These North Macon homeowners may never know just how fortunate they were when they hired Archadeck of Central Georgia to build their screened porch. Because they chose Archadeck, a professional design-and-build firm with the resources of a full engineering department, they avoided disaster.
We don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, but a less skilled, less experienced builder would not have handled this situation correctly. This home in Jones County, GA, was built with a portion of the second story cantilevered over the first story. That means there is an overhang at the back of the house where the second story protrudes over the first story by 2 ft. In this case, the cantilevered portion of the home stuck out over the back door and the deck.
The clients wanted to convert their deck to a screened porch. Most screened porch contractors would have attached the porch roof to the second-story cantilever. That would have been a huge mistake. The cantilevered edge of the home’s second story was not designed to support any more weight than it was already carrying.
First Contact: Homeowners Add Portico to North Macon Home
Our clients purchased this home in the Tumbling Shoals subdivision of North Macon, GA, two years ago. They wanted to add a portico over the front door, and they consulted with Archadeck of Central Georgia about the project. As it turned out, they also wanted to remodel parts of the home’s interior, and they allowed their remodelers to build the portico on the front of the home.
Second Contact: Homeowners Hire Archadeck to Design and Build Screened Porch
The clients also wanted to convert their deck to a screened porch, but not right away. When they were ready to move forward with the screened porch project, this time they didn’t call the remodelers. While they had been relatively satisfied with their portico, they weren’t thrilled enough to hire the remodelers for another outdoor living project. They called screened porch designer and builder Archadeck of Central Georgia instead—and you can bet they’re glad they made that very wise decision.
Archadeck of Central Georgia is a local Macon and Warner Robins, GA, builder with headquarters in Richmond, VA. Archadeck locations across the country rely on the professional engineering and architectural drafting expertise of the Richmond office. They produce our architectural drawings, and we are able to consult with their engineers if we encounter an especially complex design issue. Most local builders will not have access to that level of professional resources.
The Archadeck engineers confirmed our suspicion that this home’s cantilevered second story could not carry the load of a screened porch addition. The typical porch roof tie-in would have created a nightmare for these homeowners.
Screened Porch Designer Archadeck of Central GA Surpasses Expectations
With our engineered drawings for a porch design that would not destroy the home, we got to work. We built the screened porch and deck extension these homeowners had waited two years to enjoy. To distribute the load of the porch properly, we used an LVL beam (laminated veneer lumber) from one end of the porch to the other. The posts supporting the porch’s shed roof go down to the footings on either side. All the load of the porch is transferred to the concrete footings in the ground instead of to the cantilever. Even if the home blew down, the porch would still be standing.
With a deck to screened porch conversion—or with a deck replacement, for that matter—clients have an opportunity to make significant design changes. For example, these North Macon homeowners could have kept the porch dimensions to the same footprint as their deck. Instead, they decided to extend the footprint to make the area a little longer than the original.
The new extension is not enclosed or screened, and it functions as a landing that leads from the porch to the garage. Garage access from the porch was high on the homeowners’ list of priorities. The open area of the landing has room for the clients’ grill. It also gives the clients an area where they can sit and soak up the sun when it’s not too hot outdoors. Finally, the new stairs open off of the landing, providing easy access from porch to back yard and garage to back yard, too.
Now the homeowners can enjoy their time outdoors without pesky insects invading their space. The porch roof will provide protection from rain showers, as well. One of the amenities they chose to integrate in to their porch design was an outdoor fireplace with a gas starter. We’re pretty sure they would tell you this screened porch was worth the wait.
Are you ready to discuss a new porch design or replacement deck for your central Georgia home? Archadeck of Central GA is ready to help! Get in touch with us by calling 478-745-2000 or via email at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.
