Springtime Means Porch Time: Answers to Your Most FAQs

Now that spring has arrived and I'm using and posting more about the porch and decks, I've been getting a good many questions about the porch lately regarding its construction and furniture, so today I'm posting some of the most frequently asked questions along with three new pics of the porch during construction.

Hope you find this information helpful...here goes.
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Kimberly Queen: The Shed-free Fern

Thanks so much for all your input yesterday!  So far, the tall file organizer seems to be leading in the voting.  You all made so many great points about the pros/cons for both the short and the tall.   It is tempting to keep them both as so many folks suggested.

This week I've been working on spiffying up the porch a bit more for spring and summer.  I just discovered a plant I didn't know about before and I immediately knew I had to share it with you in case you were looking for a non-messy fern, too.

Every summer I like to place a big fern on the plant stand that lives behind the chair over there in the corner of the porch.  In this photo from a few summers ago, I filled the corner with a big, bushy Boston fern.  I loved how it looked but man, what a mess it did make.  I kept it watered and periodically placed it in a semi-shady spot on the deck for some sun, but it still dropped leaves all summer and in general made a big mess.  After a while it just didn't look so hot, either.

This year while shopping in a local nursery, I asked for a plant or fern that would work better for this corner.  They recommended a Kimberly Queen fern.  Have you heard of it?   I was told they don't shed and make a mess like Boston ferns do.  Apparently, they hold onto their leaves.  (It's raining here today so these pics are a bit dark.)  Come check Queen Kimberly out.
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Waking Up the Porch and Decks for Spring: Welcome to the 168th Metamorphosis Monday!

Preparing the Porch and Decks for Spring: Cleaning and Planting

At the start of this past winter, I decided to try something new.  Instead of tossing the big geranium that lives all summer on the porch, and the three smaller ones visible behind this summer table setting below, I tucked them all away in my garage for the winter.

Amazingly, they lived.  They only needed watering a few times all winter.  I placed them near the windows in the garage so they got a little light, although it wasn't much.  We had a very mild winter here this year, so I'm sure that helped them to winter over.  About a week ago, I brought all the geraniums back out onto the deck.  I placed the three smaller ones back in their stand under the window.  We'll call this our "before" pic for this post.
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Beautiful Curbside Transformations on a Budget: Welcome to the 166th Metamorphosis Monday!

Greetings!  Hope you had a fabulous weekend!  I spent most of mine indoors with brief forays onto the porch.  The pollen has been crazy here but we got a little rain two days in a row which seems to have helped calm down the attack of the yellow stuff.

This week, for Metamorphosis Monday, I'm sharing three amazing exterior transformations.  If you are living in a home that's great on the inside but a bit ho-hum on the outside, take heart!  Your run-of-the-mill exterior can achieve car-stopping curb appeal with a few basic changes and a little landscaping.  All it takes is a little vision and a modest budget to get these awesome looks.  Check out these stunning transformations.

Imagine driving by this home...you probably wouldn't give it a second glance, right?
Before:

After:  Take a look at her now!  Wow!  The new additions having the biggest impact are the porch and landscaping.  On closer inspections you'll also notice new shutters, window boxes, an added door from the attic area with a small balcony and deeper eaves with corbels.  I love the new curved stone pathway and white picket fence.  I'd love a look inside to see what they did with the attic space?  I'm guessing it was transformed into either a guest room, a new master suite or perhaps a home office.

Brick ranch homes have so much potential.  This one didn't look bad before but it was pretty nondescript.
Before:

 After: Check her out now!  The biggest change, other than the painted brick, is the addition of a beautiful deck, complete with pergola.  It really transformed the entrance to this home, didn't it?  What an inviting area to welcome friends and family.  The landscaping is pretty awesome, too.
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Porch Fever

Springtime = Porch Fever, and I have the cure.

Just one question...screened-in or open today?  You decide.  Oh, and could you pass me a lemon for my sweet tea?  Just feel those breezes!

Source

This is one of my very favorite houses in Grant Park in Atlanta.  It has multiple porches...as in porches on ALL. FOUR. SIDES!  Love!  There are three porches just on the front of the home...enough to make this porch-crazy woman faint!

I had the opportunity to tour this house once and it's gorgeous inside, too.  My favorite porch is on the right side, protected by that big, beautiful tree you see on the right side of the house.

