Category Archives: Screened porches

Outdoor fireplace, Porch builder/contractor, Screened porches

Archadeck Engineering Expertise Creates Safer Screened Porch Design

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.

Before Archadeck began the project.

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.

Design rendering of project.
Design rendering of project.

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.

Project details

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.

fireplace on screened porch

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.

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lr
Stephen Denton, owner Archadeck of Central GA.

 

 

 

Archadeck of Central GA, Converting deck to porch, Deck builder, Porch builder/contractor, Professional outdoor structure builder, Screened porches

Archadeck of Central GA agrees with these Wesleyan Woods homeowners: Sometimes smaller is better

Macon Deck and Porch In Wesleyan WoodsIf your heart is telling you that you’d prefer a smaller outdoor living space, then by George, it’s time to stop, listen and downsize.  Every now and then we work with homeowners who want to go smaller rather than bigger when it comes to their outdoor living space. As the premier Macon and Warner Robins deck and porch designers/builders, Archadeck of Central Georgia will fully support you in this decision.

At Archadeck of Central GA, we don’t just build, we design and build outdoor living spaces. To design, we first listen to you, the homeowner, as you describe the space you have in mind. We won’t try to talk you into something bigger or fancier than you want.

 

In the case of these homeowners in Macon’s Wesleyan Woods neighborhood, they had a large deck that was part of the house when they purchased it, and this deck was too big for them. We have found, as deck designers, that when a deck stretches out too far from the house, the homeowners tend to push their furniture farther and farther out to get closer to the yard. From a design standpoint, that’s not a great use of space.

Before we began the project:
Before we began the project:

What’s more, these clients truly wanted a screened porch, not a deck, so this project falls into the category of deck-to-screened-porch conversions. They did, however, request a small (10×12) side deck off the new screened porch as a place for their grill.

A deck-to-screened-porch conversion is similar to a redecking in that once we remove the deck floor, we have to evaluate the existing posts, beams and joists to determine whether we can still use them. In this case, some of the original joists were still in good shape but there were not enough, so we had to add more. However, the posts and beams of the original joists were still in good shape, so we were able to use those. We also replaced the stairs, but we designed them to end on the same path where the original deck stairs ended.

Wesleyan Woods Deck and Porch Builders

The Wesleyan Woods homeowners selected pressure-treated wood as the building material for their screened porch and side deck. We installed white screened panels for the screened porch because the clients plan to use a solid white stain for the porch, inside and out. In keeping with the porch and side deck, the pickets and railings are built with wood. We also built special Chippendale panels for the side deck; that was one aspect of the original deck the homeowners wanted to recreate.

Wesleyan Woods Screened Porch BuilderWesleyan Woods Screened Porch Builder

As with all porches Archadeck of Central GA builds, we installed screening under the porch floor between the joists and the floor boards. This is important as a barrier to keep insects and other debris from coming up through the porch floor. Many of our clients are surprised to learn we do this.

Wesleyan Woods Screened Porches

One last detail — we worked with the homeowners’ electrician for all of the electrical work needed on the new porch. We are always willing to work with the clients’ electrician if they prefer that.

Is your deck too big or too small? Would you rather have a porch? Contact Archadeck of Central Georgia to learn more about our custom outdoor living designs. You can reach us by phone at (478) 745 – 2000 or via email at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lr
Stephen Denton, owner Archadeck of Central GA.

Archadeck of Central GA, Converting deck to porch, Outdoor rooms builder/contractor, Screened porches

Time makes the heart grow fonder for these Roberta, GA, homeowners

Screened Porch-Roberta GAOur recent project in Roberta, GA, just west of Macon, proves that the Archadeck difference doesn’t have an expiration date. Once you meet with us, even if you’re undecided or not quite ready to proceed with your outdoor living project, we’ll keep your notes and specs on file. Then, when you let us know you’re ready to move forward, we can pick up right where we left off.

These Roberta, GA, homeowners had initially contacted Archadeck of Central Georgia two years ago about redecking their aging wooden deck and converting a portion of the deck into a screened porch. During the period between the time when they first contacted us, to this summer, the homeowner had replaced some of the decking boards on his own. That’s a big job if you don’t have a crew working with you! When we went back to take another look at the existing deck, we could tell that the newer decking boards had not been sealed, so those boards had warped and would need to be replaced as well.

bay shaped porch-Roberta GA

Overall, the deck was well worth redecking; there was no need to demolish it and build a new deck from scratch. The original deck foundation was still sound and would provide good support for the new structure. The deck was large, with two level changes, and it had an interesting design with a bay shape at one end — that semi-octagonal shape you see in a bay window.

