Would you like to have a screened porch or open porch that’s lofty and airy? Or would you prefer a porch that’s comforting and cozy and wraps itself around you like a soft blanket? Those are not the only two options, of course! When you work with Archadeck of Akron to design and build your new porch, we create a custom design just for you.
If you’re looking to add a one-size-fits-all porch to your home, we may not be the right fit for you. We help our clients choose just the right design features to create the ideal screened porch or open porch for their home and lifestyle. By drawing from their personal style and the porch amenities they admire, each client benefits by having a porch design uniquely their own.
Popular Porch Custom Design Features
Did you respond “Yes!” to our initial mention of the lofty and airy porch? If so, the porch design features that interest you most might be a gable roof, open rafters, cathedral ceiling, and vaulted ceiling.
- Gable roof. This popular roof style isn’t always tall enough for a vaulted ceiling, but it is usually open at one end, contributing an open and airy feel. The open gable end works equally well on an open porch or screened porch.
- Open rafters. Exposed beams can make your porch ceiling feel higher than it actually is. Open rafters pair well with a gable roof. A favorite open rafter design is called a king truss—originally a structural feature but today it can be purely decorative.
- Cathedral ceiling. The high, lofty cathedral style ceiling features symmetrical slopes on each side of a center point or ridge. The pitch of the ceiling mirrors the pitch of the roof.
- Vaulted ceiling. Less formal than a cathedral ceiling, and not necessarily symmetrical, a vaulted ceiling is a great way to create that pleasing, open porch design.
If you like to maximize all your options, consider a gable roof, open rafters, and a cathedral or vaulted ceiling with a ceiling fan, too. This is the trifecta of open and airy porch design. Your custom screened or open porch by Archadeck of Akron will be the envy of everyone who enters your home.
Akron Custom Porch Design Options at Ground Level
Look down now from that lofty, open porch ceiling and consider the porch railing or knee wall. If your porch is less than 30 in. above the ground, a railing or knee wall around the sides of your porch is not required. Many of our clients choose to incorporate railings anyway because they frame your space, visually, and become a prominent design element. Scanning the many railing designs on the market, you’re likely to find several that you want. Then all you have to do is decide which one to use!
Railing manufacturers offer many designs in a wide variety of materials. From wood and composite rails to iron, aluminum, or PVC, you’ll be able to select the material and color for the look you want. In the spirit of creating your custom porch design, you can also mix and match materials for railings. For example, many homeowners choose wood, composite, or PVC for the top and bottom rail and iron or aluminum for balusters or pickets.
When the infill of a knee wall/railing is filled with solid panels instead of balusters, this design gives you a bit of privacy on your screened or open porch. A solid knee wall also serves as a barrier to keep rambunctious children and pets from pushing through your screens!
Customize Your Porch with Your Favorite Amenities
TVs are almost a standard feature on Akron porches as families gather on the porch to watch movies together and sports fans enjoy watching their games outside. We can add provisions to your porch for installing a TV. Of course, every porch needs more than a few electrical outlets and at least one ceiling fan.
Fireplaces—gas burning or wood burning—are extremely popular porch amenities! Just the sight of a fireplace makes you want to spend more time in this outdoor room. It’s hard to keep a chilly porch warm with a fireplace, though, because heat dissipates as cold air rushes in.
Let’s Not Forget Custom Porch Screens
Akron-area screened porch builder Archadeck of Akron uses SCREENEZE for our screened porches. We have found that their BETTERVUE® screen really does deliver a better view, and they have pet-friendly screening, too. We’ve written about the quality of these amazing screens on our web page about SCREENEZE porch systems. Our clients love its 10-year manufacturer’s product warranty. SCREENEZE screens come in four colors—white, sand, bronze, and clay—offering you another way to customize your screened porch design.
Let Archadeck of Akron work with you to create the perfect custom screen porch or open porch for your home. To get started, just call. You can contact Archadeck of Akron today at (330) 537-6412.
Patrick Sluss, owner Archadeck of Akron