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Porches for Sleeping

From time to time I visit a section of the Atlanta Journal & Constitution called "Private Quarters."  They highlight homes of all types and give mini tours.  Recently this home was featured.  You can see the full tour HERE.  My favorite "room" shown in the tour was the porch.  I know that comes as no surprise since I have a thing for porches.

This little piece of heaven especially caught my eye.  Imagine sleeping away a warm southern night in this spot, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the crickets, cicadas and frogs.  It would be a regular symphony of natures best musicians.  Candlelight would be provided by lightning bugs.  What a wonderful way to end a day.
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A Christmas Porch Welcome to the 151st Metamorphosis Monday!

Happy Holidays!  Hope your weekend has been grand!  I've been busy finishing the last bit of Christmas decorating for the front porch.  Come a bit closer and check it out.

I usually use pine garland around the door for Christmas, but last year I had to buy enough to go around the door twice because it was sort of skimpy looking.  So this year I decided to try cedar.  If you live in the Atlanta area, Pike Nurseries has beautiful cedar garland.  I purchased 30 feet--enough to go around the door, down the center of my dining room table and across the mantel for $45.

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Front Porch Decorated for Halloween

Wow, what a fun night! I love, love, love Halloween. I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood of trick-or-treating with friends, so Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays.

I decorated the porch pretty simply for Halloween this year.

I covered the front door with the "creepy cloth" used as a tablecloth in THIS previous Halloween tablescape.  (You can see the door minus the creepy cloth in THIS post.)

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Repairing String Lights on the Pergola: Welcome to the 145th Metamorphosis Monday!

A few years ago I purchased some outdoor string lighting from Hobby Lobby.  It was perfect for my deck(s) because it was white and the decks are painted white.  I spent several hours one afternoon, running it around the top of the pergola to the right of the screened-in porch and under the arm rail of the deck to the left of the porch.

Within the year, something chewed through the wiring in several places on both decks.  Eventually I removed the wiring from under the handrail on the deck on the left.   You can just see it in this pic (below) taken before it was removed.  It was so pretty lit up...made me sad to remove it.  But the critter damage was in a place that couldn't easily be repaired.

A friend repaired the damaged area of the lighting on the pergola side.

It was chewed through toward the lower section--the part that runs a few feet away from the bird feeder on that side.

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Autumn Comes to the Porch

I've been playing outside today, bringing a little fall to the porch.  During the summer it looks something like this. (View this tablescape summer table setting HERE)

Because the porch is all white (for the most part) it's a blank slate for anything you can dream up.  For the 4th of July, it looked like this. (4th of July porch, HERE)

It was time to add a little fall  to the porch.
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9 Great Features for Your Screened-In Porch

A little over three years ago I was faced with a big decision. I had a badly deteriorating deck and I knew if I didn't replace it, I would surely have to replace it before I ever listed my house to sell one day. How often do we do that...wait until it's time to move before we fix things or make improvements we've dreamed of for years? Then it's the next homeowner who gets to enjoy our hard work. If you've been putting off a little home renovation dream, don't wait until it's time to move. Do it for you and enjoy it now.

My deck had lots of issues. Boards were popping up and splintering and the previous homeowners had added an addition that was a drop off from the original deck. It was really a hazard and was just an example of poor planning and design.



Also, the steps stuck out into the center of the yard and took up a lot of space in addition to just being unattractive. It was clear the best course of action would be to tear off the old deck and start from scratch.



As I began the process of getting estimates for the porch, I immersed myself in all things "porch" by reading books about porches and searching online for pictures and ideas.

In the end it was clear, I wanted a traditional porch with an old fashioned porch feel...the kind of porch where you could spend lazy afternoons sipping sweet iced tea with friends...or alone, reading, napping and enjoying the breezes.

Now, I certainly don't claim to be an expert on everything you need to know about adding on a screened-in porch, but since it's springtime and porch time, I thought I'd share what I have learned and have come to value in a porch in hopes it will prove helpful for you.

As I always say, please take what you can use from this post--what suits your needs, then just discard the rest. The porch of your dreams might look very different from the one I added, but hopefully you'll glean a few new ideas from my experience.

As with any renovation or addition, the most important place to start is by sitting down and making a list of how you want your new space to function once you're done. How do you plan to use the space? What activities will take place there? What needs do you want this space to meet?

