Simultaneously with construction of a new front porch, the customers also wanted to create a new outdoor space in the rear of the home. A roofed structure, screening to protect against the bugs, some level of privacy, and a fireplace to unwind at the end of the day were on the must-have list.

Providing some much needed protection from the afternoon sun was the main objective in this project. However, a standard (in both material and design) was not what the homeowner was looking for. Instead, a porch that created a distinct statement was the far better solution in this situation.

Full sun was an understatement of the main driver behind this project. With the rear of house facing directly south and no mature trees within 75 feet, the customer literally baked on their deck from about 9am - 7pm for the main outdoor months of the year. Relief from both sun and bugs was of high priority for this project.

A nice size deck....for nice size bugs! An uncovered deck in the central Virginia summer can be quite ....well....useless. A screened room extends the usability of such a space from maybe three months to upwards of nine or even ten.

With the walk-out nature of this space, the goal was to create space that could be used in the buggy climates, but not introduce building material / railing that would both obstruct the view into the backyard and prevent ease of access into the yard itself.