Virginia Screened Porch
Framing, concrete, metal roofing, trim, carpet, electrical, decking: summer of 2024 was a great one for Marshall True Build and the whole Marshall family. As we relocated from northern Idaho to Colorado, we took a detour through Virginia for the summer to build a screened in porch for Mr. and Mrs. Marshall True Build senior. This meant lots of grandparent, aunt, uncle, and cousin time for the whole family to enjoy. The build had its challenges, but they were mostly all worked out ahead of time to make the construction process smooth and predictable. My parents live on a beautiful property near a wetland, which in Virginia means mosquitos. But after much planning we were able to turn this little back deck into a weather protected, bug protected, relaxing space to enjoy the beauty of the commonwealth. Big enough to host, cozy enough to nap.
Before
After
The project site. Later that wall light will be converted into a wall box to run the fan and string lights. We also saved the decking and handrail.
After I cut the existing concrete patio back a few feet, Uncle Tim True Build helped prep for straight and level footings.
Because of the high water table, this porch has heavy-duty footings. I attached the rebar into the existing house footing to keep the build from floating away over time. Most decks are held to the house by ledger board, but ledger board rarely can be attached to brick safely. I decided the safest and most cost-effective solution was a larger foundation. Ready to inspect.
Footing and piers poured in less than 24 hours, only with help from Uncle Tim True Build.
We reused some beefy posts from the previous deck...
...and ran the joists 12" on center...
...and had a deck.
The rafters and ceiling were left exposed, so I laid a layer of T1-11 facing down before adding the structural sheathing.
This was my favorite part, climbing. The unused lumber pile was starting to dwindle.
Starting to look homey.
Next I added curved corbels, hand crafted on the job site, for shear strength and appearance. You can't always tell but believe me, this took a while. I also reused the previous deck boards for stair treads and we stained everything a uniform color.
Because of the low roof line, we needed a fairly flat roof, which only left one option for roofing material: standing seam metal roofing with a double lock. Finished just in time for hurricane season.
Now that we were "dried-in" I installed the carpet and handrails.
It only took a day by myself to hang the door and install the large screens. We wanted to maximize visibility.
Lastly I added a fan.
White on the outside, wood on the inside.
Until you get at a close angle, the screens all but disappear from the inside.
The roof was hand crafted on site from sheet metal rolls to save money in materials and shipping costs.