When I began planning the addition of my porch, my list included:

1. Lots of seating
2. Roomy enough for friends and family
2. A place to dine
3. No mosquitoes or bugs getting in
4. Soft lighting for evening time
5. Ceiling fans
6. Music

Looking at my list, you'll see my plans for this space were pretty basic...nothing too out of the ordinary. While I was in my research phase, I saw porches with wide screen TVs and Jacuzzis. Though those weren't features I wanted for my porch, they might be features you would like. Dream big when you're making your list. You can always scale back your plans later if needed.

It's important to read and research a lot in the planning stage because you don't want to spend money adding a screened-in porch to realize later you left out something you really wanted. As you read and research, jot down ideas and questions so you'll have a list once you start getting estimates for your addition.

I've been asked before why I didn't add on a sun room. That's a little like asking a person why they bought a convertible car when they could have a hardtop. I really wanted a porch, not another cooled and heated space. I do love sun rooms, but that just wasn't what I wanted. Now that I've had a screened-in porch, I'm totally ruined. I never want to be without one again, if I can at all help it.

I could write volumes about all the things I learned in the process of adding on a screened-in porch, but today I thought I'd share 9 of my most loved features for a porch.


Size:
Size is pretty important when designing a screened-in porch. My deck was 18 feet long and only 12 feet deep, which seemed deep enough. The contractor I used encouraged me to build my porch 2 feet deeper making it 14 feet deep. I'm so glad he did. He told me he had never had anyone call him back and say they wished their porch was smaller, but that folks always regretted if they had gone too small in their design.


Mosquito-proof Flooring:
There are a number of options for porch flooring. I avoided regular decking because there are always gaps between the boards which means you'll need to screen under the flooring to keep all the bugs out. Yep, folks do screen under the flooring. I've seen it done while on house tours.

I wanted my porch to feel more like an extension of the house, like a room that just happened to be outdoors, so I went with tongue and groove KDAT wood. KDAT stands for Kiln Dried After Treatment. Just "Google" KDAT flooring and you can read all about it.

My contractor originally tried to convince me to use tile. A tiled floor was not at all in keeping with the feel I had envisioned for the porch. I wanted an old fashioned looking porch floor. He did talk me out of painting the flooring and staining it, instead. I still love the look of a painted porch floor, too. I even like it when they start to show some wear and look a little worn.

Staining the flooring created a really nice transition from the inside of my home to the porch. My contractor had my flooring professionally installed by a flooring company and they glued and nailed it down to ensure it didn't warp in the humidity we have during the summer months. He also used a really heavy-duty subflooring underneath it for extra stability. If you use KDAT wood for a porch floor, just follow their recommendations for installation.


Dining Area:
One of my favorite features on my porch is a dining area. Meals just taste better out on the porch. I recommend allowing room for a table that will seat at least 4, preferably 6 or even 8. Just imagine all the breakfasts, cookouts and dinner parties you can have with friends and family out on the porch. (This tablescape is available HERE.)

China Cabinet:
If you've allowed room for a dining space, put a piece of furniture out on the porch for storing the china you'll be using every day. It will make it really easy to dine outside whenever you're in the mood.

You may need to take things out each spring and give them a quick wash for the season, but it really comes in handy having a cabinet close at hand for storage. You can see how I painted the cabinet I use on the porch in THIS post. This piece was only $95 at a local antique/thrift store and I painted it with an exterior grade paint. It's still holding up well and it has been through some bitter winters and super hot and humid summers.

Ceiling Fans:
You gotta have ceiling fans. Not only do they caress you with cool breezes, they add so much ambiance and romance to the porch. Even when it's not that hot outside, I'll turn on the fans at their lowest setting just to enjoy their slow movement as they gently circle overhead. One fan is good, two is even better if it's a good size porch.

Be sure to buy "exterior" grade fans. You can get away with interior grade fans...for about a year. But before long, the heat and humidity will cause the blades to droop. It's not a pretty sight when that happens. Also, the housing and inner parts of the fan may rust and cease to work. Exterior grade fans don't cost that much more and are the smarter way to go. They come in a gazillion styles. I found some online at Lowe's with a wicker look to go with my wicker furniture.

