Don’t you just love relaxing on the porch in summer? You can sit and read, chat with friends or family, or just lie there and do nothing, soaking up the warmth and smelling the fragrant flowers in your garden. And thanks to those screens around your porch, your enjoyment is never marred by bugs or bees. If only you could feel that same summery bliss in the winter.
You can!
Yes, it’s true that Bay Area winters bring their share of cold temperatures, wind, and rain. It’s enough to keep us indoors. But you can recapture the warmth of summer by transforming your screened porch into a winter oasis.
Exclude the elements
It takes more than screens to keep winter weather at bay. You have options, from simple to sophisticated:
- The easiest solution is to cover the screens with clear sheet vinyl using tape or Velcro. But you can do better, in terms of aesthetics as well as functionality.
- Attach heavy clear vinyl to lightweight wooden frames and install them over your screens inside or out, as you would install storm windows.
- Make screen covers from acrylic or polycarbonate sheets instead of flimsy roll vinyl. You’ll get better protection and your “winter porch windows” will last for years.
- With wooden frames, you can nail the panels in place, hang them from hooks, or mount them in sliding tracks such as those used for closet doors.
If you want your porch to be air-tight, add weather-stripping around the edges of your screen covers to keep out cold drafts. Or invest in a few colorful door draft blockers.
