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Enclosing your front porch offers many benefits that will enhance the functionality and living experience of your home. You will create another usable room in your home by enclosing your front porch that can act as a part-time office, sunroom, or playroom. Enclosing your front porch will also enhance the privacy of your home and increase curb appeal.
What is an Enclosed Porch?
An enclosed porch is a porch that has a roof and screens installed on the openings to offer covered protection from the elements, bugs, and insects. An enclosed porch offers versatile functionality as it can be used for different purposes and act as an extension of the living space in your home. There are a few different ways to set up your enclosed porch depending on what your needs and budget is.
Ways to Enclose Your Front Porch
There are many different applications and designs to enclose your front porch. You need to consider the current layout of your front porch and what the best way of enclosing it would be. If you don’t have a front porch and are building one you have a lot more flexibility and can design it whichever way you want to enclose it. Read below for different ways to enclose your front porch:
1. Install Retractable Porch Screens
Installing retractable screens on your porch will give you the flexibility to open up your home to the beauty of the outdoors while protecting yourself from the nasty elements. Retractable screens are a great addition to your porch as they retract in and out of their housing and blend in seamlessly with the existing aesthetic of your home.
2. Winter Porch Enclosures to Extend Living Space
If you’re tired of being stuck inside your home during those cool winter months then enclosing your outdoor porch may be right for you. By enclosing your porch you will extend the livable space of your home and create another room for you to enjoy! If you want to enjoy this new room during the cool months we recommend installing heaters to keep the space warm.
3. Balcony Porch Rain Enclosures
There’s something cozy about sitting on your enclosed porch while the rain falls outside. Cuddle up with a nice book and a cup of tea while being protected from the outdoors with your enclosed porch. Installing retractable screens on the openings of your enclosed porch with thick mesh material such as solar or privacy mesh will also help keep some of the rain out and insulate the area inside!
4. Retractable Porch Enclosures
Installing a retractable porch mechanism to help enclose your porch is a great option that will serve lots of value to you and your house guests for years. The biggest benefit of retractable porch enclosures is that they open when you want to use them and close back into their housing when you don’t need them. Retractable screens can be installed on porch enclosures and will offer ventilation benefits while protecting you from bugs, sun, and other weather elements. Retractable screens for porch enclosures are custom-made to match and fit your home perfectly and can be installed on many different sizes and types of openings.
5. Awnings
Installing awnings on your outdoor porch will offer overhead protection from rain and shading while you enjoy the fresh air outside. Some awnings can be retractable so they extend when you want to use them to create a cover and retract back to your house when you don’t want to use them.
6. Sliding and French Doors
When designing your porch enclosure the type of doors you have installed is very important. Sliding doors will provide lots of natural light and ventilation and they don’t take up much space, while also offering a seamless connection to the outdoors. The other type of door to consider having installed in your porch enclosure are french doors which are two doors that connect in the middle, typically one door would be pinned closed and one door would be operational. If you decide to go with a sliding door or French doors, Mirage retractable screens can be installed on both options and will blend in seamlessly with the color and look of the doors.
Benefits of Enclosing Front Porch
Enclosing your front porch will bring many benefits to the experience of your home. By enclosing your front porch you will create an extension of your home that will act as another living room for you to enjoy. An enclosed porch offers a climate controlled room that you can enjoy year round, giving you the benefits of the outdoors while keeping the negatives outside.
Increased Living Space
Transforming your porch into an enclosed porch will essentially increase the living space in your home by adding another usable room. When you properly enclose your porch you can use it 4 seasons out of the year rather than only when the weather is ideal.
Enhanced Security
Enclosing your porch will enhance the security of your home as the enclosed porch will now act as a barrier between the inside and outside of your home. You could also have theft deterrent material installed on the openings of your enclosed porch to limit the chance of break-ins occurring.
Insect and Pest Control
The openings of your front porch will have mesh material installed on them to allow the fresh air to enter your enclosed porch while keeping insects and pests outside. You have many mesh options to consider when enclosing your porch, the most common mesh materials that are used would be insect mesh and solar mesh.
Weather Protection
An enclosed porch would offer great protection from the weather in all the different seasons. Enclosing your outdoor porch will allow you to enjoy all the positive benefits of the outdoors while keeping the negative aspects outside of your home. Your enclosed porch will offer rain, snow, wind, sun, and debris protection depending on how you set it up.
