A Screened Porch Addition For A New England Home

Welcome to the 295th Metamorphosis Monday!

When Lori and Bob built their home in 1993, they added a nice, large 14 x 24 foot deck on the back. After moving in they found they never really used the deck because the back of their home faces west and the deck always stayed way too hot to really enjoy.

I had the same problem with the deck on my home being way too hot, even though the back of my home faces south. That west sun is brutal and it’s amazing how hot deck flooring can get in the blazing sun.

Six years later Bob and Lori added a pool to their backyard. Lori said, “In 1999, we added our pool and quickly realized how bad the wood of the deck had gotten.  No one could walk barefoot on it for fear of getting a sliver or two.”

Before Screened Porch Addition

 

“One day when my husband and I were talking about having the deck replaced, he suggested maybe we could add a roof so we could get some relief from the sun.  I quickly suggested if we add a roof, we might as well add screens to keep the bugs away.”

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

Lori said, “I knew I wanted something light and airy.  I spent months searching the internet before I found a picture of a screened porch that caught my eye.

We managed to find our contractor through some friends.  He had never built a porch like my picture, but was up for a challenge. He spent countless hours with us over the winter months discussing and planning our porch. Our criteria was simple:  low-maintenance and a doggie door. We didn’t want to have to walk outside in a New England winter to let the dog out.”

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

About the construction Lori said, “In the summer of 2002, we had our 19’ x 20’ porch built.  Our roofline and windows pretty much determined the width and height.

All the posts are covered in aluminum, the railing and ceiling are vinyl, the flooring is non-slip Trek-like tongue and groove, and we got a doggie door. Our contractor even trained our dog!”

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

Regarding details about her porch, Lori said, “There are 2 ceiling fans with lights, 2 side lights on either side of the slider, 2 electrical outlets, and cable & telephone outlets, which we’ve never used.

We never thought to wire for speakers, but it hasn’t been an issue.  We have a portable Sirius radio that we move from the pool area to the porch and we also have a small Bose speaker that we use with an iPod/iPhone.

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

Lori’s backyard is so beautiful, what a wonderful spot to sit and enjoy the view! After the thrill I experienced recently listening to the owls in my backyard, I asked Lori if they ever hang out on their porch at night.

She said, “Yes, we spend a lot of time on the porch between reading, relaxing and eating!  Thanks to your blog, this summer I started setting the table much nicer than usual.  I bought hot pink placemats and white dishes.  Every weekend you could hear our two girl’s saying , “Oh no, Mom is trying to do a tablescape again!”

Love that story! When Lori’s daughters are all grown up, they’ll never forget how their Mom made every day feel special.

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

Could you just not spend the whole day right here?!

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

Lori gets some serious snow during the winter where she lives; the porch weathers it well. The view is even beautiful during the winter!

Snow On A Screened Porch

 

Someone else enjoys the soft, cool snow. 🙂 When spring rolls around and the snow melts…

Snow On Screened Porch

 

…this view returns for the summer. Yep, this would work! 🙂

There just something so calming and peaceful about a screened porch. A wonderful way to enjoy the summer breezes and great views without the bugs.

Build A Screened Porch For Your Home

 

Thanks to Lori and Bob for sharing these photos with me so I could share them with you…a great deck-to-porch transformation!

If you have a great Before and After, send me a few large, clear pics at [email protected] and if I’m able I’ll share your project here on the blog.

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve been working on!

Met Monday

 

If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, you will need to link up the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz.

In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.

Please observe these few rules:

Only link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, DIY related.

Do not link up if you’re doing so to promote a website or product.

Do not link up a post that was just linked last week since a lot of readers will have already seen that post.


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Comments

  1. I love all of their great ideas for low maintenance, and the porch blends perfectly with the house. It looks like it was always there. A lovely space to relax. Thank you, Susan and Lori, for sharing this. laurie

  2. I know you agree that screened porches are the best!

  3. I love it when you come across the occasional project to share, Susan, and this is another great one. But oh, that porch in winter – shivers me timbers! Thanks for hosting us for the party – always a pleasure to be here and share. Happy Fall!
    Rita

  4. Beautiful porch, would love to have that along with the pool and yard…but I’m curious, with a covered and screened in porch, how is so much snow getting in there? Do they remove the screens in the winter?

    • I know when it snows here in Georgia, a small amount does blow in, but we don’t get near the amount those north of us do. It can blow in through the screens if the wind is strong enough. But it’s just a porch so it can take it. 🙂

  5. What a beautiful porch!! Thanks so much for hosting Susan…have a great week!

  6. I am currently suffering from intense screened porch envy! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for hosting a lovely party. Have a brilliant week.

  7. Beautiful screened porch, and I loved the photo of the dog in the snow!

  8. Oh Susan, how wonderful to be a whole porch inspiration as well as inspiring Lori to be a tablescaper! One thing leads to another…you know those girls are future tablescapers as well! Love the happy dog in the porch snow! thanks for the Monday fun~

  9. Susan, what a lovely porch! We have certainly loved our addition of a screened porch too. Thank you for hosting another fun party!

