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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Screen porch project
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cotecha
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 08:54
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Hello,
Would like to build a screen porch of 12X10 on my existing deck. The deck is 30 feet wide and 10 feet deep. I have 3 windows and a patio door. My questions pertains to where do I put the posts for my roof ? photo shows where the posts are under my deck. i don,t want to have the post for the roof in front of a window because i will be closing the porch with walls.the screen
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pash
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 14:19
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With a 10x12 you can get away with 2 posts if you use a large header like double 2x10, unless you have a large snow load. The more difficult question is how are you going to structure the supports for the screen to not interfere with the view, ive never seen screen in a roll wider than 4', but maybe they make it... Also you can reinforce under the deck to make ample support for the posts.

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 15:16
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Thank you for your comments! We don,t want to block the view for sure but the bugs are so bad, we need to have something to enjoy sitting outside. we want to use the existing ramp, 4' high, at the front of the porch, and add two walls on each side. the roof will be like a shed roof, so 2 posts is all we need as you mention. As for the support for the screen, we have not figured out yet. i guess the roof is what we want to tackle first, then figure out how to do the screening part.

razmichael
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 18:14
Reply 


Cotecha, last spring I screened in our deck. I wanted to keep as open a view as possible- 16 ft frontage with one post in the middle. I used a product called Screeneze to frame and hold the screen as it can handle a very wide screen and hold it very tight - also allows for the screen to be replaced if needed. There are other products on the market - I cannot compare. Also, found a supply of 72" screen material.
Screen
Screeneze

I did post the results on my build thread although not a lot of details - about a third of the way down on the second page:
My Build

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 20:50
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Hello Pash,
you suggest i reinforce under the deck , so not sure what you mean by that?

my major concern is that one of the roof posts will not be aligned with the deck posts underneath because of the window where i want to make the side wall. i have to move it over a bit. should i add a post under the deck just for the roof post? i am trying to avoid that.

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 20:52
Reply 


Hello razmichael,
Thank you for your comments,and enjoyed your posting for your cottage. Very nice. Will see if i can use screeneze as i didn,t know about that product.

pash
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2015 20:59
Reply 


What i meant by that was double or even tripple the floor joists under where the post will sit. Then you can just use a simpson post bracket on the deck floor to attach the post.

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 11 Sep 2015 19:34
Reply 


Thanks for your suggestion pash, much appreciated. will do that.

beachman
Member
# Posted: 12 Sep 2015 06:28
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I know what you mean about the bugs. Very bad where we are too. We had the good fortune (planned a little ahead) to have a covered porch. This year we screened it in and it was the best thing we ever did. Our entryway comes out to the porch and we first built a railing with 2x4's with two 35" 2x4 braces to support the railing - equally spaced. Then I made screen frames with 1x3 wood and ran the through my table saw to make a groove to set the screens in. I have to say it worked out pretty well. You could make a roof over your entryway and build the covered area there - but you would then need two screen doors to access each side of the open porch.

OR, you could just buy a commercial screen house and set it on one side of the porch. They come with nice metal roofs now and you can draw back or remove the screens at the end of bug season - or even remove the whole thing and store it under the porch.

rockies
Member
# Posted: 13 Sep 2015 20:02
Reply 


Are there metal brackets connecting the tops of your deck posts to the beam? I can't seem to make out any. If there aren't, it means just a few nails are holding those posts in place, and one small cross brace angled back towards the cabin is all that's keeping the beam in place. Are you planning on beefing up the bottoms of the posts, because it looks kind of odd with them standing 2 feet off the ground on those metal posts.
Which side do you want the screen porch on? In front of the two smaller windows, or the one window and the door?

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 13 Sep 2015 21:41
Reply 


Hello rockies,
yes, there are metal brackets connecting the tops of the the deck posts, they are on the other side where you can,t see them. The screen porch will be in front of the two small windows.

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 13 Sep 2015 21:42
Reply 


Thanks for the info beachman. we are planning on one screen door as the screen porch will be in front of the two windows.

TheCabinCalls
Member
# Posted: 15 Sep 2015 12:30
Reply 


Shed roof or gable roof? Are you going to center it on the existing building?

rockies
Member
# Posted: 15 Sep 2015 19:50
Reply 


Thanks for the info. First I would continue the beam that rests on top of the front four posts around the side of the deck and back towards the house. Even though the deck is structurally sound, as it looks right now the side appears a little "skimpy". It would just appear more "solid" if you had the side profile look the same as the front, then cut the side brace and make it look like the front braces as well.

That said, it appears that you could continue the corner post and the post with the chair leaning against it upwards to support a shed roof without the posts interfering with the views from two small windows. The new porch posts would have to rest on top of the lower deck posts so that the point loads go straight down to the ground. Since the front wall of the porch would now be set back from the deck railing you could either remove the railing in front of it, cut back the deck floor to the beam, or leave the deck as is and put low planter boxes on the edge of it.

A smaller post could then be put into the center of the new screen porch facade in order to divide up the opening and give you a place to attach screens. This smaller post looks like it would be centered between the two small windows so that it didn't block the views from the windows. You might also consider skylights centered in front of those windows for added light. I take it the shed roof would slope down towards the long edge of the deck? it should be a problem to attach it to the gable.

cotecha
Member
# Posted: 15 Sep 2015 21:36
Reply 


Shed roof, the porch will be on the right side of the patio door.


TheCabinCalls
Member
# Posted: 16 Sep 2015 11:27
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So you won't necessarily need posts at the house if you are attaching it to the structure. But my concern is with a minimum pitch (2/12) with metal roof you will be running into the eaves of the cabin with a shed roof.

If you are coming out 12 feet with a 2/12 pitch you will be climbing 24" - you'll likely need 2x12s and run it past the outside wall. I assume you'll want an 8' high outside wall. Measure from the deck to the corner where the eaves come into play and see if you have that much room.

Another thing to consider if you have snow loads is that a 3/12 or even 4 could reduce the weight, but increase the odds that the shed roof will hit the eaves.

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