screened in porch over deck??

[Joe Suelter]

Anybody ever screened in an existing deck? Here's our situation. We have a 14x12 deck on the rear of the house that is fully free-standing, it doesn't attatch to the house at all. It does sit about 2" off the back door. We are in the process of getting a new roof & siding, and my thoughts were to screen in the deck and make it a 2 season room. My Dad acquired 2 boxes of white patio screens (new) that would be enough to do this whole deck, with lots left over. The local builder said that I should attatch the deck to the house permanently if I was going to enclose it. I was planning on siding the lower portion, and the upper portion above the windows, as it sloped down. The way it sits, I would be looking at about a 3/12 pitch. We are not planning on using any glass panels here, we just want it for bug protection, and a nice place to spend some time. I was thinking that I could make it so the screens could be removed during winter, and the holes left open. But, we were also going to put down some underlayment over the existing decking, but I got to thinking about water run-off. When water comes throught the screens, it would have nowhere to go, where-as now it runs through the cracks in the decking. Am I wasting my time here, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's considered this idea. The more I think about it, the worse of an idea this seems to be. What are your thoughts?

[Tom Sweeney]

Well I'm not a carpenter - but I did stay in a holiday inn express last night ;)

IMHO - I'd like to see the deck attached to the house also, just on general principal. If there is a 2" gap, between the deck & the house - this would not be easy to do, depending on what is directly adjacent to the deck. If there is a rim joist or even block it might be easier to tie it in.

I think you would be better off leaving the deck board spacing - but you'd have to carefully screen in underneath to keep the bugs out that way also.

It's doable but I'd have to think hard before I would do it - then again I'm lazy :rolleyes:

[Joe Suelter]

Thanks, Tom...that's kinda what I was thinking. It seems like an awful lot of work to make it look right. Unless somebody has a really good idea, I think I'll leave it alone.

[Ken Garlock]

Since the deck is not attached to the house, it may have been built without a building permit. When you attach it to the house, it will have to comply with the local building codes, at least that is what a friend at work found out. I would check with the local bulding code people and see what they require. That could impact what you end up doing.

[Tom Sweeney]

Maybe you'll get some dissenting opinions from someone smarter than me - Is Stephen Hawkings a creeker? :D

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

Is the decking Screwed or Nailed? Can you remove some screwed decking to gain access to add a ledger board to the house?

Can you add treated 4X4 posts around the deck and leave the deck free floating?

[Glenn Clabo]

Joe,
Don't forget that you need to bug proof the deck. If you don't the little buggers will find a way to get in through there.

[Jim Izat]

I think I have to agree with what's been said so far. Your deck probably wasn't built for the extra loads that walls and a roof would impose. I think I'd probably leave it alone.

Jim Izat

On another note I've been three or four decks that weren't attached to the house. Sometimes it makes sense to do so, sometimes it makes more sense not to.....

[Bobby Hatfield]

Joe, will the home insurance be affected in any way, seeing that it isn't attached to the house.

[Charles McKinley]

In the lovely Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the moment that a deck is attached to a house it is taxable as floor space. If it is free floating it is not taxed! Get an E-Z up tent. they com with sides if you want to put them on. We just used it for shade and light rain protection. It was about $200 at Sam's. For winter storage it colapses to 4'high X 1' X1'.

Just my $.02

[John Sanford]

Beware screening, and even more so beware more extensive mods that make it more room-like.

Make it too much like a room and soon you'll be building a patio where you can enjoy the outdoors.

Seriously, keep it as open as possible.

[Joe Suelter]

Thanks guys, I think we will just leave it alone. I never thought of the property tax thing, I'd bet it would go up again! I like the idea of the canopy, maybe I'll look into that idea, as a temporary cover when we have a get together, just so people could eat without any flying friends stopping by! Once again, thank you all for your help & thoughts. Joe

[Dale Thompson]

Joe,
We have a screened in "deck" attached to our cabin. I never gave it a thought when we bought the place but it has become the most used "room" in the place during the summer. We play cards, listen to music and even grill in there so weather is not a factor.

We let some friends use the cabin for a week last summer and the first thing that they did when they got home was to start building a screened in "deck". Just make sure that you put up some kind of a roll-up shade on the side which will get the afternoon sun (west). That can be brutal.

In the winter, I put up some 8 mil clear plastic sheeting. That buys us a little solar warmth but it also gives us a great place for snowmobile boots, clothes and helmets. Since I'm not allowed to smoke in the cabin (or almost anywhere else, for that matter), I can go out on the porch. I still freeze but, at least, I don't have to worry about the "wind chill index".

I would not part with mine for anything and I'm not sure if it matters whether or not it is "attached" to the actual structure.

Go for it!

Dale T.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

Screened Porch Design

This will not address the original question but I have given this subject a great deal of thought. My idea is to add a lean to porch 12X20 on the end of my house. The wall of the house is on the West. I would put windows on the North and screen the remaining 2 sides. In the winter, the windows would be closed and the furniture stored in that corner. In cool weather the porch could still be used with some wind protection.

A friend of mine is a commercial roofer, flat roofs. His conventional 1 story home has a screened porch attached to the fascia allowing 8 foot ceiling and level entry from the kitchen. A pitched roof would have to intersect the roof higher up. The framing and roofing would be far more costly than the flat roof and may require a step down.

Another idea I like is an outdoor fireplace. Moving the fireplace out of the heated space negates the inefficiecy of indoor fireplaces that remove heat from the house.

I have seen two different houses locally that have detached screened rooms. A detached screened room will take advantage of a breeze from any directions. Attached porches are often long & narrow. Room size diminsions seem, to me, to offer more latitude for furniture arrangment.

Another thought. A friend advised me that "unless you have a TV on the porch, you may not use it that much". I suppose that may or may not appeal to you.