Alternatives to screen-in porches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just added a screened porch with Sunspace windows and included a gas fireplace and TV. We expect to be able to use it year-round. It is the most glorious space. That said, it was well north of $60K. But no regrets!

We are looking at something similar. What did it cost?

[Anonymous]

A raised deck + fan will work, OP. So will a screen tent for camping.

[Anonymous]

Didn't pull the trigger at $60k (too expensive) and 18 months later spent $75k on our screened in porch and love it! Have fans and heaters, use it all the time and agree, is our favorite room in the house.

Patios and decks are too hot, too buggy, or too cold most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Have to agree with everyone. It’s our favorite part of the house. You won’t regret it!

[Anonymous]

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/aleko-12-ft-w-x-10-ft-d-aluminum-patio-gazebo-alek2668.html?piid=

[Anonymous]

Screened gazebo would cost you half that

[Anonymous]

We hated our screened in porch. It gathered pollen like crazy and was mostly too hot or to cold to use. We turned it into a second family room.
We are think of adding a 3 season room to a vacation house. Someone said not good above. Anyone else have one? Like it? Use it?

[Anonymous]

We have a paver patio and keep a pop up screen tent on it for 4ish months of the year (we find mosquitos get bad June or July through October)

Screen tent has lasted 4 years and was about $150 at Target.

[Anonymous]

The weather has been lovely all month and there are no mosquitoes out. This is so overhyped. Do you really want to be outside in July anyway?

[Anonymous]

We’re just finishing up our three season room with bioethanol fireplace insert and TV. It’s easily easily the best room in the house, replacing an old standard (but rotting) screened-in porch. Since we used to spend loads of time on that porch I anticipate basically living in the new three-season room until temperatures plummet too low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The weather has been lovely all month and there are no mosquitoes out. This is so overhyped. Do you really want to be outside in July anyway?

October is the best month of the year for a Patio, I would argue. But a screened porch is undeniably better in our climate. But obviously a lot more expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a screened in porch 50-60K? Is the screen made of diamonds?

It’s not the screens, it’s the roof. It has to be built to withstand snow, major storms, etc. In Florida you can just tack on a “Florida room” but you can’t do that here because of snow load.

I was actually surprised how many of those screened pool enclosures survived Hurricane Ian (I think because they have so little surface area), but in DC a screened enclosure like that wouldn’t survive snow. However, even in warm coastal areas, a true screened porch with a solid roof is expensive to build because an open structure is more susceptible to wind “lift” and the code is pretty strict.