inserts such as the Eze breeze porch enclosure system, are on a track system and can be opened and closed depending on the weather. Other manufacturers offer a double-paned insulated window that can also be removed in the spring when the weather turns warm. The advantage of having windows and screens is you can amend how your structure functions season to season, and even day to day and customize how much of the outside you want to let inside. Artistic enclosures makes a wonderful swing and slide window wall that is perfect when considering a conversion to a 3 season room for your screened porch.
Sliding glass windows can turn your screen porch into a room for all seasons
The 4 season room
The difference in a 3 season room and a 4 season room is the addition of insulation. These structures can be used throughout most of the year. Insulation is added to the kneewalls, ceiling and underneath the floors. On existing screened porches this requires enclosed walls be re-opened to add the insulation. Making the decision to convert to a 4 season room is based on how often you feel you would use the structure during the cooler months of the year. A 4 season room will still need to have a heating source, whether this heating source is a heat pump or a new MEHVAC unit such as Mitsubishi’s ductless heating and cooling unit, which are engineered to efficiently heat or cool and individual space the functionality of the space throughout the year for you and your family is the deciding factor when thinking of converting to a 4 season room.
The addition of windows turn this amazing screened porch by Archadeck of Columbus into a 3 season room
No matter how you choose to convert your screen porch, Archadeck of Columbus can help you with our years of experience in converting screen porches to better suit the colder months of our Ohio climate, that can sometimes be harsh. Archadeck of Columbus can meet with you to discuss which conversion would best suit your needs and your lifestyle. Contact us today at (740) 879 – 3730
westcolumbus@archadeck.net
To see more stunning 3 and 4 seasons rooms by Archadeck of Columbus visit our Columbus screen porch photo gallery.
Columbus Decks, Porches and Patios by Archadeck of Columbus 