Lighting:
Lighting is so important in any space, be it indoors or out. I'm not a big fan of overhead lighting, but I love lamp light. So when I designed the porch, I ask my contractor to include a lot of outlets. I think he thought I was crazy.




It added some expense to the cost of the porch, but it was so worth it. I have four outlets on the porch itself. One outlet was already on the wall behind the hutch, the other three were added. That's how I get the soft lamp lighting in the evening. If you're wondering about rain and having outlets on the porch, just check my FAQ at the top of the blog.

Out on the decks, the outlets have special covers over them and they work great.





That's how I was able to create this tablescape on the deck. This outlet is located under the window. (Tablescape can be viewed HERE.)

I also use it for a fountain I put out occasionally. There are two more outlets on this deck. One is for the gas grill because it has a light inside and the other was for lighting I had strung around under the handrail.  They also come in handy for plugging in electric blowers when you need to blow off the deck.

Music
The only thing better than decompressing under swirling fans on a screened-in porch is doing it to the sound of James Taylor or Michael Bublé singing your favorite tunes. This is your chance. You're adding on a porch...pre-wire that baby right up front for some great outdoor speakers.

I had the porch pre-wired and a speaker placed over each door leading out to the decks. You can also enjoy the music while on the decks. Again, make sure you use speakers designed for the outdoors; regular speakers won't hold up.

A Swing:
I have to be honest, I've never been much of a swing person. Or, at least I thought I wasn't. I like to be stationary when I'm sitting--not real crazy about swaying to and fro. But the porch had a spot that was the perfect size for a swing due to the fireplace box that juts out into the porch.

I knew I wanted a seating group in that area. A swing seemed like a great way to finish out the seating instead of just having another settee or more chairs.

Now about this swing thing...be forewarned, swings are people magnets. Your guests will totally gravitate to it. It's always the first place they head. When I have friends over for a cookout or party, someone always goes for the swing and stakes it out before anyone else gets a chance.

You may not be a big swing person, but your guests will be. You can count on it. A swings adds something special to a porch...hard to describe. You need a swing.


Ceiling Height:
I saved this for last because it's not always something you can design into a porch, but I recommend it if you can. If you have the room and your house will allow, go "up" in your design. Raise the ceiling. It will make a smaller porch feel much bigger, plus it really helps the porch feel even cooler. Height will add to that airy, summer-breeze feeling you are seeking out on a porch.

If you're thinking about adding a porch, go for it. It may just become your favorite "room" in your home.

If you have any questions about the porch, please check the FAQ at the top of the blog. If you don't see your answer, feel free to e-mail me. It may take me a day or two to get back, but I'll do my best to respond.

You can read more about the construction of the porch HERE.

Springtime Means Porch Time!

One of the best parts of blogging is receiving e-mails and photos from readers of BNOTP. Candy e-mailed back in September to let me know she had been so inspired after seeing my screened in porch, she decided to add a screened-in porch on to the back of her home. Along with the photos of her porch, she wrote: "It is truly a work in progress. Thank you for your blog; if it wasn't for your porch, I would still be sitting on a lawn chair on a slab of concrete."

Here's the way Candy's home looked before she added her porch.



This photo shows the early stages of construction. You can really tell it's going to be a nice, large porch!




Starting to take shape, now. I like how she kept the knee wall nice and low. That's a great idea because at that height, it won't obstruct the view when you're sitting and looking out across your yard.





The screens and door are in place now. Let's go inside.




Candy furnished her porch with lots of beautiful, white wicker. I love white wicker...I know that comes as no surprise. :) Candy created a wonderful spot for having breakfast or evening dinners.





There's a cozy spot for visiting with a friend or just reading while soaking up the cool breezes. Candy used tongue and groove "yellow wood" for her flooring. She said, "Not so much as a mosquito can get through it." Awesome! That's what screened-in porches are all about!




I love the chaise. I think this is where I'd live! There's even a flat-screened TV so you can watch the game while cooking out on the grill or lounging on the porch.



What a beautiful swing...the pillows make it comfy and cozy.


Candy thanks so much for sharing your beautiful porch! I know you are looking forward to entertaining friends and family in this awesome space this summer. I'll be sharing some information and helpful tips soon regarding things you may wish to consider when adding a porch to your home. It's Springtime and I have serious porch fever!

Screened-In Porch and Deck Additions and Renovation! Welcome to the 28th Metamorphosis Monday!

