Screened Porches: Bring the Outside In

New Trends Make Outdoor Living More Enjoyable.

Memories of hot sun, harassing insects and unexpected rain showers are enough to keep most families from eating outdoors during the summer. But an increasing number of St. Louis area residents are now dining al fresco on their screened porches.

With a screened porch, you can enjoy the fresh air, avoid the hot sun and it's a great way to escape pesky bugs. Today's screened porches are viewed more as an additional room rather than just a porch.

Archadeck specializes in building screened porches that blend with the original structure and details of your home. In addition to matching the existing roof line and shingles, the company can build gables and knee walls with a finish to match the home's exterior. Interior finish on the ceiling, the knee wall and even on the existing house wall, all add to the feeling that the screened porch is another room in the house, rather than an enclosed deck. Skylights add to that effect, and they help capture some of the natural light that can be lost when a roof is added to an exterior wall.

And, for those homeowners who wish to extend the use of their screened porch into the cooler days of fall, we offer several options which allow the screened porch to be converted into a 3-season or 4-seaon room. One popular option includes adding clear acrylic panels that may be removed with the turn of a clip, much like the back of a picture frame. These fixed panel inserts can be easily removed during warm weather like a window, but reinstalled during chillier days and nights. In addition, in those areas of the country where the sun is extremely strong during afternoon hours," says <last name>, Archadeck offers screens with UV protection and the option of adding ceiling fans.

Some budget conscious homeowners prefer to start with upgradeable decks that they can convert to a screened porch in the future. In those cases, Archadeck increases the size of footings to support the roof load.

For those customers living where insects are not an issue, Archadeck offers a variety of shade options, ranging from an open porch or loggia to a pergola. These attractive structures provide the perfect relief for the potent rays and heat of the sun.

See more examples of our Screened Porches in our Photo Gallery.