Screening in a Front Porch

Enclosing a front porch will add value to your property.

A front porch harkens back to a gentler time of year, when the evenings were cool, but not cold and the daytime sun was bright and hot. There's nothing quite like sitting out on the porch protected from the heat of midday and the buzzing of unfriendly mosquitoes or no-see-ums. If you decide to put a front porch on your house, there are a few things you should think about before starting to build.

Things You'll Need

• Building permits (if required)
• Graph paper
• Pen and pencil
• Wood for structure, decking and roof
• Wood stain or paint
• Waterproofing
• Paintbrush
• Electric saw
• Jig saw
• Miter
• Nail gun
• Nails
• Screwdriver and hammer
• Tape measure
• Ladder

Instructions

1. Look carefully at your house to see if a porch on the front will complement the house's design. You may already have an unscreened porch or deck there that simply needs to be enclosed. This would be ideal.

2. Check with the zoning department in your city or with homeowners' associations for any restrictions or regulations. Get any necessary permits before you start building.

3. Choose the right location. If you are starting from scratch, decide whether a front porch is the best thing for your house. Designing a porch for the side of the house might be more fitting for weather conditions and architectural style.

4. Choose the style of the porch. The architectural style is important to the overall look of the porch from an aesthetic point and a stylistic perspective.

5. Decide if you want a full roof or a pergola. A pergola is made with long strips of wood that are placed at an angle to block the sun when it's at its hottest, still allowing light and air to enter the porch. It does not afford any protection from the rain. However, a pergola is an excellent place to grow a flowering vine, which will eventually fill in the spaces creating a natural roof.

6. Choose the materials for your porch, whether you are building from scratch, or enclosing an existing front porch. There is a wide range of building material available for a porch ranging from cement patios to traditional wood enclosures, or from reclaimed wrought iron posts to fiberglass composite flooring.

7. Design the porch on paper first, including all measurements and placement of columns.

8. Build the patio or deck if you don't already have one. If you're handy, you can do this yourself, or hire a carpenter or contractor. Alternatively, build the porch on your existing patio, deck or veranda.

9. Construct porch columns and the roof from wood if you are experienced in framing and construction. If not, use a contractor, handyman, carpenter for the major structural components.

10. Install screen between the columns or try products available that fit easily between porch columns.

11. Build or buy a door for the porch entryway from the street. The door should reflect the overall design of the porch.

12. Stain or paint the wood to finish and protect it from the elements. Add a coat of waterproofing to help the finish last longer.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're building a front porch on top of an existing patio or deck, check the structure first to make sure it will stand up to the added weight. At the same time, check the existing roof to see how well it will withstand the weight of a heavy snowstorm. Add supports if necessary.

• If you build the roof from scratch, research ahead of time what kind of roof you want and hire someone with roofing experience.

• Consider erecting a front porch from a pre-fabricated porch kit, which comes equipped with everything you need.

• If you hire a contractor, check his references thoroughly. Also, ask him to show you a copy of his license and his insurance policies before signing anything. Additionally, make sure to have every agreement put in writing between you and your contractor and have both parties sign the contract.

References

• Front Porch Ideas and More: Build a Screened Porch
• Ask The Builder: Screened Porches