Anybody have experience with aluminum framing for a screened porch? I’m looking for a quality, modern sleek look. What have you used, and what were the results? Happy?
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Down here in south Florida that's virtually all there is. We use aluminum 1 X 2's and 2 X 2's grooved for screen spline and usually use an aluminum kickplate at the bottom to keep the screens from being kicked out and rain from bouncing in. Once you've figured out how they go together they go pretty fast, installing the screen is quick and they look real clean. The one in the picture here, 3 walls totally 40 feet, took 3 of us one day including tearing down the old wood enclosure.
Typically I just see garden variety "patio". It is the 2x2 square tube with screen grooves in it. That also comes in 1x2 for fastening directly to a wall and up to about 8" deep (in a 2 part beam) for structural members.
The home store will have some of this in 10' sticks but it is cheaper in the 20 and 24' sticks from a real aluminum supplier ... if they will sell it to you. (YMMV depending on the local trade pressure they can impose on suppliers)
This all goes together with self drilling screws.
I'm sure there is a tutorial somewhere on the net.
A homeowner can usually do this but a pro makes it look a lot nicer.