An Easy Guide to Screening Your Porch

An Easy Guide to Screening Your Porch

It's great to have a porch and be able to relax and enjoy your outdoor space. Having a solid floor under your feet and a roof over your head offers protection from most of the elements. But, there may come a time when bugs or a cool breeze make you want a little less of the outside in your space. If you're looking for more protection, screening your porch is a great, cost-effective way to accomplish your goal. Wood Country Building Services can help!  It doesn't require extensive materials or tools – just a bit of know-how and precision. Follow along as we detail the steps.

When you're screening a porch, it’s more than simply stretching the screen material from one post to the other. Steps need to be taken to create a structure that is attached to the existing porch for proper support. To do this, you will create a series of rectangular wooden panels, stretch the screening over the panels, and install the panels to the floor and roof of your porch.

Materials and Tools

• Speed square
• Circular saw
• Drill
• Laser level
• Staple gun
• Scissors
• 8-foot 2x2s
• Fibreglass window screen
• Corner braces
• Screws, bolts, nuts, washers

To determine how many 2x2s you’ll need, measure the amount of floor space you want to cover. Each panel you create will be four feet wide and you will need three 2x2s for each panel.

1. Install nailing boards floor and ceiling

Next, you want to install nailing boards on the floor and ceiling of your porch. Using 2x2s, install the boards about one and a half inches from the outer edge of the porch floor and ceiling, leaving enough room to fasten the panels behind the nailing boards. If installed correctly, the panels will sit flush with the outside floor and ceiling and the nailing boards will provide you with some nice visual separation.

2. Make your frame panels

Once your nailing boards are in place, you can start making the panels that will form the bulk of your new screened porch. To make a panel, cut one of the 2x2s in half, giving you two 2x2s four feet long. These are the top and bottom pieces of your first panel. Then, using the speed square to maintain a 90° angle, use a corner brace and screws to attach one of the full-length 2x2s to the top and bottom of the half pieces. Repeat this on the other side and add braces to all four corners and you’ll end up with a 4x8 panel that’s ready for the next step.

3. Add a central rail to the frame panels

Adding a centre rail horizontally at about the middle of your panel can provide some extra structural integrity and prevent people from walking into the screen. To do this, cut another 2x2 to size. The size you’re looking to cut to is about 45 inches, which is four feet minus an inch and a half on each side to account for the sides of the panel. Attach this rail with braces and screws as well.

4. Add the screen material to the frame

Next, you’ll be adding the fibreglass screening material to your panel. Unroll the screen and stretch it as flat as possible across the entirety of the panel. Use the staple gun to attach the screen to all four edges and the centre rail. It's important to make sure that the screen lies flat against your panel. Folding the screen over the side of the wood will help you get it as tight as possible. Cut off any excess material with scissors.

5. Install the screened frames to the nailing board

Once your panels are covered, you can start to install your screened frames. Starting in the corner of your porch, brace a panel firmly against the corner post on one side and the nailing boards at the top and bottom. Then, drill down through the panel into the bottom nailing board and up through the top of the panel into the ceiling nailing board. Secure it to the corner post by drilling from the inside of the panel into the post.

Repeat this pattern by attaching the completed panels to your porch. In addition to attaching them to the top and bottom nailing boards, also fasten the panels to each other. This will provide an even more secure installation and prevent gaps between the panels. Keep installing panels until you’ve reached the other end of your porch.

Enjoy your outdoor space with a bit of added comfort you’ve created yourself.

If you require any assistance or have queries, please feel free to visit Wood Country Building Services. Our team will be delighted to provide you with exceptional service.