A Screened Porch That Creates Comfortable Outdoor Living Space

Those who live in Northeast Ohio know that spring can bring showers and summer has its fair share of sunshine and bugs. So, to extend your home’s footprint, a screened porch or a summer porch is the ideal solution for a comfortable, multi-purpose living space that brings the fresh outdoors in while offering protection from the elements and pests.

Being able to spend more time outdoors enjoying their beautiful backyard was the motivation for these homeowners: They wanted additional all-weather space for family gatherings, entertaining and relaxing. They partnered with Dover Home Remodelers to build a screened porch room addition to replace their backyard deck which they couldn’t enjoy when the weather wasn’t cooperating.

This blog follows the home remodeling project from start to finish with lots of before and after photos for inspiration.

Backyard Living Space: Before & After

The old deck was small and cramped. And, other than a patio umbrella, it offered no protection from the elements. The new screened porch room is a larger, open-air living space with floor-to-ceiling screened panels for excellent ventilation and unrestricted views with a full roof for protection.

The Backyard Before: The Deck

The small hardwood deck had served its time: The deck was small, and with railings on one end and a built-in bench on the other, it offered very little space for outdoor furniture. Plus, the cramped layout restricted traffic flow from inside the house to the outdoor living area. And there was the apparent challenge of no protection from pests, rain or the hot sun.

The Backyard After: Screened Porch

We removed the existing deck and built an 11’ x 14’ screened porch room, accessible from the sliding glass doors at the rear of the home. We poured a concrete pad and installed a sleeper floor using weatherproof TimberTech composite wood decking in brown oak over the top for a soft, comfortable feel underfoot—and no maintenance.

We used sturdy, lightweight framing materials for the gabled roof and side panel construction, including maintenance-free aluminum posts capped in vinyl, so there’s no paint to touch up or chipping paint to worry about long-term. Because the homeowners wanted an unobstructed view and ventilation for their firepit table, we ran the screens from floor to ceiling with no knee wall. We also added screened entry doors on both sides for easy access to the room. Finally, we matched the home’s siding and roof shingles to create a seamless, cohesive look.