Building an Outdoor Screen Room in Florida

Patio Enclosures, Screen Enclosures

Outdoor screen rooms are ideal when you want to enjoy the outdoors in Florida without pesky nuisances like insects, debris, or excessive sun. These structures allow you to soak up the pleasures of being outside, and they provide enhanced comfort, greater privacy, some protection for children and pets, and a bit of shelter from the elements. What goes into building an outdoor screen room? As your screening expert in the Orlando area and most of central Florida, Dulando Screen & Awning is delighted to guide you through the process.

Components of an Outdoor Screen Room

Types of Screen Room Frames

Like a skeleton, the frame serves as the support structure for your screen room enclosure. Popular options include:

• Traditional frames are meticulously crafted with sturdy aluminum beams. This user-friendly, low-maintenance material is a fantastic fit for Florida. Lightweight but strong, it resists pests and corrosion with ease. You’ll enjoy an attractive frame that’s available in various colors.
• Panoramic frames are the perfect way to highlight a gorgeous view. Ingenious engineering and robust aluminum beams allow supports to be placed farther apart, so there’s less interference with your view. In fact, the distance between supports can be up to 24 feet.

Choosing a Screen Room Roof

What kind of roof will top your screen room? Before you decide, talk with your screen room contractor. There are many possibilities and many factors that can shape your choice. For example, you’ll want to weigh your preferences, your home’s design, the layout of your screen room, and your budget. The kind of screen room you’re building is also a consideration. Patio covers, screened porches, and Florida rooms often have solid roofs. In contrast, pool screen enclosures normally feature screen roofs.

When envisioning your outdoor screen room’s new roof, it may help to think of popular roof styles:

• Gable roofs look like a triangle. Two sloping sides meet at the top to form a ridge.
• Mansard roofs have flat tops with two slanted sides. It’s a strong design that creates lots of space.
• Dome roofs use arches to create an airy but durable structure.
• Single-slope roofs have one slope that’s angled in one direction.
• Custom roofs are designed to meet the unique needs of a specific situation.

Quality Screen Materials

You can’t achieve excellent results without quality materials, so Dulando always uses Phifer screening. These amazing screening materials deliver serious advantages. Attractive and durable, they’re great at keeping insects and debris out. Do you have pets or small children, we recommend Phifer Pet Screen. If you’re looking to reduce the suns UV rays, great options are Phifer SunScreen and Phifer SuperSolar. Talk to your design consultant about your needs and we’ll find the right screen materials for your new outdoor space.

The Extras

The extras are the things that will make your patio screen room the place your family wants to be. They’re the details that transform your screen enclosure into an outdoor living space. It could be electrical outlets, lighting, skylights, or ceiling fans. It could be high-quality hardware that’s placed for maximum function as part of your screen room installation. What features are you seeking? Whatever they are, discuss these extras with your screen room design consultant. Many features need to be built during fabrication of the enclosure instead of during installation.

At Dulando Screen & Awning, we offer free in-home design consultations so you can fully explore the possibilities with an expert. We encourage you to dive deeply. We take pride in providing superior service and excellent screen rooms that bring families years of joy, so we want to get things right. Contact Dulando Screen & Awning today to discuss your outdoor screen room.

What To Expect with a Screen Porch Installation on a Deck

Patio Enclosures, Screen Enclosures

Decks are delightful, but upgrading to a screen porch provides greater protection from common nuisances like biting bugs and bad weather. If you’re interested in a screen porch installation to enjoy more shade, privacy and security, here’s how to start the process.

Building a Screen Porch on a Deck

What Do You Want

How do you currently use your outdoor living space? Once you have a new screened-in porch, what else do you need to function comfortably? Will you need features like electrical outlets, lighting, or skylights? Do you still want an outside area for grilling or other activities best done under an open sky? Getting your ideas together first makes planning and designing smoother. It also helps you avoid the cost of expensive change orders during construction.

Inspect the Deck’s Foundation

Any new structure requires a solid foundation. A screen porch is no exception. Before moving forward, evaluate your existing deck’s foundation and overall condition. When considering deck enclosures, it’s vital to remember that adding a roof and screened walls to a deck also adds significant weight. Assessing the existing structure thoroughly is imperative to see if it is up to the task. If not, you’ll know you need to plan for repairs, modifications, or replacement.

Decide on Sizing for the Screen Porch Enclosure

How big will your new screen porch be? The answer isn’t necessarily determined by the size of your existing deck. You could use all or a portion of it. You could add on or tear it down and start over. For the best results, your wants, needs, and budget should be the deciding factors in the size of your new enclosure. After all, the goal is to create a quality screen porch that fits your lifestyle.

Determine Your Budget

Calculating what you can afford allows you to determine the boundaries of your project. It’s fun to dream about the possibilities, but it’s wise to stay within a reasonable budget. Determine the features you want on your screened-in patio first. That way, you’ll be ready to talk to a reputable screen enclosure contractor. These professionals are familiar with all the ins and outs of converting a deck to a screen porch, so they can help you make the most of your budget.

Ensure Approvals Are Obtained

While you’ll want the final say on the design, your approval isn’t the only one necessary. If you live in an area with a homeowner’s association, be aware that you may need your HOA’s approval for an improvement project. In addition, Florida requires construction permits. Inspections may also be necessary if you are incorporating electrical work. A reputable contractor will often arrange permitting and inspections, but checking with them is wise.

Prepare for Screen Porch Installation

Screen enclosure installations are quite significant, so prep work paves the way. For starters, utility companies will be out the preceding week to mark all public utility lines. Are private lines in the installation area, like irrigation or service lines, running from your home to outbuildings? It is your responsibility to mark them. You’re also tasked with clearing personal property of the area. In addition, you may also be asked to point out where materials for the job can be placed. Materials for deck screens are often delivered a day or so before the installation.

We realize this seems like a lot to consider. That’s why you can depend on Dulando Screen & Awning to walk you through the process every step of the way. We’ve been doing this since 1969, so lean on our experience. If you’re interested in a screen porch installation on a deck, our team will be delighted to help you make the change. To explore your options, contact us for a free in-home design consultation.