Screened Porch Builders in Alachua, FL

Screened Porches in Alachua Built on a Deck Floor

A screened porch, the way we use the term, is a roofed, screened room that sits on a raised deck instead of a concrete slab. It works well on homes where the back door is a few steps above the yard, on sloped lots, and anywhere you want the floor to feel like wood or composite underfoot. It also makes sense when you already have a deck and the plan is to close part of it in.

If your patio is a slab under the house roof, or you want a room added onto the house wall at ground level, that is a different project covered on our screen rooms and lanais page. For everything else we build, see the Alachua deck builders home page.

Screened Porch Over a New or Existing Deck

Adding a roof changes what a deck has to carry. An open deck holds people and furniture. A porch also holds roof framing, roofing, ceiling finishes, and the uplift and side loads from wind during summer storms and hurricanes. Footings, posts and beams sized for an open deck often aren't big enough for that.

Building the porch with a new deck

When both go up together, we size the footings and beams for the roof from day one and set roof posts directly over footings so the load runs straight to the ground. This is usually the cleanest and most predictable path. The floor can be pressure-treated pine, as on our custom wood decks, or capped boards like our composite decks.

Building on a deck you already have

Many owners want to put a porch on the deck they already use. That can work, but only after a close look at the footings, post sizes, beam spans, ledger connection and the condition of the joists. We start with a deck framing inspection, then tell you in writing what can stay, what needs adding, such as extra footings under the new roof posts, and what it costs. Sometimes reinforcing is simple. Sometimes rebuilding the deck first is the better value, and we'll say so.

Screened Porch Floors That Keep Bugs Out

A screened porch on a deck has one weak spot a slab porch doesn't: the gaps between deck boards. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums come straight up through them. We handle that one of two ways. Screen can be stretched across the joists before the boards go down, sealing the floor while still letting water drain. Or the floor can be tight-fitted porch boards that leave no gap. Which one fits depends on the deck height and whether water needs to pass through.

Screened Porch Roofs and Screens for Alachua Weather

Roof choices

• Shingled roof tied into the house. Framed rafters with shingles that match the home. The most finished look, and the best for ceiling fans and recessed lights.
• Insulated aluminum roof panels. Foam-core panels attached to the house that go up faster and leave a clean white ceiling underneath.
• Shed or gable shape. A shed roof sits under a low eave; a gable adds height and a vaulted ceiling where the roofline allows it.

Screen choices

Standard 18 x 14 mesh keeps out mosquitoes and most flies, and it is stronger than lighter window screen across wide openings. Tighter 20 x 20 no-see-um mesh stops the tiny biting midges that are common near wetlands and rivers, at the cost of a little airflow and more frequent cleaning. Pet-resistant screen is much tougher against claws but harder to see through. Solar screen blocks a large share of the sun's heat and glare and suits a west-facing porch.

Most porches use more than one type: pet screen on the lower panels behind a kick rail, and standard or no-see-um mesh above. A chair rail at about 36 in. adds strength and gives the screen panels a natural break.

Screened Porch Costs in Alachua

A typical screened porch runs $8,000 to $25,000 or more, depending on size, roof type and whether a new deck is part of the job. If your deck already has a sound roof over it, screening it in costs roughly $12 to $25 per square foot.

The post on screened porch vs. open deck costs walks through what the roof and screen add. If you want shade without walls, a covered deck or patio cover costs less and can be screened later.

Screened Porches Near Alachua's Rivers and Golf Courses

The places where people want a screened porch most are the places with the most bugs. Homes near the Santa Fe River around High Springs and Fort White see heavy mosquito and no-see-um pressure in warm months, and finer mesh is worth considering there. In Turkey Creek, a raised porch facing the fairway gives the view without the evening bites. Every roofed porch needs a permit and inspections, and we handle both.

Screened Porch Details We Plan With You

• Ceiling height. Enough room for a fan to spin well above head height, which affects the roof pitch where the porch meets the house.
• Gutters. Without one, the porch roof drops water right where people walk down the steps. A short gutter and downspout send it out into the yard.
• Door location. The screen door should line up with the path to the yard, grill or driveway, with code-compliant steps down from the porch floor.
• Replaceable panels. Screen set in frames with spline can be swapped one panel at a time when a branch or a dog tears it.
• Low-upkeep trim. Aluminum or PVC trim around the screen openings needs less painting than wood in our humidity.

Screened Porch Care Through Florida Seasons

Spring pollen coats screens yellow, and a gentle rinse from inside out clears most of it. Summer storms blow rain through any screen, so furniture and fabrics should be outdoor-rated, and the floor should drain. Before a hurricane, bring in loose items; the roof and frame are designed for wind, while screen panels themselves are the part most likely to need a repair afterward. In fall and winter, the porch is often the most comfortable room of the house.

Screened Porch or Open Deck for Your Alachua Home

A screened porch isn't the right answer for every yard. If you mainly use the deck in the morning, love full sun, or have a small lot where a roof would shade the house's windows, an open deck with a pergola may suit you better and costs less. A porch earns its price when you want to sit outside at dusk, eat without swatting, or leave cushions out through a rainy week.

Another middle path is building the deck now with footings and beams sized for a future roof, then adding the porch in a year or two. That costs a little more up front and saves tearing into the frame later. We'll price both options so you can see the difference in dollars.