We designed and built a screen porch addition to this 1926 home. The majority of the porch was constructed out of cedar, and decking used was Trex Brasilia Cayane. The porch was painted to match the existing home. Unique areas include a small recessed covered area for waste bins and storage below porch for bikes, outdoor toys and yard equipment.
We created two sets of stairways – one accessible from the driveway and one from the backyard. We installed motion lights, ceiling fan, sconces and outlets to create an “outside room”.
Orfield was more organized and gave a quick response with plans. We are very pleased. Neil and Trent did stellar work and Amy is organized beyond belief and very detail-orientated. Thanks!
This family of four came to us because their existing rear deck was sinking and in poor condition. They had a large home, built in 1926 in an upscale neighborhood, and instead of just replacing their tiny deck, they wanted their new space to be proportionate to their large home and wanted it to feel like an extension of that space, an “outdoor” room. They loved their cabin and wanted the same feeling at home. They wanted a more private space in which they could relax and entertain free from annoying bugs but yet be closer to nature.
We then proposed a new screen porch with vaulted ceiling. The owners loved it.
The new porch is conveniently located off the homes existing interior mudroom, powder room, and is in close proximity to the breakfast area and kitchen. To ease traffic flow, a direct entrance off the driveway was designed for the owners’ everyday use, and a second entrance to the yard leads to the children’s play area.
Storage for their trash bins and recycling off the driveway, as well as maximizing exterior storage space were important concerns that we had to address. A concrete slab was poured under the porch and storage access doors were installed for the owners exterior storage items such as children’s bicycles and garden tools. They didn’t want to visually see the trash containers on their driveway from the street, so a small recessed covered area for waste bins and storage was incorporated.
The porch was designed to jut out at an angle off of the existing “square” home.
This was to provide space off the driveway for car maneuverability as well as aesthetically provide interest to the large home and avoid the risk of adding on a “box to a box”. Great detail was involved to lay out the post footings in exact location. In order to tie in the addition to the existing house, carpentry had to be extremely precise to meet up and surround the existing bay windows as well as make sure the additions vaulted roofline cleared the existing second floor windows.
We started construction of the deck by digging the post footings. When we called for the inspection, the city told us that the soil had to be tested and an engineer brought in to verify the sizes of footings needed in this neighborhood. We brought in a structural engineer and due to the unstable ground, deeper and wider footings were required. The footings had to be dug down to granular soil, a minimum of 48” deep, and some had to be as deep as 60”. Typical code in this area is only 42”.The diameter of footings usually only bell out 16-18” at the bottom, but in this case, the diameter had to be as large as 34” wide.
From the exterior, the new porch additions exact match to their existing home was a requirement. We therefore installed painted cedar shake siding. On the interior to enhance the cabin feel and yet maintain the homes proportion, the ceiling was vaulted and made of cedar. Walls and rails are also cedar with aluminum maintenance free spindles. The flooring is Trex Brasilia Cayenne, easy to maintain, and a rich warm color that played well with the contrasting blue siding and cedar interior.
A ceiling fan in the vault helps move the breezes on a warm day, and sconces provide mood lighting while the motion lights are for the security and function of everyday traffic. A good number of outlets were placed for convenience.
After meeting all the design challenges and client requirements and satisfying city codes, the greatest satisfaction is knowing that the clients are very pleased with their beautiful and well-constructed screen porch.
