01
Where the frame meets the house
The join between screen frame and structural post is the detail that dates a porch fastest. Tight square joinery there is worth more to the finished room than any amount of furniture.
Screened Porches
Screened porches, for the hours after dusk.
Screened porches for Chesapeake and Hampton Roads, designed to read as original architecture and built as the room they actually are.
How we approach it
Built as a room, screened last
Footings, framing, and roof are the porch. The mesh is the final and least consequential layer, though it is the one everyone pictures.
02
Choose the mesh for the use
Standard insect mesh is nearly invisible and tears easily. Tight-weave pet-resistant mesh costs more and survives a dog. Under Hampton Roads pines the answer also depends on what falls from above.
03
Structure first, screen last
Footings, framing, and the roof are engineered and permitted before any mesh goes on. A screened porch is a room, and the screen is the last and least of it.
04
The evening room
Warm light through the mesh, the yard still visible, the insects outside. In this climate that is most of the year, which is why this ends up the most used room in the house.
What we build
The most used room nobody plans for
A screened porch is usually the space families end up living in from spring to autumn, and it is the one most often added as an afterthought.
It buys back the evenings
In Hampton Roads the insects decide when outdoor space stops being usable. Screening returns the hours between dusk and bedtime for most of the year, which is when people actually want to sit outside.
Designed as architecture
Rooflines, post spacing, and trim are matched or deliberately complemented so the porch reads as part of the original house rather than something bolted to the back of it.
Built on structure, not on hope
Footings, framing, and the roof above are engineered and permitted. A screened porch is a room, and it is built like one.
Existing decks and porches
A sound covered porch or well-built deck is often a good candidate for screening. We open it up and assess the framing before promising anything.
How many months
Screen, glass, or insulated
A screened porch is outdoor space made comfortable. A sunroom is indoor space made of light, usable in every month. If the patio is already there, enclosing it is often the shortest route. The honest question is how many months you want the room.
Good to know
Screened porches, answered
What does screening add over an open deck?
Evenings. In Hampton Roads the insects decide when an open deck stops being usable, and a screened porch gives back the hours between dusk and bedtime for most of the year.
Screened porch or a sunroom?
A screened porch is outdoor space made comfortable. A sunroom is indoor space made of light, insulated and usable in every month. The honest question is how many months you want the room, and we will answer it plainly rather than upsell it.
Can an existing porch or deck be screened?
Often, yes. Covered porches and structurally sound decks are natural candidates. We assess the framing, the roof above, and the connection to the house before saying so.
Will it look like part of the house?
That is the standard we design to. Rooflines, post spacing, and trim are matched or deliberately complemented so the porch reads as original architecture rather than an attachment.
Do screened porches need permits?
Yes. Footings, framing, and roof structure are life-safety work. We engineer, permit, and build it as one continuous effort.
Chesapeake Showroom
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See the materials, meet the team, and talk through your project at our Chesapeake showroom, serving Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and the wider Hampton Roads region.
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- Saturday
- 10 AM – 5 PM
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- By Appointment
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