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Mild weather means more time spent outdoors and on theporch.
Porches are nature’s free air conditioning, plus they let you chat with passersby.
Before You Begin
Building ascreened-in porchis a two-stage process.
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First,build the porch.
Second,screen in the porchwith detachable, modular screens.
Viewing this project as two separate processes helps you to better budget your money, time, and energy.
Warning
Building a screened-in porch from scratch is an advanced project.
Codes and Permits
Most communities will require you to obtain abuilding permitbefore building the porch.
It is not likely that abuilding permitwill be required for adding screens.
Safety Considerations
Call yourlocal utility location service(811) ahead of digging footers for the porch.
A technician will visit your property and mark the ground for critical electrical, gas, and water lines.
Position one hole directly in the middle.
Dig below the frost line.
Disperse about a half bag of landscape gravel per hole, or about 6 inches deep.
Attach Posts to Footers
After cutting into sections, the six-by-six lumber will rest on the footers.
Use the laser level to determine the level of the ledger board.
Use a multi-tool to cut out the siding.
What Is a Ledger Board?
Build Porch Perimeter
At each end of the ledger board, attach a double joist hanger.
Attach the two 12-foot two-by-tens (doubled up) to the metal footer bases at the rim joist.
Attach two more double joist hangers to the rim joist, facing toward the house.
Cut the remaining two-by-tens into four 6-foot boards.
Double up two by nailing them together.
Add the double-side joist at each side of the porch.
Attach Porch Joists
Each porch joist will be a single two-by-ten, 6-foot-long.
Attach joist hangers on the ledger board at every 16 inches on-center.
Repeat on the inner side of the rim joist.
Insert the two-by-ten joists into the joist hangers and fasten by nailing them in.
Install Porch Flooring
Full-length 12-foot-long two-by-eights will form the porch flooring.
Because the porch is 12 feet wide, you should not need to cut the boards.
Screw the boards onto the joists with deck screws, leaving a 1/8-inch gap between boards.
Stain or Paint Porch Flooring
Stain and coat the porch flooring with a clear protective coating.
Or paint the porch flooring with solid color exterior-grade latex paint.
Attach a two-by-six to the side of the board with lag screws.
Screw rafter hangers to the ledger board every 16 inches.
Set the posts plumb in concrete using footing tubes, just as you did for the footer bases.
A standard is 1:6, or dropping 4 inches for every 24 inches of horizontal run.
Screw the header beam in place with lag screws.
Nail the rafters into place in the hangers.
Toenail the rafters to the beam.
You may need high wind hangers or clips to attach the rafters to the beam.
Attach Sheathing and Shingles
Nail 1/2-inch exterior-grade plywood to the tops of the rafters.
Starting at the front edge of the porch roof, set up the shingle.
Install an entire row, then work upward to the next one until you reach the house.
Screen panels attach to cleats built into theporch floorand ceiling.
Each screen panel is 4 feet wide by 8 feet tall (or the height of theporch ceiling).
So, each screen panel will cover 4 linear feet of porch.
Thus, a 32-foot porch requires eight panels.
Install Cleat on Floor
Attach a 4-foot-long two-by-two to the floor of the porch.
If the porch has no railings, push the cleat to the very edge of the porch flooring.
Drill pilot holes first, then attach the cleat with the 2 1/2-inch screws.
Attach to the floorboards.
There is no need to drive the screws into the joists.
If the porch has railings, step the cleat back at least 4 inches from the railing.
Install Cleat on Ceiling
Attach another 4-foot two-by-two to the ceiling of the porch.
Use the plumb line or thelaser levelto establish a plumb vertical line from top to bottom.
This will give you two 4-foot boards.
Use thetape measureto measure the distance from the top of the floor to the bottom of the ceiling.
Use the resulting measurement to cut two more of the one-by-twos to length.
Construct each frame with the 3-inch wrap metal corner braces, using the included screws.
Check each with theSpeed Square.
Be sure you purchasewrapmetal corner brace, which wrap over two sides of the wood.
This helps initially square up the frame and keeps it square in the long-term.
Add Center Horizontal Piece
Cut another piece of 45-inch one-by-two.
Insert this horizontally between the screen frame’s vertical pieces, using the four remaining wrap metal corner braces.
Choose a level that looks pleasing to your eye.
Add Screen
Have an assistant help you stretch and staple the screen material over the screen faces.
Work incrementally, slowly drawing the material tight while stapling it.
Avoid creases or folds.
Hold a screen panel against the ceiling and floor cleats.
Insert two 3 1/2-inch bolts through the holes and add washers and wing nuts to the back.
Repeat at the floor cleat.
Repeat Screen Panels
The screen panel configuration can be scaled to fit your porch.
Repeat the previous process until the porch is finished.
For this, construct two 3-foot screens (rather than one 6-foot screen) to span that depth.
In many cases, you may want to call a general contractor ordecking contractorto build the porch.
Covered and Screened Porches.
Mecklenburg County Code Information and Resource Center.
Building a Screened-in Porch, Deck, or Balcony.
Manufacturred Home Foundations in Freezing Climates.
U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide.
City of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
