PRO Remodeler of the Year Grand Award Winner – Residential Exteriors
Our clients have a beautifully landscaped, private backyard. Their existing deck didn’t provide the functionality they wanted for their outdoor living. We took the clients’ objectives, assessed the existing home and yard and designing a thoughtful screened porch that exceeded their objectives. The new space is an extension of their interior living area and the finished product complementary of their existing home.
Homeowners Objectives
Create an outdoor living space that:
- Provided protection from the elements, rain and sun
- Maintain as much light to the interior home as possible
- Open to views of the beautiful backyard
- Large enough for separate dining and sitting areas for six people
- Connection to the home that facilitates circulation and feels like a natural extension of the inside of the home
- Is bug-free
- Building materials to complement the existing home
The addition of this exterior screened porch was part of a larger project. This project profile will focus on the new exterior screened porch and its connection to the renovated home only.
This beautiful new screened porch provides our homeowners protection from the elements while they enjoy the privacy of their lush backyard.
Before: Rear of Home. The back yard faces South.
After: The porch was designed and built to allow lots of natural light to flow into the home. Southeast facing; the high ceiling, tall screened walls and skylights facilitate morning light entering the home.
Not only does the porch design allow for natural light into the home and great views of the backyard but it was also designed to extend past the edge of the house to provide a view of the street to monitor when guests were arriving.
The client requested an unobstructed view from their breakfast eating area (at the bay window), so the screened porch was purposely designed and constructed to the eastern side of the property.
It was very important to the homeowners that this porch be open the views of their private backyard. This photo illustrates that goal was accomplished.
This photo illustrates two important things: 1. The new entrance to the new screened porch is near the breakfast room and kitchen. Glass door and transom allow more natural light into the interior. 2. The view from the breakfast room is unobstructed by the new screened porch… one of our clients’ objectives.
The porch was designed with appropriate circulation in mind. The door from the interior of the home is close to the door leading to the deck for ease of access to the outside. The flooring is Timbertech Pro Legacy Collection in Tigerwood to emulate the hardwood flooring inside the home.
Feeling connected to the house was an important aspect of this project. This new kitchen window was installed for two reasons. When opened: 1. It allows for fresh, bug-free air to come into the home. 2. It allows for conversation between the kitchen and the porch.
Inside the porch: The size of the porch allows for dining and seating space for six people. This was a specific objective for the client. White painted V-Joint ceiling boards create an attractive finish. Recessed lights on dimmers, a ceiling fan, AV speakers and an outdoor TV make the space more enjoyable and an extension of the interior living area.
Being “bug free” was an important criteria for this outdoor living space. We used Screeneze extruded aluminum/vinyl screening system with extra fine fiberglass insect screening to ensure this objective was met.
Before
After: The new screened porch complements the style and materials of the existing home. Landmark Pro Series 40-year asphalt shingles were applied to the roof of the porch as well as to the roof of the bay window for continuity.
The building materials used complement the existing home: Posts are wrapped with durable, low maintenance PVC. Double picture frame borders were built around the screening system for a more polished look. The railing is made of white Trex Trascent with round black aluminum balusters secured between the posts.
Having the new screened porch complement the existing home was important but we also needed to ensure the structures integrity into the future. We regraded the soil under the screened porch to create positive slope away from the house. We covered the graded dirt with filter fabric for stabilization. We modified and tied into the existing underground drainage system for appropriate water diversion. PVC lattice panels with a grid profile was installed between the posts, with one removable panel for access under the porch.
This screened porch not only met all the homeowners’ objectives but illustrates that a well thought out design goes above and beyond to create a structure that will provide worry-free enjoyment for years to come.
Award Winning Remodelers in Northern Virginia – Bowers Design Build has specialized in providing the best overall experience in the remodeling industry since 1990. Bowers Design Build specializes in Northern Virginia Remodeling and Northern Virginia Custom Homes. Our numerous industry remodeling awards have been great, but the true measure of our success has been high marks in overall customer satisfaction
Service areas: McLean, Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton, Great Falls, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Middleburg.
Specializing in: Northern Virginia New Custom Homes, Northern Virginia Whole House Renovations, Northern Virginia Kitchen Renovations, Northern Virginia Master Bathroom Renovations, Northern Virginia Interior Renovations, Northern Virginia Basement Renovations, Renovations for Aging-in-Place and Northern Virginia Outdoor Living Spaces.