  10. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    It’s beautiful! I have a long, shallow porch on the back of my house and while I’m thankful to have that, to have something like this .. and what you have Susan, another ‘room,’ would be wonderful! I would spend every extra minute there. Thanks for sharing, Lori and Bob and Susan.

    • Maybe you can expand or add on to it, sometime Pam. You would definitely enjoy eating out there. I never eat inside when I can eat on the porch. Thanks, Pam!

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        That sounds good to me! I’d do just about everything outdoors if I could. I love being outside. 😀

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        Btw, the color of the sky in that first picture! My goodness, it’s gorgeous. That picture didn’t show up for me yesterday, for some reason. And Susan, isn’t it funny to see clapboard style houses up north? My brother lives in Boston and when he visited me recently down south, he kept commenting on ‘all the brick houses.’ You’d think they’d like to build brick houses up north for the added insulation. I remember when I lived in Alaska they didn’t build brick buildings due to the earthquakes. I do like the option of being able to change paint colors, which clapboard houses allow for. Anyway, their whole set up, yard, pool, house and screened porch (not to mention that cute dog) all add up to a really beautiful place.

  11. Definitely the porch of my dreams!! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the party!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

  12. I could not agree more Susan.And after you shared your porch I knew that’s what I wanted.And guess what,next house I would add a screened porch too! We have enjoyed ours so much this summer,so sad that soon our relaxing days outdoors will be over.Thanks so much for hosting !

    • So awesome, Anne! I know, I love seeing it out there during the winter, even if it’s too chilly to use it. Do you ever have any warm days during the winter? Here in GA we get the occasional out-of-the-blue warm day or week each winter. I remember one February, it was in the 60s and 70s for like 5 days in a row…and I believe that was in Februrary 2008 when the porch was being built. We’ve had them other times, too. The weather is crazy here!

  13. That screened porch is beautiful, but I cannot believe how much snow must just blow in there in the winter — well, I’m a “Desert Rat,” so I don’t know about snow! Thanks so much for hosting, Susan!

  14. Beautiful porch and place to relax and spend time with family and friends in all seasons, enjoying the weather, no matter what this one is!
    Thanks for sharing ladies.
    Than you so much for the party dear Susan.
    Have a great week.
    FABBY

  15. Fantastic porch! Love the pooch reclining in the snow…

    Adding the screened porch was the best decision we ever made for this house we have now. I am really glad we don’t get all that snow in Birmingham, although last Winter? Actually, we did not really get much snow inside on the porch.

    Thanks for keeping the party going.

  16. Thank you for hosting, Susan! Have a blessed week!

  17. Love the porch! Nothing like sitting on a porch and relaxing in a bug free world! Wish I had one. As a child, I lived in a house with a screened front porch and back porch. Oh, the playing I did on those porches. Loved taking naps there too. I have a couple of burning questions. Why is there snow on her porch? I noticed one other reader asked if she takes the screens down in the winter. Just wondering why the screens would go down. Is winter hard on them? Love your blog. It’s one of the first ones I subscribed too. It’s always so fun and interesting. Love the home tours.

    • Donna, I asked Lori about that and she doesn’t take down the screens. She said all that snow blows in through the screens! They must have some amazing snow storms with some pretty fierce winds to cover so much of the porch with that much snow. Thanks so much, Donna! Appreciate that! XO

      • Oh thank goodness! I thought (being from Houston Texas and not getting to experience snow) that I was the only one who wondered how the snow got on the inside of the screened porch. But I didn’t want to be the one to ask.

  18. Wow what a wonderful job they did. I’d love a covered porch too even though we don’t have a lot of sun it’s nice if you can be outside even if it’s raining. That’s cute about her girls and the tablescapes. They will remember this in the future! My mom used to have a bridge club come over and she always fussed a bunch to set the table up for some dining too. I still remember it and that was over 45 years ago!

  19. What a beautiful place to relax! I love the picture of their dog the snow. Thanks for hosting, Susan. 🙂

  20. Susan,
    A covered porch is such a nice feature on a home!
    As “Mr. Ed” & I do a future look towards our next home,
    I’m looking for an “all~seasons” room on the North or East side.
    One can dream. . .
    Thanks for hosting Metamorphosis Monday each week, dear friend!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

    • That sounds wonderful, Pat! Yes, don’t give up on those dreams! I’m dreaming of one day being done with my exterior landscaping so I can renovate some baths! 🙂

  21. That’s a great porch! I do love porches and would sit outside more if had a large screened in porch. That is a whole lot of snow! Thanks for hosting Susan!

  22. Oh yeah “lots of porch love here”…thanks for sharing, and thank you Susan for hosting…I was reading how Bob/Lori backporch faced south and the west sun was brutal, here(southeast Georgia) our house faces west so that the sun wreaks havoc on our front porch…funny and exciting how we can travel all over right here in blog land..love that.

