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Winterizing your screened porch is a necessary practice every year before the cold winter months have arrived. Winterizing your screened porch will help ensure a long lifespan for your screened porch and, if done correctly, will create an additional room for you and your house guests to enjoy year-round. When you are planning to winterize your screened porch, you need to factor in many things; keep reading to learn about the best solutions for winterizing your screened porch.
Why Winterize Your Screened Porch?
Winterizing your screened porch will help you save on your energy bill and preserve the screened porch to protect your investment. Depending on the way you winterize your screened porch, you can create a functional room that you can enjoy during the winter months. Planning to winterize your screened porch before the cold months arrive should be an annual practice to ensure a long lifespan of your screened porch.
7 Ways to Winterize Your Screened Porch
Depending on how your screened porch is configured you have a few different ways to winterize it. Insulating your porch will create a functional extension of your home that you can use year-round, while also installing portable heaters will ensure you can enjoy the space even when it’s cold outside. Waterproofing your screened porch is also a smart option to ensure that water doesn’t get inside and damage your porch room.
1. Insulate Your Porch
Insulating your porch will be energy efficient, create a functional room to enjoy year-round, and enhance comfort in the space as the climate will be more controlled. Properly insulating your porch space will ensure that heat doesn’t escape, effectively creating another climate-controlled living room in your home. Many different materials can be used to insulate your porch, such as spray foam, foam boards, weather stripping, etc.
2. Waterproof Your Porch
Waterproofing your screened porch is crucial to prevent water damage, maintain the structure’s integrity, and ensure the space is livable and comfortable. The first step will be to inspect and find any possible leaks in the roof and then seal them up properly. Next, you will need to ensure that the screen frames around your porch are in good shape and seal around them, additionally, you can install waterproof curtains or shades. The last step is to seal the porch foundation, so water can’t leak into your screened porch and also apply waterproof paint and sealants.
3. Heavy-Duty Curtains or Shades
To winterize your porch effectively, installing heavy-duty curtains or shades will help keep the cold out, block wind drafts, and add an extra layer of insulation. You can choose from many different materials for these shades, such as vinyl, PVC, thermal insulated curtains, and more.
4. Rugs and Soft Furnishing
Adding rugs and soft furnishings to your screened porch after you’ve ensured that it is winterized properly will add to the experience of your living space. Rugs will create a warm environment and will add comfort. Other soft furnishings you can consider are outdoor pillows and cushions, blankets, outdoor sofa covers, chairpads and seat cushions, and so much more!
5. Portable Heaters
Portable heaters are a great touch to your screened-in porch, and with proper winterization, they will keep your screened-in porch room warm and cozy throughout the cold winter months. You have a few different options for heaters, either mounting them on the ceiling of the screened porch room or standing heaters that you can have stationary or be able to move around.
6. Blankets and Cozy Throws
Cozy throws or blankets are great additions to your screened-in porch room to keep you and your house guests warm on a chilly evening. We recommend you choose outdoor-friendly materials for the blankets, such as polyester, acrylic, or fleece. Adding blankets to your screened-in porch area will not only keep you warm but will add to the overall aesthetic of your space.
7. Use Warm Lighting
The proper style of lighting is a great finishing touch for your screened-in porch, as it will add warmth to the space, especially in the evening. You have many options to choose from for lighting; our favorites are string lights, hanging lanterns, and candles. You can also consider installing a firepit in your screened-in porch area which will add warmth to the room and natural lighting.
Conclusion
Winterizing your screened-in porch is necessary to ensure that the room will have a long lifespan. Not only is it beneficial to preserve the room, but it will also create an additional live space in your home that you can enjoy for years to come. This will also increase the value of your home and curb appeal, as prospective buyers will see a screened-in porch room as valuable. You can be very creative when designing and furnishing your screened-in porch, as there are many different styles and ways to go about it! When considering winterizing your screened-in porch you should consult with a local contractor or Mirage retractable screens dealer to get the best solution possible for you and your home.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Closing a screened-in porch for the winter requires a few steps to ensure it is done properly. You want to install temporary storm windows or vinyl panels for the openings, then heavy-duty curtains to help keep the cold outside. You also want to make sure to seal up any holes or gaps to ensure that cold air stays outside and the warm air stays inside your screened-in porch. You should install a heating source such as a portable heater or indoor firepit to keep the area warm during the winter months.
To effectively keep snow and rain out of your screened-in porch area you need to install protective barriers to keep the harsh weather elements outside. Ensure that the protective barriers that are across the openings in your screened-in porch are sealed tight to not let any moisture through.
Properly insulating your screened porch will be very effective for the winter as the room will be climate-controlled, preserving the space from the extreme conditions while also creating an extension of your home to you can enjoy year-round.
