Screen Systems for Year-Round Porch Enjoyment

An open porch gives you somewhere to sit outside and enjoy the breeze. You can settle into a chair after dinner and spend a little more time outdoors. But when mosquitoes start gathering around you, heading inside becomes tempting.

Enclosing the porch with screening lets you enjoy that outdoor space with fewer insects getting in. If you’re interested in year-round porch enjoyment, you’ll want to compare the screen systems available for your covered porch. Let’s look closer at the options from Deck Expressions and the benefits of each.

Spline-Free Screen Systems

Spline-free systems hold mesh between a mounting base and a fitted cap. SCREENEZE® uses an aluminum base and a vinyl cap that stretches and secures the fabric as you snap it into place. For homeowners considering a fixed enclosure, this design offers several benefits.

Less Work Securing the Mesh

When you install screening, you need to keep the fabric tensioned while securing its edges. With SCREENEZE®, you accomplish both as you attach the cap. You don’t have to work a separate strip of spline into a groove.

If you’re handling the installation yourself, you’ll have one less component to manage around each opening. Follow the cap installation sequence to stretch the mesh as you secure it.

Wider Views Across the Yard

If your porch overlooks a garden, you probably want to see as much of it as possible from your chair. SCREENEZE® accommodates large openings with fewer framing divisions. You can add insect protection while preserving a broad view of the space beyond the porch.

The system supports openings up to 150 square feet under the manufacturer’s requirements. Check the permitted dimensions for your chosen fabric before planning the enclosure around a large span.

Simpler Screen Replacement

A torn screen doesn’t have to mean rebuilding the surrounding enclosure. With SCREENEZE®, you can remove the cap to release damaged fabric. An undamaged mounting base stays attached while you prepare to install the replacement.

You then secure the new mesh using the same cap attachment method. If you plan to handle repairs yourself, you won’t need to remove and reinstall spline when replacing a section.

Colors That Coordinate With Your Porch

You may want your new enclosure to match the trim already around your porch. SCREENEZE® comes in four colors, giving you options for coordinating the frame with those existing details. You can choose from Bronze, White, Sand, or Clay.

Compare the finishes with your porch before ordering. Using the same frame color throughout the enclosure lets you maintain a consistent appearance around openings of different sizes.

Flat-Spline Screen Enclosure Systems

Flat-spline systems secure mesh by pressing a flexible strip into a groove around the frame. Freestyle’s EncloSure™ combines this attachment method with powder-coated aluminum framing for suitable existing covered spaces. Beyond the screening itself, you have several ways to adapt the enclosure to your porch.

Framing Sized for Your Space

You don’t have to redesign your porch around a single set of frame dimensions. EncloSure™ comes in three sizes, with posts and rails that you can trim according to the installation instructions. You select the size for your project before cutting the components to the required measurements.

A Durable Aluminum Frame

Once you’ve enclosed the porch, you’ll want to spend your time enjoying it. EncloSure™ uses aluminum framing with a powder-coated finish to protect the metal surface. You have a finished frame around the mesh from the beginning.

You’ll still need to follow the product’s care instructions after installation. However, you won’t have to paint unfinished framing as another task before completing the enclosure. You can choose the finish as you select the system.

Convenient Access to the Yard

Screening in a porch shouldn’t prevent you from using an existing route outside. With EncloSure™, you can include a compatible screen door where you need an entrance. You’ll have a way to reach the yard while keeping the surrounding enclosure fixed in place.

Plan the doorway before installing the adjacent sections. If you regularly carry food outside, think about the route from the house to the door when choosing its position.

A Door That Opens Into the Porch

An outward-opening door needs room beyond the enclosure to swing. If you’d prefer the door to open toward you while standing inside, EncloSure™ offers an in-swing kit. You can select that configuration when planning the entrance.

You’ll need enough space inside for the door to open fully. Check its travel against your furniture layout before installation. With that space reserved, you can use the entrance without moving a chair whenever you go outside.

Low-Profile Track Screen Systems

Low-profile track systems use narrow channels to hold mesh around porch openings. SNAPP® from Metro Screenworks uses flexible spline to secure the fabric in its tracks. At Deck Expressions, we offer the aluminum track system for homeowners who want to add screening around suitable existing framing.

Less Frame Around Your View

If you like the open appearance of your porch, bulky trim around every screened section may not appeal to you. SNAPP® uses narrow tracks along the edges of each opening. You get a slim border around the mesh.

You’ll still see your porch posts and the screening itself. However, the tracks take up less visual space around the perimeter, allowing you to retain more of the opening’s appearance.

Your Existing Layout Stays Intact

You may already like the spacing between your porch posts. With SNAPP®, you can attach tracks around suitable existing openings and screen those sections. You can preserve that arrangement as you enclose the porch.

Before ordering, check whether the framing meets the system’s mounting requirements. If it does, you can plan the screening around the openings already there. You won’t need to change their proportions simply to accommodate a separately sized panel.

No Exposed Staples Along the Edges

With SNAPP®, you secure the screen fabric inside the track using spline. You don’t staple the mesh around the opening. Once you’ve completed the installation, you won’t see a row of staples along the screen’s border.

If you care about how the enclosure looks from your seat, that finished edge is a benefit. Follow the instructions for securing and trimming the fabric to keep the perimeter neat.

Spend More Time on Your Porch

We’d love to help you turn your porch into a place you use throughout the changing seasons. At Deck Expressions, we offer patio screens for your next enclosure project.

Browse our screen systems and take the next step toward year-round porch enjoyment. If you need assistance with your order, contact our team.