Screened Porches - A Greener Way to Live

Screened porches bring you in touch with the natural world. They are outdoor rooms, yet, they are sheltered and safe from the elements. If you are planning a green home, a screened porch will fit in perfectly.

In our building project shown here (http://www.weloveaustin.com/listings/Taylor%20Road-EanesHomeForLease.html) there are two screened porches incorporated into the plan. The heart and soul of the house is the central porch. It is open and connected to the living area and foyer hall. They open to the porch so that the space can flow together for large gatherings. The porch has room for a dining table and chairs, plus plenty of seating area around the fireplace. It will be a wonderful place to sit outside by the fire on cold days, or eat out, or have parties. Outside the porch, an there is open patio under the sun that transitions to a lower ground level.

The outside wall is a 12 foot screened wall open to a view of sky and distant hills. The vaulted ceiling makes the space seem more spacious, and allows heat to ventilate. The finishes are a combination of interior and exterior materials: Exposed galvalume metal roof, board and batten siding, cedar trim, and concrete floor. Galvanized metal wire mesh adds extra strength to the lower screen panels for kids or pets. On the outside patio, the wire mesh panels are incorporated into the railing.

Years ago, before air conditioning, old Texas homes often included a screened sleeping porch. The porch kept out mosquitoes and brought in cool night air. High ceilings were typical to ventilate the heat of our Texas summers. With this old style in mind we included a sleeping porch off the master bedroom. A stone wall provides privacy from the road, and screened walls open to the view on the back. The lifted roof allows air to circulate and cool the space - important in our hot climate.

In the master bedroom, double glass doors connect the master bedroom to the porch, and expand the bedroom space. Interior and exterior colors and materials are related. Finishes include concrete floors, limestone walls, and cedar trim. The sleeping porch brings people outside the heated and cooled envelope of the house to experience the outdoors.

Screened porches have endured for over a century in warm climates. They are historic and romantic. Flapping screen doors recall simpler days when houses were not as tightly sealed. Today, screened porches are in an exciting period of re-discovery. Their time has come again. Screened porches are a greener way to live. Today we need them in our houses more than ever.