The homeowner wanted us to convert the bay-shaped area of the deck into a screened porch while leaving the remainder of the deck as open space. The bay end was perfect for enclosing with screens because that portion of the deck has a door leading to the home’s interior.

Roberta GA-Screened Porch-bay shaped roof
Interior view of the screened porch.

Archadeck of Central Georgia began the work by removing their hot tub, redecking the deck surface with pressure-treated wood, removing one set of stairs and reconfiguring the other set. We added new Chippendale railing panels to the deck railing.

Adding the screened porch was a challenge because a bay-shaped floor requires a bay-shaped ceiling and roof. We designed a hip roof to tie into the existing roof. Looking at this photo of the rafters, you can see what an interesting time we had with it. We even had to customize brackets to accommodate this roof design. We used a king post in the middle with a double LVL (laminated veneer lumber) beam to support.

Open rafters-screened porch-Roberta GA

To complete the screened porch, we added bronze screen inserts and screen door. Now the homeowners have an open, 180-degree view of the outdoors from their new porch in a lush, restful setting. Of course, we can’t take credit for the setting!

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lr
Stephen Denton, owner Archadeck of Central GA.

If you have a redecking project in the Macon or Warner Robins area, or want to convert a deck into a screened or covered porch, contact Archadeck of Central Georgia to talk about your options. If you’ve met with us in the past but were undecided or not yet ready to proceed, please don’t hesitate to call us again. You can reach us by phone at (478) 745 – 2000 or via email at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.

 

 

 

Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

Sometimes adding a porch feels like putting a square peg in a round hole

Screen Porch-Macon GA-before 1400At Archadeck of Central GA, we have been called a few times by homeowners hoping to build a porch but their home configuration makes it very difficult to identify how to attach a roof to their home. Take a look at the back of this home before a porch was added. There are two facades at different depths each with their own gable roof.

The homeowners originally called us about 2 years ago to discuss how to tackle attaching a screened porch. After reviewing a couple design ideas, they were not ready to move forward yet. Fast forward to 2016. They were ready to move forward. We again worked with a couple different design ideas for how to connect a new porch to the complicated back of their home.

Screen Porch-Macon GA-after 1400

As you can see, the design solution complemented the double gable roof lines with a gable style roof on the new porch. The room does not obstruct the view from the bay window section on the center facade. We kept a portion of the existing deck structure but we changed out the decking boards and railings to make it look like new.

Take a look at the new porch from the side of the home.

Macon GA-screen porch-matching soffit 1

In order to build the size porch the homeowners wanted, we extended the porch out past the side of the home. We matched the trim, soffits and roofing to make sure the porch looked original to the home.

Now take a look at the inside of this screened porch below. Even from the image, you can appreciate the view the homeowners now have while enjoying both sun and bug protection. The gable roof creates a vaulted ceiling inside the porch. The gable end is open to let in as much light as possible. The header boards are trimmed for a slightly more elegant look while maintaining the rustic character of the exposed rafter ceiling. We used dark-colored narrow profile pickets to ensure the greatest visibility of the yard.

Macon GA-sceen porch-metal Balusters 1400

We have been called a number of times from homeowners whose home configuration makes it difficult to design how a new porch would attach to their home. We are always able to provide a solution. If other builders tell you it can’t be done, give us a call for a free consultation. As this job demonstrates, we accept these challenges head on and enjoy taking it to the next level of making it look like it was always there.

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lrGive us a call at (478) 745 – 2000 or send us an email at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net for your free consultation. We look forward to talking to you.

 

Porch builder/contractor, Screened porches

Take a look at this historic Macon home screened porch addition

In Macon, our city is rich in history and rich in charm. The homes in our historic districts are prized and their authenticity is preserved under careful watch. A few of the wrong changes can take all the character and historic value out of these prized pieces of our city’s rich history.

historic Macon home new screened porch deck accessible

If we’re being honest, when we receive a call to do work in a historic district we fear that the necessary restrictions and approvals will hamper our ability to build the best structure within the time frame the family wants.

With this particular screen porch project we had even more reason to worry because the family needed it done in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The good news was that the structure was on the back of the home so we didn’t have the same restrictions we would have if the addition was visible at the street.

