Getting the most out of your Columbus OH screened porch – Columbus Decks, Porches and Patios by Archadeck of Columbus

This Zen inspired screen porch in Upper Arlington, OH is a great example of good space allocation in regards to furnishings and spatial harmony.

When you think of your ideal outdoor space, what do you envision? Certainly an empty space doesn’t come to mind. Outdoor furnishings make your outdoor room a living breathing space full of function and beauty just like the contents of our interior rooms are the things that truly make our house a home.

The most important thing when designing a screen porch is determine exactly how you will use the room. With our interior rooms, we don’t have this flexibility. Our only option is to work with the space and layout that “comes with the house”. But your new screen porch can and should be designed completely to suit how you want to live.For example, are you planning on using your porch for dining, seating or both?

Powell Ohio Screened porch — This Powell, OH Screened porch uses the classic lines of wicker furnishings and dramatic interior reveals to make a bold design statement.

When we work with homeowners, once the homeowner determines the main use of their screened porch, we then discuss the furnishings that they wish to include. And we discuss this in detail. You’ll see why this is so important.

For example, deciding what shape and size you anticipate your outdoor dining table to be will determine the amount of space you need down to the square footage. Ample space for furniture pull-out room and creating enough space for good path and traffic flow is crucial to the enjoyment you will get out of using your space. Too much furniture, or furniture that is too big for your outdoor space will crowd the space and make it less livable and enjoyable. This is the reason that many times I walk the homeowners into their interior living rooms where we take measurements. This gives them an example of how much room they need for seating and eating.

Columbus screen porch with classic wicker furnishings — Notice how this Columbus, OH screened porch leaves plenty of room for pull out room to comfortably use the dining table, as well as traffic flow.

Utilizing experience and some math, we can determine the minimal square footage you will need to accomplish your outdoor living goals.

Here’s an example. As a general rule of thumb a standard outdoor dining table encompasses an area 6 feet long and 42 inches wide. Each chair will add an additional two feet to this. Ample pull out room for each chair will add another two feet per chair. This adds up to a space that takes up a 12′ x 12′ area. In addition to dining tables, most homeowners want a place for seating as well, which will take up additional space. Once you add side tables and accompaniment pieces, you are looking at more space than most homeowners had anticipated for their furnishings.

This Screen porch with Chippendale panel details features an open airy design with plenty of room for entertaining.

One of our goals as an outdoor living structure expert is to provide you with an outdoor space that will fit your furniture as well as your lifestyle. The furnishings you choose aren’t the only factor that dictates the size of your screened porch. How it attaches to your home and proper placement is also a crucial factor of how large your area can be.

Having your furnishing ideas in mind before you meet with your contractor is very important. You don’t have to purchase prior to our consultation, but it’s great to have some specific ideas about how you want to use the room and what furniture you will add. For example, if you are thinking of adding a table that seats 4 but want 6 chairs, that will add a couple feet of needed space to accommodate the use of those chairs.

Contact Archadeck of Columbus to learn more about choosing the right size outdoor space to suit your needs. We can customize a screen porch design that will become your new family room. Call for a free consultation today (740) 879 – 3730 or email us at
westcolumbus@archadeck.net

See more examples of well-designed screen porches that offer plenty of function and beauty by visiting our screen porch and outdoor living photo galleries located on our website.

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.

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.

Tag: Getting the most out of your Columbus OH screened porch

How do outdoor furnishings dictate the design of your Columbus screened porch?

Archadeck of Columbus explores ways to enjoy your screen porch all year through