Maximizing your home’s square footage is one of the best ways to not only appreciate where you live but to utilize the property you already pay for. One way to get the most out of your property is to consider a screened-in porch. If you already have a screened-in porch, learn how it carries many benefits for sustainable living.

If you don’t have a screened-in porch, learning what the benefits are in eco-friendly living you’ll get in having this installation done. A screened-in porch is more than just a sheltered porch area to enjoy the outdoors, it has several benefits that allow you to lessen your carbon footprint on the planet you serve!

A Screened-In Porch Versus A Patio Or Sunroom

First off, what’s a screened-in porch, especially compared to other outdoor elements of home architecture, including patios, sunrooms, and covered porches? A screened-in porch is essentially an attached exterior portion of a home that has been screened in with windows that have screens in them. It differs from a sunroom in construction and how the windows are installed. It’s not the same as a patio, either, although both seem similar in the way they both have entries, doors, and roofs overhead.

If you don’t have a screened-in porch and want to have one installed or have a screened-in porch already and want to improve upon it, it’s best to work with a screen porch builder. These professionals will measure your home’s exterior and determine the best areas for a porch like this to be installed. They can then help you design and build a screened-in porch that will serve you in several ways while helping you have a more sustainable home.

Choose a budget and have a few general design ideas for your screen porch professional to work with. This will help them provide you with the best results in keeping your home looking great with your new porch addition without going over budget or having any unexpected design issues.

Benefits Of Screened-In Porches For Sustainable Homes

There are many benefits of screened-in porches you can enjoy for sustainable homes. Here are just some of them tp consider.

Low-Impact Construction

A screened-in porch is a great way to add onto your home without making a huge environmental impact in the process. The benefit here is that you can utilize recycled and recyclable materials to build the structure. Depending on where you live, you may not even need a permit, as smaller structures often don’t require major construction permits to build. Consider the following materials to construct your screened-in porch:

• Recycled glass
• Recylcled sheet metal
• Refurbished wood
• Reclaimed wood
• Insulative foam

Have your builder use as many recycled or recyclable materials as possible in your home’s screen porch construction or expansion. This lessens your environmental impact, keeps more materials out of landfills, and makes for a most cost-effective home addition as well.

Low-Energy Structure

A screened-in porch is a low-energy structure. In many instances, the only energy source a screened-in porch has is natural sunlight to both light and heat the space. The many windows, along with the screened design of the porch, are often all that is used to manage temperature in this space outside of other insulative measures. This means no paying for electricity, heat, and other energy to make the space comfortable.

As a bonus, the airy components of your screened-in porch will help to cool and circulate air throughout the rest of your home, thus helping you reduce energy costs in your entire house. Speak to your builder about the best location for your screened-in porch so your whole property benefits from this installation.

All-Year Use

Every little effort you make to improve your home so it’s more economically sound makes a difference in the planet. Being able to use a screened-in porch year-round for storage and as an extra room helps save on energy costs. Imagine being able to cool your home in the summer by a gentle breeze coming through your screened porch, and then heat your home in the winter by closing the screens and letting the sun’s rays inside to gently warm surrounding rooms?

If you don’t want to use your screened-in porch as a regular room in your home for living or relaxation, it can be used for storage (thus lessening your dependence on self-storage facilities and emissions released by driving to and from a storage facility), to provide shelter for pets, and even to use as a sunroom for plants to have a garden.

Planning Your Screened-In Porch

Are you planning on adding onto or building a screened-in porch? Planning out your home addition is the best way to ensure you get a porch you’ll not only love, but that will also be fully functional for your needs while meeting your budget. Consider what flooring you want in your porch, how you want the windows to open and close, and what you plan on mainly using the room for (dining, as a sunroom, garden area, etc). There are several ideas you can use for your new home addition that are both eco-friendly and luxurious so you can enjoy your space best.

Wrapping Up

If living more sustainably is your goal and you want to add onto your home, then consider a screened-in porch. It’s a low-maintenance room that can benefit your home and family in many ways.