  23. Thanks for sharing this screened porch. I love it! (Almost as much as yours!) I, too, want to know about the screens. Are they removable, thus meaning they have to be stored for winter? Were the screens factory-made or made to order by local fabricator? I would like to have my 10 x 30 foot porch screened; so I am making notes! I enjoy your blog so much!

  24. Susan, I really hate to say this but I think I might have to move in with Lori and Bob instead of you!!! lol Love the screened in porch. Lori has some really great space and the view is wonderful any time of the year. The view from near the pool, looking back at the house is wonderful. So glad she shared her pics. I know they will enjoy their porch for many, many years.

    • Well, I never! 😉 HA! Well, stop by to see me on the way up, okay? 🙂

      • I knew that would get a smarty remark out of you!!! lol I must say that my favorite picture is the dog in the snow on the porch. She looks like she is in heaven with that cool snow on her belly. Finally a cool day in East Texas so maybe Fall is actually on the way! I am ready. Also, Lori’s porch is nice but I really like yours better. And I want to live in your yellow and blue guest bedroom. :>)

  25. I’m so hoping to have a screened in porch by next summer – how lovely!!!
    Thanks so much for another party Susan – have a great week
    Hugs,
    Suzan

  26. Looks like a very usable and functional space now and beautiful too….Christine

  27. Love their screened porch. Nothing better to add to your house than that. Thanks so much for sharing it and for hosting. Have a great week.

  28. This is a beautiful porch, Susan! It reminds me a little bit of yours. 🙂 Thank you for hosting Met Monday and have a great week!

    Hugs,

    Denise

  29. I can’t wait until we screen in our front porch so I can set it up this beautifully. Thanks for hosting and sharing these great screened porches.

    Shannon ~ bohemianjunktion.com

  30. Now…that’s making your porch WORK FOR YOU!! Endless hours of enjoyment now!! franki

  31. Susan, now that’s a beautiful porch, and what a wonderful yard to put it in….AND a pool 🙂

  32. Thanks Susan for the party. Have a great week. I love that screen in porch. I would take a screen in porch over a deck any day.

  33. Gorgeous porch! Thanks for hosting, Susan! Have a fabulous week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

  34. I dream of a screened in porch! We redid our deck and am enjoying the transformation this late summer! thanks for hosting a wonderful party.

  35. Loved that they showed several seasons, and not just the typical summer. My dogs used to lay about in the snow too; never understood that!

  36. Rita Oliveira says

    love the porch! I have a large deck on my back porch was wondering what the cost was for her to had the roof, screen etc…

  37. Cyndi Raines says

    Hello Susan,

    I’ve been reviewing all of your porch pictures and this lovely viewing. We currently have a 14 x 22 deck and are seriously considering extending it to a 16 x 22 covered porch. We’ve been thinking about it for years and now after seeing how lovely yours is we are truly smitten. As you know I live in MI and we do get tons of snow and large drifts. Earlier it was mentioned that she doesn’t remove her screens, but in the pictures it looks like her screens don’t go all the way to the decking? Did she mention if she shovels it out her door? Also, do you know if these wide screens were custom made or not? Lastly, your peak has glass, do you know if hers does as well? Our peak may not be quite that high as we have a sky light in our existing roof and so the ridge pole will have to be just below it making our pitch a little lower. If you can’t answer these questions, would it be possible to forward them on to her. Love her doggie door, we’d have to do the same. We have a contractor coming out this Saturday. Thanks for all your porch information, I’m sure I’ll be referencing it may times. Love you and your blog!

    • Thanks so much, Cyndi! The screens on Lori’s porch do go all the way to the decking…mine do on my porch, too. It’s the only way to keep the mosquitoes and bugs out for sure. I don’t have glass in my peak or anywhere on my porch; it’s all screened. Lori’s is all screened, too…no glass.
      I’m not sure if Lori shovels the snow off her porch. I doubt she does. Think of a porch as a deck that just happens to be screened..so use flooring that won’t be damaged or hurt if snow sits on it for a few months. Most folks use regular decking (or Trex) for their porch and screen under it or add outdoor carpeting on top. That keeps mosquitoes from coming in between the decking boards.
      Some folks use tile for their screened porch floor, at least I’ve seen that done in GA. I’m not a big fan of tile on a porch, but it probably feels cool underfoot in the summer.
      I went with KDAT wood for my flooring, but it doesn’t sit with snow on it for more than a couple of days because we just don’t get snow that much here. Google “KDAT flooring” for more info about the flooring I used. You don’t want to create a big maintenance headache for yourself so use something that’s made for outdoors so you don’t have to shovel it off unless you just want to.

      You may want to check out these posts for a bit more info about my porch, in case it’s helpful:
      https://betweennapsontheporch.net/screened-in-porch-how-much-do-they-cost-to-build/
      AND
      https://betweennapsontheporch.net/9-great-features-for-your-screened-in-porch/

      Best of luck with your porch. Take lots of pictures before and after so I can share it with the BNOTP readers! 🙂

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