(If pics appear cut off on the right side, try setting your computer to it's highest resolution. Music is only a click away....playlist is located at the bottom.)



I don't have a new "Before and After" to share this week, so I thought I'd re-post my very first Met Monday post from January of this year. Looking forward to your Met Monday posts!

Posted January 18th, 2009

It's here...the first Metamorphosis Monday! Yipee! I can't wait to see all the wonderful "Before and Afters!" I'll be sharing the exterior changes that took place at my home when I added on my screened-in porch.

When I moved into my home 18 years ago, I knew one day I would want to redo my deck. The previous homeowners had never properly cared for the existing deck, and it was in a sad state. I tried cleaning it with an incredibly strong deck cleaner and "painting" it with a solid color stain for decks, but the solid stain didn't hold up well, at all. It was time to make a BIG change.

As you can see below, in a "Before" pic, the original deck on the right was very small. A previous homeowner had enlarged the deck by adding the section on the left. The deck flooring had deteriorated and was popping up in places, creating a real hazard. The stairs stuck out into the center of the yard...not a great design. On this first Met Monday, I thought I would share some of the exterior changes that took place when the screened-in porch and decks were added.


Before pic:


The pic below was taken right after the workers tore off the old deck...I was so happy :-) to see it gone! You can see how over the years the dirt underneath the deck had splashed up onto the house when it rained and had discolored the siding. Notice the boards nailed across the doorways. I asked one of the workers to do that because I was afraid that during the construction, I would forget and open the door to let the dog out. No doubt, he would have rushed straight out and that first step would have been a big surprise!

See the door going into the terrace level...the one below the small window? I had that door turned into a window and had french doors added on the wall behind the ladder. This added even more daylight to the terrace level. You'll be able to see this change in next picture.


In the pic below, the porch, decks and terrace level are in mid construction. During the additions of the porch and decks, I, also, completely re-did the previous owner's basement renovation. It had been completed with a hung ceiling, orange carpeting and really dark paneling.

I finished the basement/terrace level back in with sheetrock walls, tray ceilings, and pretty columns where ugly, metal poles had been. The french doors gave the terrace level more daylight, as did the new window.

The deck on the far left was designed to hold the grill, as well as my existing patio furniture, which included an umbrella. The deck on the far right (under the kitchen bay window) was the perfect spot for another seating area with a pergola overhead...another feature I really wanted.


Another view showing the edge of the steps that now came down on the side of one of the decks...a much better design than having them sticking out into the center of the yard.


The future screened-in porch...can you believe it once looked like this? :-)


Let's get to those "After" pictures! Here's the screened-in porch...this pic was taken from the same angle as the one above. It's come a long way! :-)




Interior shot from same angle as above... To see more of the interior of the screened-in porch, just click on the pic of the porch posted on my sidebar.


Since this house has a terrace level, the screened-in porch and decks are a full story up...good for catching a nice breeze. The pic below shows the deck that was added with the pergola overhead. You can just make out the outdoor candelier I hung from the pergola.


A view of the area with the pergola overhead... The candelier came from Smith & Hawken.


At night...with the candelier lit up...wish I'd thought to put some candles on the table before I took this pic. :-)


An exterior view of the screened-in porch...those "things" hanging on either side are bird feeders. :-) This pic was taken right after the porch was finished last April and before I added the sheers.

I'm often asked how I keep the porch looking so clean. I think it helps that it's a full story up. The only really messy time is during pollen season. Once that's over, it isn't too bad...well, except for the deck rails...those are impossible to keep clean due to the trees and birds.


The pic below shows the portion of the deck that houses the grill. I had a gas line run to the grill so I don't have to worry about ever running out of gas. Plus, I don't have to lug those heavy propane tanks back to the store for a refill anymore. If you are renovating your deck, I highly recommend this. It does require a grill designed for that kind of connection, but the cost of running the gas line to the grill is less than you might imagine.


Last time I showed the pic above, several folks ask me why I had a Christmas tree on the porch. :-) It's actually a topiary in an urn and it has tiny white lights and dragonfly lights all over it. It's nice having a lit tree on the porch during the evening...really creates a wonderful atmosphere...anytime of the year. :-)


Hope you enjoyed this Metamorphosis! Can't wait to see all your "Before and Afters" for this Met Monday! :-)


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