Try sitting outside your Central Georgia backyard in July with a cup of coffee. Ten minutes in, you're either sweating or slapping at something that just bit you. A porch fixes that, but "porch" isn't really one thing, it is many. There are open porches, screened porches, three-season rooms, and combinations of those, and a lot of homeowners don't realize how different the experience is between them until after theirs is built.
We run into this quite a bit around Macon and Warner Robins. Someone calls wanting "a porch" and hasn't really thought about which version fits how they'd use it. Do you want to sit out during the day and get shade from the sun, or is it more about evenings without bugs? Sometimes people don't know the difference in porches until we start asking. Below is a summary of the three main types of porch structures we build, plus the important questions to ask before you hire a porch builder for the project you have in mind.
Covered Porches
An open, covered porch is a roofed structure with no screens or walls. Given how hot it gets here in the summer, this is a common request from people who mostly just want a space to get out of direct sun without shutting themselves into an enclosed room.
We've built all types of porch designs. This includes porches attached to the house, and standalone detached structures near a pool or in the yard as a shaded gathering spot. With an open porch, there is often less to coordinate in the design since you're not dealing with screens or windows. The main factors are the roofline, posts, and how it ties into the home.
Screened Porches
If mosquitoes and nuisance insects are the main reason, you're avoiding your own backyard, a screened porch is probably a smart choice. Screened in porches are one of the structures we build most, honestly. These spaces allow you to keep the fresh air, views and sounds of the yard without the bugs, and there's a privacy element to it that an open porch doesn't have because walls change how a space feels, even if those walls consist of screens.
Screen types vary. If a porch faces west and takes a beating from afternoon sun, we'll usually recommend a heavier UV-blocking screen. Some homeowners care more about keeping the view clear and go simpler. This gets sorted out during our design consultation, since it affects both comfort and how much light comes through. More often than not, a screened porch ends up being the room people actually use the most, sometimes even more than the living room, at least from spring through early fall.
Three-Season Porches
A three-season porch goes a step further than just screens. These are usually enclosed with vinyl 4-track window systems, giving you more control over wind, light rain, and the cooler stretches of early spring or late fall. This enables you to open the windows on nice days and close them when the weather isn't cooperating. You also can choose to use your screens in different configurations according to your mood or weather conditions.
3-season porches work well for homeowners who want something closer to an actual room of the house, but aren't ready for a full four-season sunroom with heating and cooling built in. People who use their porch year-round, not just during peak summer, tend to gravitate toward this option.
Helpful Hints - Before You Hire A Porch Company
- A porch is a permanent structure, and it will become a part of your home and landscape, so it's important to be picky. Ask how long a company has specifically built porches — not just decks or patios, since that's a different skill set. Ask whether your design will compliment your home's architecture, and is unique, or if it's going to look like something they've built a hundred times over. Warranty coverage matters too, and so does whether the company you work with is licensed and insured in your county. None of that is complicated to ask, but a lot of homeowners skip it.
Archadeck of Central GA ensures your new porch fits the architecture, style and scale of your home. We only build custom structures, so you can rest assured the neighbor down the street does not have the same porch as yours. We are also the trusted local source for outdoor living spaces and are fully licensed and insured throughout Central GA. Not to mention, an Archadeck design comes with the strongest warranties in the business.
- Also ask to see finished projects near you instead of just photos on a website. A porch built somewhere with a totally different climate, or on a very different style of home, doesn't really tell you how a builder will handle yours.
Our website is loaded with custom projects we have built for happy clients all over Central GA and we will gladly provide references upon request. We've been designing and building porches, decks, and outdoor living spaces around Macon and Warner Robins for years as Archadeck of Central Georgia, and the Archadeck company nationally goes back to 1980. That history matters mostly because fixing a badly built porch later is a much bigger expense than getting it right the first time.
Getting Started
There's no single right answer here, it comes down to what's concerning you about your current outdoor space, and how you want the new one to function. Some homeowners end up mixing an open covered section with a screened section on the same structure, which makes a versatile combination.
If you're trying to figure out which direction fits your home, at Archadeck of Central Georgia we offer free design consultations. We'll come take a look at your property, talk through what you want out of the space, and help land on a design that speaks to you and your property perfectly.
Give us a call at (478) 241-8406 or reach out online to get that started. We would love to hear from you!
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John Haugabook – owner Archadeck of Central GA
