5 Ways to Winterize Your Screened Porch
It’s finally the last month of the year, which means brisk winds and plenty of snow are coming our way. With winter here, homeowners get to make the difficult decision: do they want to keep their screened porches open-aired for the season, or would they prefer covering the screens with vinyl and winterizing their space. Whether you enjoy closing your screened porch down for the winter or making small adjustments to keep it usable, we’ve got some great tips and tricks for all. Read on to determine what winter-preparation method works best for you this chilly season.
Vinyl Coverings for Screened Openings
This is one strategy that we’ve mentioned before, but we’re bringing it back because it is a fantastic way to keep the cold out, the warmth in, and allows you to utilize your screened porch all winter long. You’ll want a large amount of thick vinyl sheeting (enough to cover all of your screened openings), plenty of velcro tape, as well as a razor knife.
Starting out, you’ll clean your screened porch thoroughly - you don’t want any leftover dust or debris trapped in your screened porch all winter long - and you’ll want the trim especially clean since that is what the velcro tape will attach to. Once the screened porch is clean, you will want to take exact measurements of each screened opening of your porch (then add a few inches in all directions so that you have enough). Once you have all of the supplies cut appropriately and by their respective screened openings, begin applying the vinyl sheeting to the trim in front of your screened porch openings, using the velcro tape. (Note: It is best to use one long piece of velcro tape for each side of the vinyl sheeting). You’ll finish off by checking for any gaps and applying extra tape where needed.
We do recommend using two or more people for this process, as it helps to have one or more people pulling the vinyl sheeting taught while it’s being velcroed. We also recommend marking each sheet of vinyl to correspond with their respective screened opening so that, once taken down in the spring, they can be saved and reused for the following winter(s).
Screened Porch Space Heaters
If you enjoy a nice, toasty space to relax in during the winter months, investing in some space heaters might just be the thing for you. While some screened porches have built-in fireplaces or technology that maintains the heat well, many screened porches do not. By purchasing floor and/or wall space heaters (yes, both are available on the market for reasonable prices), you can keep your screened porch usable throughout the winter with little to no difficulty. They also create floor heaters that can be (relatively) easily placed under existing screened porch flooring (assuming it’s not concrete), which provide warm feet year-round. Essentially, however you may want to keep your screened porch warm this winter, there is likely a way in which to achieve that.
Blankets, Jackets, and Throws
Well it can be tempting to only redecorate your home with the change of the seasons, we recommend making some minor adjustments to your screened porch, too! Swap out light throw blankets for thick wool or cable-knit blankets instead. Place a small coat rack in your screened porch and fill it with comfortable jackets, cardigans, and more that you may want to put on during those colder winter nights. Add plenty of soft, warm throw pillows and blankets that serve to accentuate the space and add to the overall feeling of warmth and comfort. While you don’t want your screened porch to feel full or overwhelming, you want to make sure that both yourself and your guests feel cozy within this altered environment.
Warm Scented Additions
With the inclusion of warm-scented candles or even scented pinecones, your screened porch will smell warmer and more inviting. Consider adding scents of cinnamon, pine, vanilla, or peppermint into your screened porch to compliment any cold, outside air that drifts in as well as the comforting internal environment. The mere presence of warmer scents can trick the minds of yourself and guests into thinking the environment is warmer by a few degrees Fahrenheit. For the more opportune effect, rotate your warmer scents (be those candles, scented pinecones, oil diffusers, or others) each time you or your guests experience the screened porch space.
Inviting Lights and Decor
We have written several blogs before talking about the link between proper lighting and decorations to set the overall mood of the space. In winter, warmer, yellow-toned lights are effective at increasing happiness and enjoyment of the screened porch space. These lights can be in the form of overhead lights, floor lamps, string decorative lights, or tabletop light decorations. The other aspect of this then becomes the actual included decor. By decorating your screened porch for the winter season, you are enhancing the surrounding environment and increasing the mood of the space for yourself and any guests that may be dropping in. When in doubt, think warm tones, darker shades of colors, and happiness-emoting tabletop pieces for the space.
Make sure you are warm and comfortable this upcoming cold season and remember that your screened porch can be customized to fit any season.
Let us know which strategies you plan on using this winter season on social media.