We had a very short window of time to build the project in time for Thanksgiving and Mother Nature wasn’t helping our case. She dumped a lot of rain just at the time we needed to be building so we created a plan that would allow us to keep building in the rain. Normally we will build out the porch walls before the roof but we built enough of the walls to get the roof up so we could work under cover of the roof to finish building out the screened porch. I must admit that it was the first time I’ve ever seen my team working in rain coats! Screened Porch-Macon GA historic district home

In addition to the screened porch, we also built a deck with decorative lattice skirting. Although you can’t see it in this picture, we added a wheelchair ramp for one of the aging family members.

Let’s not forget under the deck. First, we built a door in the lattice skirting to allow access for storage. We also screened under the porch and deck area inbetween the joists and decking boards. This keeps bugs from coming up through the deck boards. The family is considering also screening in the deck area in the future so we added the screening under that area to prepare for future growth.

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lrIf you are considering adding a deck, porch, pergola or other outdoor living space to your home give Archadeck of Central GA a call for a free consultation. If you choose to work with us, you will benefit from our extensive knowledge of local building trends and traditions, as well as our rock-solid relationships with other local tradesmen. Check out our reviews and reputation in the community. We are happy to provide you with references for any kind of job you are considering. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net. Or visit our website http://central-georgia.archadeck.com/

 

Eze-Breeze Windows, Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

Can you turn your deck into a porch? Can you turn your screened porch into a 3-season room? Archadeck of Central GA explains how.

Macon GA screened porch with gable roofOne common question we receive is about converting an existing space to a better space. Let’s say you have a deck that’s not too old and is in great shape but you want to get more use out of the space. Do you have to scrap a perfectly good deck to convert it to a porch? You shouldn’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

If you have a deck that’s in good condition, you should not need to scrap it to convert it into either an open porch or a screened porch. The caveat here is the interpretation of “good condition”. How is the substructure. How sound is it? Most often we will find deck substructures that are well built and, even when aged, are still capable of supporting growth (with some assistance). Here’s what we mean. A roof is tremendously heavy. Deck substructures are not built to accommodate the addition of a roof unless you had the substructure built to support a future roof addition. But, we can most often design and implement support enhancements which then allow the addition of a roof to your deck.

Sunroom-Eze Breeze-Warner Robins lrCan you turn a porch into a room?

There are many variations of outdoor rooms ranging anywhere from an open porch to a screened porch to a porch with 3-season windows to a fully insulated room with heating and cooling. Here in Central GA, the addition of a vinyl window system such as Eze-Breeze will help you turn your screened porch into a 3-season room making the room usable for most of the year. Today’s vinyl windows are nothing like they used to be. The vinyl is super clear, very strong, and integrated into a track window system making it a permanent addition to your room. Eze-Breeze windows are built to suit your existing or new room. Their track system allows you to expose from 25% up to 75% of the window area. Better yet, you can open the windows from the top or bottom. Depending on the weather conditions, this flexibility is a great plus.

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lrIf you have a great outdoor space and want to add some sun protection, rain protection, or weather protection, give us a call. We’re glad to provide a free consultation to determine if your space can be converted or upgraded. Call us at (478) 745 – 2000, email us at  centralgeorgia@archadeck.net or visit our website at http://central-georgia.archadeck.com.

 

Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

With teenagers, making family dinner meaningful might seem impossible. These Macon homeowners found a way.

As parents of 3, my wife and I know all too well the challenges of making the family dinner what it is supposed to be or what it ought to be. We can make the quintessential family dinner, remove all the daily troubles from our mind and sit down to provide a platform to hear our children talk. All too often, that meaningful conversation just doesn’t happen. How did our parents do it? How did they really get us talking about local events and homework and having healthy conversations about meaningful topics?

family dinners-screen porch-macon GA lrBased on a story that a recent client told me, perhaps getting slightly out of the house for family dinners might be the perfect recipe. When I talk to clients after completing their project, they always tell me that their porch is their favorite room in the house.

This Macon homeowner raved about the fact that it has strengthened their relationship with their teenagers. They have their family dinners out on the porch. She said their daughters linger longer, talk more, and are more a part of the family experience than when inside.

Maybe it’s the fresh air. Maybe it’s the feeling of being out of the house or away from the gadgets sitting inside the house. Maybe it’s the feeling that Mom and Dad are less frazzled because of the calming nature of the porch. But I’m glad to hear that their porch is making a difference in their lives.

In addition this story, there are some fun ones I hear quite a bit. Outside of the classic screened porch experience of enjoying morning coffee on the porch or sneaking away to enjoy a favorite book, here are just a couple other favorite screened porch uses my clients tell me about.

