Spring is right around the corner and before you know it summer hits you right smack in the face: sun, fun and insects! In Minneapolis (MPLS) and St. Paul, insects such as mosquitoes, black flies, sand flies and yellow jackets are some of the pests that summer ushers in. Aside from using electric bug killers -the one that zaps the life out of these bugs- sheathing yourself with insect repellent is also a possible, albeit uncomfortable solution.
Building a screened porch is your best bet to get away from the large insect population that arrives every summer. Instead of spending hot and humid summer nights out in the porch or lanai, it may be that the incessant buzzing of insects are in perfect sync to the swatting sound you make. Building a screen porch will afford you the luxury of an outdoor space without the accompanying hassles.
You are one lucky person if you read this article you have a ready-built deck waiting to be roofed and screened. You are even luckier if you already have an entrance porch that only needs little tweaks to accommodate screen walls and door. If this is your case, you may very well do a DIY job – that is if you are well-versed in carpentry as screening a porch is not an easy task. Traditional method of porch screening is ineffective as the screens have the tendency to sag. The proper way to do this is to frame the screen on stained and painted wood battens before putting them up as walls. You also have the option to order prefabricated screens on aluminum framing and get a qualified contractor to do the installation.
If you are one of the many homeowners who need to start from scratch to build a screened porch, the best thing is for you to get a reliable and recommended screen porch contractor. Why? Well, building a screened-in-porch from scratch is akin to a new construction. The local building codes of MPLS and Saint Paul have various requirements for you to submit before you are given a permission to start the new construction.
Some of the prerequisites are: certificate of survey or to-scale site plans with the proper lot dimensions and site development plan; copies of drawings of the proposed construction ie floor plans inclusive of structural details as in sizes of posts and rafters; copies of foundation and / or footing plans, beams, floor framing sections, ceiling height, window and door openings and more. Even an avid and quality DIY will not be able to submit these requirements for these prerequisites must be done and signed by a licensed architect.
A screen porch contractor in MPLS and St.. Paul will have the ability to take care of all the requirements. Having a qualified contractor build your screen porch will save you money in the long run as labor and materials are under warranty from the contractor. However, if you know you can do the finishing work like setting up the screens and painting the new porch, you have the option to set up parts of the construction out of the quote.
Building a screen porch should not be too much trouble as there are contractors and sub-contractors to make it trouble-free and straightforward for you.