We recently completed a screened porch and deck combination in Overland Park. The homeowners had an existing deck but wanted a porch and deck combination. The owners wanted a tile floor on the porch so we had to remove the old deck and install a new foundation suitable for tile. A traditional deck is not able to hold tile.
Beautiful tile floor Overland Park by Archadeck
Tile is a unique flooring choice for a screened porch that affords much design flexibility. Additional benefits include tile’s durability and that it’s long lasting, and requires little maintenance.
We designed a gable roofed screen porch to attach to house in the area they wanted. The porch has cedar wall posts and a painted bead board ceiling. We installed ultra-heavy duty screening and railing on porch with Deckorator metal balusters.
The homeowners wanted a new custom door installed in the house. We removed the sliding doors and added French doors instead.
The deck is built using AZEK brownstone. Since it’s low to the ground, it does not require railing. We added custom skirting underneath the porch and deck to close off a lower area for looks and to keep animals out.
The owners are thrilled with their new porch and deck.
If you are considering adding a new porch, deck, or other outdoor living space to your Kansas City area home, give us a call for a design consultation.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
These Overland Park homeowners had a beautiful backyard shaded with lots of trees. They had an existing deck that unfortunately would get covered with dirt and other items that fell from the trees. They were looking for an enclosed dining area that was protected from everything falling from the trees. They wanted to make sure they continued to have natural light on their new porch.
When considering building a screened porch or other room, It’s important to know whether you plan on using your porch for dining or seating or both. This family wanted a room for dining with their grill right nearby. They had an existing deck that was not stable so we tore it down. In addition to the porch, we added a small deck for grilling and that allows room for a small table and chairs.
For the interior of the screened porch, we used cedar for the flooring, the wall posts, and the railing. The owner liked the authentic look of real cedar wood so he wanted to use a bit of it. For the ceiling we used white beadboard with built-in lighting and 2 Velux skylights for that extra natural light.
We used the same railings on the deck portion and inside the screened porch which was Deckorator aluminum balusters. It’s important that the porch looks original to the home so the exterior of the porch was painted to match the exterior color of the house.
You can see from the interior view that the family can still enjoy the view of their wooded backyard while keeping their eating area protected from leaves and other things that fall from the trees. They can also enjoy bug protection with the screened room.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
If you are considering adding a porch, deck, or other outdoor living area to your home, give us a ring at (913) 851 – 3325 or drop us an email at kansascity@archadeck.net. We look forward to hearing from you.
Overland Park KS Screened Porch with Treated Wood Floor and Knee Wall
Last week we wrote a post about whether all screened porches are the same and the degree to which they can differ. In that post we focused primarily on the outside of the screened porch. This week’s I’d like to focus on options and considerations for the interior of your screened porch. The primary components of the interior are the floor, the railing, the ceiling,and the electrical package.
Screened porch flooring options
Let’s look at flooring first. There are so many more flooring options today than you may think. These primarily include woods, composites, tile, and concrete.
To tailor to a more traditional look, you can use the wood floor. Natural wood floors are less expensive than composite floors but do require substantially more maintenance. Where a composite floor is close to maintenance free, a wood floor will need attention every couple of years depending on the wear and traffic. There are some things you can do to keep your natural wood floor looking fresher for longer. One option is to paint your floor. This will provide some level of protection from wear. Another really simple option is a nice large floor rug. Outdoor rugs have also come a long way in recent years. Remember the green outdoor rugs that looked like astro turf? Today a number of companies make rugs designed to withstand some rain and other elements. You’ll want to read the labels to see the degree to which these rugs withstand the elements. Your screened porch will get a minimal amount of water inside as compared to an open porch but water will be a factor.
Leawood KS Screened Porch with Cedar Trimmed Roof and Slate Tile Floor
There are some tropical hardwoods that are traditionally used for outdoor. One particular tropical hardwood we used is Ipe. Ipe has a a great number of advantages over pine and pine and still looks very, very rich. It will need to be maintained, either stained or sealed to maintain its rich color.
People are also using tile for the floor of their screened porches. There are colors or textures available that you can’t get with wood or composite and tile can have quite a finished look.
Kansas City Screened Porch with Screened Gable Roof and Sky Light
Railing and knee-wall options
For your interior porch railing, material options primarily include wood, metal, composite, fiberglass, and vinyl. Like the other components, the differences include the cost and the amount of maintenance. Wood is going to cost less but is going to require more maintenance. Man-made materials such as composite, fiberglass and vinyl will cost more at the onset but very little maintenance is required. Many people don’t want any aspect of their screened porch to require work. They want to rest, relax and minimize any necessity for cleaning and maintenance.
Knee wall is also an option. Knee wall introduces a measure of wind and rain protection. Knee wall also serves another couple of benefits. The knee wall can be painted to match other aspects of the house and pull the structure into the overall aesthetic of the house. Knee wall also adds a moderate degree of additional privacy based on the position of your screened porch and the proximity to the areas you would like some privacy from.
Ceiling and electrical packages for your screened porch
Screened porch with bead board ceiling and exposed truss design
For the ceiling, we can design open or covered rafters and have a variety of great choices for the ceiling including cedar, pine, bead board, plywood, tongue and groove, and vinyl/PVC. As you’ve begun to plan your screened porch and selected various design elements you like, you may not have thought of the aesthetic differences the different ceiling options can make. A vaulted roof creates a grand, open and airy feel. Traditional screened porches had flat ceilings but today the popular option is the opposite.
In my experience, one of the most common upgrades, if you will, is how you configure your electrical. Most screened porches will have a ceiling fan. In addition, you can add built-in ceiling lights, we can wire in and install mounted ceiling speakers, and you may want a number of additional outlets for plugging in things like table lamps, floor lamps, laptop computers and televisions.
When you begin to dialogue with a builder, you will quickly know based on your rapport, how they listen and how you feel about their trustworthiness whether that builder will be a good match for you. Before you have a contractor come out, check their BBB rating. Check their reviews on Angie’s List, and review their website to see pictures of their work.
Give us a call for a consultation. We would love to discuss your ideas and propose the best solution for what you’re looking for. (913) 851 – 3325.
Bonnie and Dan Hall, Archadeck of Kansas City Owners
We recently completed a screened porch and deck combination in Overland Park. The homeowners had an existing deck but wanted a porch and deck combination. The owners wanted a tile floor on the porch so we had to remove the old deck and install a new foundation suitable for tile. A traditional deck is not able to hold tile.
The homeowners wanted a new custom door installed in the house. We removed the sliding doors and added French doors instead.
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