  1. Sleeping outside
  2. Watching TV outside
  3. Working outside

sleeping porch swing-macon GA 750Sleeping on the porch

While you may think the only person sleeping on the porch is the person in your house that has been kicked to the dog house, that is the farthest thing from the truth. My clients tell me they love sleeping outside. Some bring their sleeping bags along with their favorite movie and popcorn to spend the rest of the evening enjoying the breeze and fresh air. Many keep a throw blanket on their porch to grab a cat nap at different times of the day.

Watching TV outside

Would we ever have imagined we would be watching TV and sitting on nice furniture on our screened porch? Gone are the days of portable patio furniture and lack of entertainment. Many clients request that a TV be built into their screened porch design. Whether you enjoy a little ambient noise, enjoy catching just the important parts of the news, or enjoy catching up on your favorite series, you can now do it in comfort from your porch.

Working outside

Laptop computers are great. We can take them to the office and to the kitchen table. We can also take them to another desk in the house or the sofa table. Now you can take your laptop outside to work – outside on your screened porch. All of our porches include electricity so you can plug in when you need to or turn on a lamp when the sun is going down. Merging the relaxing feeling that a screened porch brings with your necessary take home work makes it just a little more enjoyable.

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lrIf you are considering creating a great new outdoor living space for your Macon/Warner Robins area back yard, or if you want to give a fresh new look to your existing area, give us a call for a free consultation. We strive to create the perfect outdoor living space just for you. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.

 

 

Porch builder/contractor, Screened porches

Bright, airy, beautiful, well built and surprisingly cost effective screened porch in Warner Robins

cost effective screen porch Warner Robins lrIf you’ve been thinking about adding a screened porch to your Central GA area home, it’s likely the screened porch in this photo has many of the elements you’re looking for. This screen porch is bright, airy, and connects you to the great outdoors while still providing the sun protection and bug protection you need here in Central GA. You are probably looking for a room that is conducive to enjoying the great outdoors. You want to see the sky, feel the breeze, and appreciate the light. You would never notice, but this screened porch is actually built of aluminum. Close your eyes and picture an aluminum porch. Then open your eyes and take a look at this porch. We’re sure this is nothing like you would expect.

In fact, many people envision an aluminum porch that comes from a kit. With a kit, you pick from standard sizes and get all the pieces and parts to put the porch together. When you’re done, it looks like what you purchased – something built from a kit. Porches built from a kit tend to have problems, not the least of which, are water problems.

These homeowners got the best of both worlds. We built a traditional screened porch roof. The roof is a gable style roof and the gable is screened for maximum screened area. The walls, however are built from aluminum. Aluminum is a very cost effective material. By pairing aluminum walls with a traditional roof, we got a custom structure, with structural integrity, that was cost effective.

A couple additional benefits of going with a custom porch roof include:

  1. Structural integrity
  2. Made to fit the style and structure of your home
  3. Made to match your existing roof

Warner Robins aluminum porch lrStructural integrity:

A roof built from a kit will never have the same structural integrity as a structure designed and built by a professional licensed builder. Archadeck designs and builds every structure to meet and often exceed local code requirements.

Matches your home

When selecting a roof style for your home, several factors come into play. A good starting point in making that decision is the type of roof you would like. The gable style roof is often the most popular because of the light that enters the room with an interior cathedral ceiling. Another key consideration is the roof style of your existing home. Often we try to utilize the same roof shape or compliment the shape of your home’s existing roof. There may be exacerbating factors such as second story windows in the area where your porch roof would go. Nonetheless, this home had both a gable roof and a shed roof on different parts of the home. The roof we built was a gable style matching not only the homeowners desires but was also a great compliment to the home.

Matches your roof

Our goal when adding a roof structure to your home is to do what we can to make it look as if the new room was always there. We try to make it look original to your home. Nothing is a better giveaway of an addition than roof tiles and gutters that are not a match for your home. By building a traditional custom roof on this screened porch, we were able to source matching roof tiles to help make this new space look like it was always there.

Stephen Denton Archadeck Augusta square lrIf you’re looking for a more cost effective way to add a beautiful new screened porch to your Central GA area home, give us a call for a free consultation at 478-745-2000 or drop us an email at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net. We look forward to your call.

Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

The engineer’s choice for building a porch in Central GA

We recently built a screened porch in Centerville. They inherited a deck and used it infrequently because it was poorly designed & built and was also in disrepair. The homeowner is an engineer so he knew he would know a good builder when he met one.  He and his wife wanted to work with a builder that would create a thoughtful, professional design and execute on it with the kind of attention to detail that he uses in his own work.

