As the weather starts to get colder, some homes are more equipped for winter than others. For example, screened porches are a popular accessory in warmer areas of the country where you can enjoy sitting outside even during the fall and winter months.
If you have a screened porch that is getting cold but still want to use it until spring, here are some simple steps on how to winterize your screen porch, so it stays warm enough for year-round use! The start of autumn marks the end of many outdoor activities as people prepare their homes for cooler temperatures.
One common area that may need some attention this time of year is your screened porch – primarily if it’s located in an area with chilly winters or very hot summers. So, this article is for you. You will learn how to winterize a screened porch with just one simple trick!
Step to Follow on How to Winterize a Screened Porch
Step One: Turn Off the Utilities.
Before doing anything else, turn off the water and power going to your porch. This is especially important if you have a hot tub or other appliances on your porch because freezing temperatures could damage them. Now’s also a good time to take out any small plants from pots before they get too cold.
Then cover your porch with a tarp—a tarp, not plastic sheeting or anything else that will flap in the wind and damage easily. You can buy tarps at any hardware store; they come in all sizes. If you live in an area with high winds, dig stakes into the ground on opposite sides of the porch and tie down the tarp with rope.
Step Two: Clear the Snow
If the weather’s expected to warm up, you can take care of this step when it snows. Otherwise, wait until after a major snowstorm. This way, you won’t have to shovel around your plants or run through piles of slush to get in and out of your porch.
If you’re worried about breaking off branches with your snow shovel, it’s ok to be careful. Try to get the snow off the roof, so it doesn’t settle there and break anything through its weight. Also, be careful around brick and stone porches, and try not to break the gas lines.
Step Three: Cover Your Plants.
If you have any houseplants or indoor plants near your porch, move them before it gets too cold. Bring them inside if they’re in pots small enough to carry. For really large plants, you’ll have to find a way to protect them from the elements. One way is to cover their pots with whatever you can find old sheets or blankets, scraps of wood, etc.
Be aware that any plant on your porch might not survive no matter how much protection you give it. If you’re unsure, either bring it inside or take cuttings before it gets too cold. A word of warning: if you bring plants inside, make sure they can stand in a small area for at least a little while.
Step Four: Cover the Windows.
Before you cover your porch with that tarp, protect its windows from snow and ice by covering them with plastic sheets or anything else you can find. Don’t use tape to secure the plastic; you want it loose enough to not freeze and distort in the cold.
As we mentioned before, make sure not to cover your windows too tightly with any material because snow and ice might frost over and break them. It’ll be a lot easier to fix broken windows before the weather gets too cold than after it freezes.
Step Five: Secure Loose Items
Take care of smaller items such as tools and lawn chairs by stowing them inside for the winter. You don’t want to come out one morning and find all your tools covered with snow or a broken chair blew off its hinges. Likewise, if you have any ladders or any other object you need to store, you should also secure it to the house.
You also need to check and secure any deck furniture left on your porch and bring in anything you can’t protect from the elements, such as barbecue grills. Unless you can store them somewhere else, please don’t leave them outside for very long because they might rust or break.
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Step Six: Seal the Tarp.
Once you’re done protecting your plants, windows, and loose items, seal off your porch. Use industrial-strength duct tape to seal any seams or holes in the tarp. Get a long extension cord, and tape both ends to the tarp if you don’t want to go back outside once it gets cold.
This will make it easier for you to plug in heaters or any other appliances you want to use on your porch. Just be careful about how much power you use at once. If you overload your extension cord, it might break and damage your porch even more. This will help in how to winterize a screened porch.
Step Seven: Cover the Vents.
You don’t want snow and ice to enter your porch through its vents, so seal them off with some plastic or a pail. You can do this on a smaller scale by keeping pots over any open vents. You don’t need to do this if you have space heaters because they’ll warm up your porch and keep it from getting too cold.
Now that your porch is winterized, you can relax and wait for the snow to fall. Just make sure you keep it safe by checking on it from time to time and keeping an eye out for any damage caused by snow caking onto the tarp or heavy winds.
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Frequenly Asked Questions
How Do You Weatherproof a Screened in Porch?
There are many ways to weatherproof a screened-in porch. One way is to use a wooden roof which will help prevent water from getting into the room. Another way is to put down a rubber mat, tarp or plastic sheeting over the floor of the porch and use siding, shingles or plywood on top of that.
The final way would be to make sure that you have plenty of ventilation so that your room doesn’t get too humid or too dry.
Can You Winterize a Porch?
The simple answer is yes. The process of winterizing a porch consists of the following steps:
1. First, you need to remove any plants that may be blocking the entrance.
2. Next, you need to close off the roof so that water cannot enter from above or below and freeze into ice.
3. Then, you should cover all windows with plywood or plastic sheeting so that there is no chance for moisture to enter and freeze into ice as well.
4. Finally, add an extra layer of insulation if needed on top of the walls by covering them with plastic sheeting or tarpaulin then covering it with straw bales or other insulation material.
How Do I Keep My Porch Warm in the Winter?
There are many ways to keep your porch warm in the winter.
Some of them include:
1. Heating the ground under your porch so that it is warmer than the surrounding area.
2. Setting up a heater underneath your porch or covering it with a tarp and attaching electric wires to it so that you can have heat radiating from underneath the tarp.
3. Cover your porch with fake snow, like if you were going to go skiing or snowboarding, and cover yourself and your car with it before going out into the cold air.
Can You Use a Propane Heater in a Screened-in Porch?
Yes, propane heaters can be used in screened-in porches. In fact, most people use them to warm their outdoor living spaces.
You should keep in mind that if you want to use a propane heater for your porch, you will need a separate vent for the exhaust of the heater and make sure that there is enough clearance between the heater and the exterior wall so air can circulate freely.
Conclusion
The best thing about screened porches is that they are both attractive and functional. If you want to make your outdoor space inviting for the winter, consider adding a screen porch to your home. They’re perfect for catching breezes in the summer or curling up with a book in front of an open fire in the cold months ahead.
If you live in a climate with cold winters, it’s essential to winterize your porch so that you can enjoy it all year round. The conclusion paragraph is informative and provides information on how to winterize a screened porch.
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