Pros and cons of a screened porch

[Anonymous]

We are in the works of looking at 2 homes. One home has a 16x14 vaulted screened in porch, with a double sided fireplace with ceiling fan rough in. The other home is slightly bigger (has a fully finished attic), but it only has a 10x14 deck with brick foundations.

Trying to determine which is the best overall option. We love both a regular deck and a screened porch, but the finished attic in the long run adds 700 Sq ft. But still considering going with the screened in porch option because we know we’ll use it a lot more.

How often do you all use your screened porch? All seasons? Worth it?

[Anonymous]

100% worth it. A deck is really not that useful in this climate, whereas a screen porch you can use 9-10 months of the year and up to 12 with the fireplace. We recently turned our deck into a porch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:100% worth it. A deck is really not that useful in this climate, whereas a screen porch you can use 9-10 months of the year and up to 12 with the fireplace. We recently turned our deck into a porch.

How much was it to convert, if you don’t mind me asking? That was another option we were considering. But heard it’s pretty expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:100% worth it. A deck is really not that useful in this climate, whereas a screen porch you can use 9-10 months of the year and up to 12 with the fireplace. We recently turned our deck into a porch.

How much was it to convert, if you don’t mind me asking? That was another option we were considering. But heard it’s pretty expensive.

It’s about as expensive as adding a room. You can’t convert the deck - it’s highly unlikely it will support the roof. There are no “Florida rooms” here because everything has to hold up heavy snow.

[Anonymous]

We live on our porch except for freezing days. It’s our favorite “room” in the house. We had both a porch and deck in our last house and only used the deck for hosing off porch furniture. The only downside is pollen season and needing to clean out the porch since rain doesn’t wash it away.

[Anonymous]

Our screened in porch has ceiling fans for hot days, and heaters for cold ones. We don't use it when it's super freezing cold, but have used it a couple times in January already (but January hasn't been that cold).

Yes, 4 seasons, but not every day of those 4 seasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live on our porch except for freezing days. It’s our favorite “room” in the house. We had both a porch and deck in our last house and only used the deck for hosing off porch furniture. The only downside is pollen season and needing to clean out the porch since rain doesn’t wash it away.

OMG, this. We basically bought our house for the porch (but don’t have a fireplace, which would be amazing).

Go for it and enjoy, OP.

[Anonymous]

Love our screened porch and with a fireplace would be amazing!

[Anonymous]

A screened-in porch was high on my list of wants when we were buying, but it was during spring 2017 and things were just too nutty in the market then. Our house is great, but I still do wish we had one.

I think the only downside to them is that it can make the inside rooms next to the porch a bit dark as you cut off their sunlight, but I’d still rather have the porch than not have it.

[Anonymous]

Would love a screened in porch with fireplace and fan! Isn't an attic going to be hot and stuffy, unless it has it's own heating/cooling unit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in the works of looking at 2 homes. One home has a 16x14 vaulted screened in porch, with a double sided fireplace with ceiling fan rough in. The other home is slightly bigger (has a fully finished attic), but it only has a 10x14 deck with brick foundations.

Trying to determine which is the best overall option. We love both a regular deck and a screened porch, but the finished attic in the long run adds 700 Sq ft. But still considering going with the screened in porch option because we know we’ll use it a lot more.

How often do you all use your screened porch? All seasons? Worth it?

I would absolutely go for the home with the screened in porch. The cost of adding a large screened in porch with a fireplace like that is something you'd probably never do. As others have said, you'll be able to use it practically year-round hear, especially with the fireplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our screened in porch has ceiling fans for hot days, and heaters for cold ones. We don't use it when it's super freezing cold, but have used it a couple times in January already (but January hasn't been that cold).

Yes, 4 seasons, but not every day of those 4 seasons.

NP, this is my experience as well. We love our screened porch. Having a little bit of climate control (fans/heaters) and zero bugs is a lovely way to be outside in this area.

[Anonymous]

Get the largerscreened porch house, unless you have a ton of kids who need attic bedrooms.

Our porch is 15x20 and I agree with all the "you'll use it so much more" comments.

Also, you can get some kind of winter enclosure for it. Ours stays up until the end of Pollen (opening panels temporarily while we're using it).

[Anonymous]

Go for the house with the porch.

We are currently adding a screened in porch with a fireplace and ceiling fan. We're beyond excited for this. Summers here are just so buggy (and I'm terrified of snakes) and we never really used our deck for that very reason. I believe we'll get a lot of use out of our porch. We're also adding those EZ-breeze type of windows to keep out pollen / weather. The total cost for this is $50K+.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:100% worth it. A deck is really not that useful in this climate, whereas a screen porch you can use 9-10 months of the year and up to 12 with the fireplace. We recently turned our deck into a porch.

How much was it to convert, if you don’t mind me asking? That was another option we were considering. But heard it’s pretty expensive.

Our situation was a little different because - as PP says - you cannot convert a deck. Ours was essentially a screened porch (roof, etc.) just without the screens. Which is so incredibly dumb. It cost $3k to have it screened with aluminum framed screens and put in a door.