Exploring Different Ways to Keep Rainwater Out of Your Screened Porch

In addition enhancing your home’s aesthetic appeal, the screen porches can provide you a comfortable and usable living space without investing a lot of money. During hot summer months, your family members will love to hang out in the cool and shaded area without any hassle. But you have to look for effective ways to prevent damages caused to the items placed on these screen porches during heavy rain. You can further make the screen porches more durable by keeping water out of these during the rainy season.

Different Ways to Keep Water Out of Your Screened Porch

Storm Windows: You can find a variety of storm windows at the local home improvement stores. You have option to clip the storm windows onto the existing exterior screen porch windows on a permanent or temporary basis. If you install the storm windows permanently, these need to be closed during heavy rain. Also, you can clip the storm windows onto the existing exterior screen porch windows during rainy weather to keep the water out of your porch. Despite being a bit expensive, the storm windows can effectively keep rain water out of your screened porch.

Specially Designed Eaves: You can prevent the rainwater falling vertically from entering into the screened porch by installing eaves or overhangs. However, you must choose the plastic or metal eaves that are designed specifically to prevent rainwater. You also have option to choose the stationary or retractable eves. The retractable eaves can be rolled out to prevent rainwater from entering into the screened porch. Despite being cost-effective, these eaves are not effective in protecting your porch during extreme weather conditions, hurricanes or heavy wind.

Plastic Sheets: Instead of investing additionally in eaves and storm windows, you can consider placing plastic sheets to protect the screened porch effectively from rainwater. You have option to choose the specially designed plastic kits. Also, you can buy the plastic sheets can be easily measured and cut according to the size and design of the porch windows. Once you adjust the sheet to fit porch windows, these can be attached using a stapler or shrunk using a hair dryer. Despite being inexpensive and hassle-free, the plastic sheet may adversely affect the aesthetic appeal of your porch.

Floor Drains: It is also a good idea to protect the screened porch from rainwater by placing floor drains inside the porch. These drains can be attached to the hole cut into the floor of the screen porch. After being attached to the hole, the drain will effectively divert the water from the floor to lawn. However, you cannot use the floor drains to keep water out of the porch effectively. These drains can be placed as an additional option to prevent damages to the porch by removing the water entering into it during rain.

While constructing screen porches, you must consider several factors to keep water out of these effectively. For instance, if the screened porch is being constructed on a concrete patio slab, you must ensure that the center of the slab crowns slightly. The crowned slab will prevent the water from pooling without putting any extra effort.