Privacy Protection
Enclosing your outdoor porch will offer enhanced privacy by creating a more secluded space that will be shielded from the view of neighbors and onlookers outside your home. You can also install privacy mesh on the openings of your enclosed porch which will completely block people from viewing inside, but will still allow you to look outside. Privacy mesh will also act as an insulator, controlling the climate of the space.
Year Round Usage
Turning your outdoor porch into a four-season room is a reality when you enclose it properly. A four-season room sometimes referred to as a sunroom, is designed to be usable year-round and will offer your space the benefits of outdoor living with the comfort of an indoor space. A four-season room will connect you with nature, creating a peaceful oasis that will be a unique experience for you and your house guests, all while increasing the value of your home!
What are the Uses of an Enclosed Front Porch?
Enclosing your front porch will create a versatile extension of your home that has multiple uses for any occasion. Sip your morning coffee while reading the newspaper, turn your enclosed porch into a yoga studio for you and your yogi friends to zen out in, or host a family dinner and create a memory that will last. These experiences are all possible when you enclose your front porch, read below to see more uses for an enclosed front porch:
1. Sunroom
A sunroom will allow you to enjoy the outdoors in the comfort of your enclosed porch. Allowing natural sunlight and fresh air into your living space year-round is an additional benefit when deciding to enclose your front porch.
2. Home Office
Sipping your coffee while going through your emails for work on your enclosed porch will elevate your mood and make those Monday mornings a little bit easier. You can do any work task you would do in your inside office on your enclosed porch, and not have to worry about the weather impacting that.
3. Playroom
Your kids can use the enclosed porch as a safe environment to play with their friends while you can keep a watchful eye over them. An enclosed porch with screens installed is the perfect place for children to enjoy the fresh air compared to being stuck inside.
4. Yoga Studio
Turning your enclosed porch into a yoga studio is another great benefit. Your enclosed porch will act as an extension of your house and will create the perfect environment for you to practice yoga. Zen out on your enclosed porch and enjoy all the benefits of the outdoors while keeping the negatives outside.
5. Extra Seating Area
If you are the type to have many house guests over then you can use an enclosed porch to host more people and ensure they have a place to sit! An enclosed porch will act as another room in your house where you can entertain house guests or family.
Things to Consider When Enclosing Your Front Porch
You have many things to consider when enclosing your front porch like how you want the layout to be, the functionality of the room, if you want it to be a four-season or two-season room, and the zoning laws for your area. Consulting with your contractor to get the best solution possible for your needs will ensure that you create a room in your home that will be enjoyed for years to come. Read below for more details on what you should consider when enclosing your front porch:
1. Intended Function
You need to consider what the intended function of enclosing your front porch would be. If you are looking to add another livable room to your home to expand your space then enclosing your front porch would be ideal. Enclosed porches are multifunctional and serve many different purposes depending on the time of the year and occasion.
2. Weather
Your enclosed porch will protect you from certain weather but if you are in an area that gets extreme weather then you need to consider the type of materials used and how to protect your space when extreme weather occurs. Enclosing your front porch will protect you from rain, snow, sun, and wind.
3. Porch Placement
When designing your front porch enclosure you want to consider which side of the house you will build it on to maximize the amount of sun and fresh air you get in the room. Factoring in where the sun sets and rises will ensure that you can enjoy your new room as much as possible year-round!
4. Zoning Laws
You will also need to consider what the zoning laws are in your jurisdiction when starting the process of enclosing your front porch. We recommend that you consult with a contractor to ensure that the proper procedures are being followed for your area.
How Much Does It Cost to Enclose a Front Porch?
Depending on the design and types of materials used to enclose your front porch the cost can vary. We recommend that you consult with a contractor to understand all the options and get their opinion on what would be right for your needs. You also need to keep in mind that the upfront cost may be significant to enclose your front porch, but it will increase the overall value of your home and will give you, your family, and your house guests a unique room to enjoy for years.
Conclusion
Enclosing your front porch will add many benefits to your home and create a unique room unlike any other. You will need to consider the functionality and design of enclosing your front porch but will all be worth it. You will create a room that will be multifunctional and will increase the curb and financial value of your home. Incorporating Mirage retractable screens on your porch enclosure will add even more functionality and benefits to the room, opening it up to the outdoors while keeping the negative aspects outside. To learn more about how Mirage retractable screens can be incorporated into your front porch enclosure visit our dealer locator and contact your local Mirage retractable screens dealer.
