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Screened Porch Addition to Period Home

As I sat down to dinner on our porch the other night, I knew something was wrong.  The kids were already scratching.  I turned on the ceiling fan, which normally blows away all but the most determined bugs and it barely had any effect.  The next thing I knew, the kids were going for the bug spray.  We made it through dinner, but until this crop of mosquitoes has gone south, we will be eating indoors. It dawned on me that in an average year we get few mosquitoes around our house.  If they were as bad all summer as they were the other night, I would have built a screened porch instead of an open porch, or I would be having screen panels made. If everything were equal, an open porch is the ideal choice for enjoying the outdoors while under a roof, but if the bugs make outdoor living impossible, screens are the way to go.  As I have mentioned in the past, the Phantom Screen Company makes an automatic roll down screen, which is very effective, but due to the roller, tracks, and power requirements, it does not always adapt well to every porch. In the end, sometimes an old fashioned screened porch is the best insurance against the onslaught of insects who just won’t leave us alone.

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Interior of Additon

View Of Porch To Pond

Porch With Deck Above

Back Porch Into Dining Room

Screened Porch Below Roof Deck

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Screened and Open Porch

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Screened Porch With Grill

By Published On: October 3rd, 2011Categories: Porches8 Comments on 4 Screened PorchesTags: , , ,

About the Author: James Crisp

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James M. Crisp has been an architect for well over 30 years. His architectural firm, Crisp Architects, designs projects throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In April of 2007, Taunton Press published 'On the Porch' by James M. Crisp and Sandra Mahoney.

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8 Comments

  1. 49131B14C974721031D7Bbb6C5833233?S=54&R=G
    Mary Douglas October 6, 2011 at 9:25 am

    As always, very beautiful photos. I love the screened porches.

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    Kathleen Kourie October 6, 2011 at 10:13 am

    All I can say is “wow”. Those porches are gorgeous and really extend the living space. I love the screened porches with open air deck and open porches too. They blend so well with existing structures. Well done.

  3. 018B5664F5Faba457B17783Bfcf19068?S=54&R=G
    David Greenwood (Nan, too) October 6, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    We love our 1890’s porches: open below, screened above. They bring outside inside-or is it inside outside? Generations have enjoyed them. We’d encourage everyone to experience the joy they bring to our family, our friends, hey, even the house loves to be able to breath fresh air! Crisp knows his audience. He also knows how to deliver quality. He’d be our choice if we ever decide our porches needed more porches!

  4. 018B5664F5Faba457B17783Bfcf19068?S=54&R=G
    David Greenwood (Nan, too) October 6, 2011 at 9:24 pm

    Sorry, I don’t know hat this means. ,a href=

  5. Aa2Cbf39867Dfccabe80558316A86802?S=54&R=G
    James Crisp October 6, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    Thanks a lot. Our ideas start with porches like yours.

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    Paula Hammond March 30, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    Loved the deck right on top of the porch. May I asked how you finished the roof so it could be walked on?

  7. Aa2Cbf39867Dfccabe80558316A86802?S=54&R=G
    James Crisp March 30, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    We normally use a rot resistant wood like ipe on ‘sleepers’ with a tapered insulation or deck below.

  8. 004Cc4860733D99970B18Ed36C30E082?S=54&R=G
    Kevin Harris, FAIA April 23, 2022 at 8:17 pm

    Jim:
    Hope you are doing well. Your screened porch suggestions are great and will even detract those pesky buffalo mosquitoes we have in the South.
    Keep up the good work!

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