FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe
Design

In Search of the Perfect Screened Porch

Make the right design choices, and you'll have an outdoor room you can enjoy without battling the bugs.

By Scott Gibson Issue 170

Synopsis: An odd combination of framing and finish work, screened porches are exposed to the weather and must be detailed carefully. This article looks at the choices required for a great porch, from how to frame it to what kind of screen to use. There are also photos and drawings of four different porches, each with unique construction details.

Replacing a dilapidated deck on the back of our house with a new screened porch was the best renovation money I have ever spent. The outdoor space has the feel of a room, and we use it for everything from drinking coffee and reading the paper in the morning to eating supper at night. Best of all, it’s free of bugs.

That, of course, is the whole point, no matter what the porch’s style or size. Without this refuge, enjoying the great outdoors in summer means fighting a losing battle with creatures that bite, sting, and just plain annoy.

With increased exposure to the weather, larger-than-average wall openings, and less structural bracing than other rooms in the house, screened porches pose special construction and detailing challenges.

Whether the porch is designed for a shingle-style cottage on Martha’s Vineyard or a contemporary lakeside house in Michigan, decisions must be made about designing the floor system, framing the walls to accommodate the screen openings, and attaching the screening. Builders and architects have approached these challenges in many ways. The best screened porches, however, are easy to maintain, are bright and airy, and exhibit inspiring craftsmanship.

Frame the floor for maintenance

Most screened porches are built over wood framing and flooring, but Virginia builder Scott McBride, like others, also has built them on masonry surfaces over a concrete base. The advantage, he says, is that a stone, brick, or concrete surface is highly resistant to wear, won’t decay, and is cool underfoot.

Screened porches built over wood framing raise at least one prickly maintenance problem. If porch walls are built on top of the flooring or the decking, it is difficult to replace flooring down the road when the weather takes its toll. The trick is to isolate the wall framing from the flooring material. Some common methods are adding an extra joist a few inches from the wall’s bottom plate to support the ends of the flooring, connecting the posts directly to the floor framing and fitting the floor pieces around the posts, or using a 2×8 coping to support the wall.

For more photos, drawings, and details, click the View PDF button below:

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
View PDF

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Dress Up a Ceiling With Reclaimed Beams

Old timbers get new life as a decorative element in a cottage renovation.

Featured Video

A Modern California Home Wrapped in Rockwool Insulation for Energy Efficiency and Fire Resistance

The designer and builder of the 2018 Fine Homebuilding House detail why they chose mineral-wool batts and high-density boards for all of their insulation needs.

Related Stories

  • Editorial Note: Building New is Easy
  • Podcast 530: PRO TALK With Architecture Student Phillip Schladweiler
  • Combining Design Aesthetics for an Island Home
  • Editorial Note: Living Smaller

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 530: PRO TALK With Architecture Student Phillip Schladweiler
  • Podcast 524: PRO TALK With Design Department Manager Candice Rania
  • Balancing Design and High-Performance Construction
  • Podcast 509: Members-only Aftershow
View All

Porches and Patios

View All Porches and Patios Articles
  • bases for porch posts
    Setting Bases for Porch Posts
  • Screeneze porch system in a bright sun room
    Custom Screened-Porch System
  • living room with fireplace
    Steel Sheet Piling Supports This House in the Dunes
  • The Pivot 6 Slide system adds a giant operable sunroof to the any of Struxure’s Pergola X installations.
    Adaptable Aluminum Pergola for Shade and Sun
View All Porches and Patios Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams
  • Issue 311 - November 2022
    • 7 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job
    • Options for Smarter Home-Energy Tracking
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: James Metoyer
  • Issue 310 - October 2022
    • Choosing a Tile-Leveling System
    • Choosing Between HRVs and ERVs
    • Custom Built-in Cabinets Made Easy
  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept 2022
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in