While the homeowners originally thought they wanted a new deck, they soon realized that a porch made more sense. A couple other reasons for not using their deck included the stiflingly hot Georgia summer head and the bugs that come along with that. They did use the patio for grilling so it made sense to keep the patio. For the other outdoor living space, a porch made more sense. It would provide sun protection as well as bug protection.

Transformation from terrible deck to beautiful porch

The new porch is the largest in width we can build without special ordering material (27’ feet wide). This porch width works particularly well because it provides enough space for a table and chairs. Considerations like these help save on materials and labor costs without compromising on traffic flow or the feel of the living space. The length of the porch allows for more than one seating area.  Stairs that run the length of the porch leading to the patio provide additional space for potted plants or even additional seating.

We used a gable roof/cathedral ceiling combination.  We use gable roofs on many screened porches because the lofty ceiling gives the space a light and airy feel and leaves plenty of room for ceiling fans to keep a breeze going. You can control the fans and light fixtures with a wall switch, a remote or both: your choice.

Screened Porch-Centerville-GA cathedral ceilingOur client appreciated some of the finer building details that some other clients might not ever identify or notice. We used a laminated ridge beam for additional strength. We used pressure-treated decking, screened from beneath to keep out bugs. And, we worked out a nice solution to tying in the roof with the existing slanted eave on the house. One of the great advantages of working with Archadeck is that you don’t have to have an engineer’s eye for possible design challenges. We find the problems and solve them as part of our job.  And when we miss something, which we did in this case (a few pieces of trim) we always come back for our clients to make sure they feel great about their new outdoor living space.

If you are considering creating a great new outdoor living space for your Macon/Warner Robins area back yard, or if you want to give a fresh new look to your existing backyard space, give us a call for a free consultation. Together we will work to identify the best structures and materials to create the perfect outdoor living space just for you.

Stephen Denton Owner, Archadeck of Central GA

Stephen Denton
Owner, Archadeck of Central GA

Call: (478) 745 – 2000

Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

Visit the screened porch photo gallery on our website for more great design ideas and inspiration.

Converting deck to porch, Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

Turning a Bonaire GA deck into a screened porch

proposal-screen porch-Bonaire GABoth decks and porches are great outdoor living structures. Each has their own benefits. Decks allow you to spend time outdoors enjoying the fresh air, the view of your yard, and enjoying the “extra room” in your house. A porch allows you to enjoy all of these but it does provide a little extra protection. While a rainstorm will send you inside, a screened porch is a roofed structure. Along with the screens, the porch allows quite a bit of protection from rain and other storm conditions.

A porch provides two additional key benefits. Summers here in the Macon Warner Robins area can be brutally hot. With roof cover and a good ceiling fans, the mid-day Screen porch-ipe-Bonaire GA lrtemperatures are a lot more bearable. In addition, bugs are a big factor. Depending on a number of factors, your yard might be a treasure trove of mosquitoes and other biting insects. Some of the factors that determine how many mosquitoes you’ll have are the amount of standing water you have and the amount of landscaping you have. Mosquitoes need standing water to breed. So, anything from a pool to a koi pond to a bird bath will bring the mosquitoes in. This home had both a pool and a pond so the bugs were eating them up.

The home had an existing deck. The owners wanted a new porch to provide more outdoor living opportunities, including shade and bug protection. We were able to use their existing deck and convert it into a screened porch. If you’re thinking about converting your deck to a porch, often times that is an option. The deck substructure may require ceiling fan-screen porch-Archadeck Bonaire GA lrreinforcement but a good builder will be able to make that assessment as well as enhance the substructure to meet code and support the weight of the new roof. That was the case at this Bonaire GA home. Over 10 years ago, we built the deck on this home. The new homeowner saw the Archadeck tag on the deck and called us first to quote his upgrade project.

The new porch includes ipe flooring, a gable roof to create an open cathedral ceiling, large screened openings for great visibility, and the design deftly works with the challenge of attaching a roof to this home. In the middle of the screened porch area is a large chimney. The roof needed to not only to attach to the home but to also wrap around the chimney. That was no problem.

Archadeck-ipe-deck lrThe lower deck also has ipe decking. The railing is pressure-treated wood with an ipe rail caps. White metal pickets and lattice complete the look. With the two distinct outdoor living spaces, the family can pick the level of sun protection they need based on the activity and the time of day.

If you live in the Central GA area and you’re considering converting your deck into a screened porch, give us a call for a free consultation.

 

Stephen Denton Owner, Archadeck of Central GA

Stephen Denton
Owner, Archadeck of Central GA

Call: (478) 745 – 2000

Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

Visit our Archadeck of Central GA website for more great design ideas and inspiration.