What’s not to love about spending a gorgeous day outdoors? Imagine if you had the option to do it completely out in the open, or in the breezy shade of a screen porch. That’s what the owners of a Kirkwood, MO home, built in 1978, had in mind when they called Mosby Building Arts.
Their deck had seen better days, and the need for a new one inspired the longing for a larger deck with better access to the backyard. While discussing their wishes with a Mosby consultant, they also revealed a desire for a screen porch, and asked if they should pick one or the other. We answered: why not explore the idea of both a new deck and a screen porch?
They were also experiencing some problems with the existing vinyl siding, and a close inspection revealed there were flashing problems that caused water to remain trapped behind the siding, which caused permanent damage. To avoid mold issues and have a more cost-effective solution, Mosby recommended replacing the siding on the entire home. And new siding would blend perfectly into a new addition, yes?
The homeowners were excited to begin design ideas for a new deck and screen porch addition. They loved the concept and 3D drawings so much that we are now looking at the completed project, above!
Let’s tour the project by starting at the entrance from the end of the driveway. This gives you an overview of how the pieces of the design puzzle come together. The new deck begins here and runs alongside the screen porch addition, ending in a stairway to the backyard.
The addition is L-shaped, which creates this patio area. The double doors (above left) are part of the new hallway that connects to the kitchen. It fulfills their desire to be able to reach the screen porch without having to go outside.
The screen porch, proper, was designed so that up to 8 people can comfortably eat and relax. The screens in the large bank of windows are a pet- and -insect resistant material by Phifer, designed to stand up to tough wear without hampering the view. Also note how the decking material looks sharp as both an indoor and outdoor flooring. It’s a low-maintenance composite board by CertainTeed, in Ipe Tropic.
The bead board walls and ceiling are painted to match the Heritage Cream shade of the exterior siding (also from CertainTeed). All of the can lighting is on dimmer switches and two ceiling fans keep the room cool all season long.
Another set of double-doors leads to the outdoor hall that funnels into the new deck. Note the white railing with square ballusters. This is vinyl fencing, that’s even more low-maintenance than the deck floor, easily cleaned with the spray of a hose. And the white was chosen to make a pleasing contrast with the cream siding.
Here is where more lounging takes place! Gorgeous view, is it not? And as the client’s wished, it’s easier access to that big backyard. The homeowners love being able to choose where to spend their time outdoors, and how easy it is for anyone, inside or out, to move about their new outdoor living rooms. See additional project photos here.
St. Louis design-build remodeling firm Mosby Building Arts is known for comprehensive design and repair solutions like this deck and screen porch addition. See more examples of their outdoor living projects. To get started with the creation of your perfect backyard playground, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.