|
Connie Webb
F.O.R. San Bernard
Merchandise Chairman
for
my friend, Teresa...
PORCHES
a good thing...
Living on the river, nothing is more inviting to
me than a covered porch or porch room. I have my
coffee there every morning ! I love the sound of
the rain on the tin roof ! We have had many,
many good times on this ole porch ....
Our Porch at night
Depending on where it's located, a porch can
welcome visitors to your door (dock?) or provide
a morning or afternoon retreat from a busy
world. Bring on the lemonade.
One of my very FAVORITE things to do is ride on
the Terrapin, with Mooch -(and
while he is looking for fuel :) -I am looking at
and admiring all the beautiful homes, decks,
boathouses and PORCHES along
the river !! Aren't we all so lucky to have such
great places for fish frys, bbq's, family and
friend get-to-gethers, parades and even weddings
! ....And well, basically, just a great place
to live ?
(Daughter) Karen and Greg's wedding, on our
porch
In
all of the years that we have lived here, I have
NEVER gotten tired of an almost
daily river ride and amazingly I see something I
hadn't noticed before on every
trip .
Make the most of your porch paradise by
outfitting it with outdoor fabrics and bringing
in nostalgic accents that are reminders of days
when porch-sitting was the preferred
after-dinner entertainment......
TURN OFF THAT TV !
It really is the same as putting together a
living room !
Include comfortable chairs for reading, and
lighting so you can use the room after the sun
goes down. (Burn the citronella ) ..
{I am hinting to Mooch for ours to be screened
in ASAP !}
For
an outdoor porch, features to consider
include:
Screens help keep bugs away and ceiling fans
help circulate even the slightest breezes. If
you think one screen looks just like another,
it's time to take a closer look. Whether you're
in the market for a product that shields
furnishings from sun or a sturdy screen that
keeps indoor cats from clawing their way to
freedom, you're in luck. Sold at home centers
and hardware stores, there are plenty of screen
systems and screen types to suite your needs.
Consider ease and expense: Fiberglass
screening is the least expensive and comes in a
range of colors. It's more forgiving than metal
screening, won't dent during installation, and
works well for large openings.. If not secured
well, fiberglass screening may sag. It costs 13
to 31 cents a square foot.
Check out aluminum: Aluminum insect
screens keep out bugs and maintain a crisp and
taut appearance for years. Available in black,
natural aluminum, and charcoal gray, aluminum is
slightly more costly and harder to work with
than fiberglass. Prices range from 23 to 31
cents per square foot.
Steel against salty air: Bronze screening
is a seaworthy alternative to aluminum screening
(which corrodes when battered by salt water
breezes) and weathers to a dark bronze finish.
Made up of 90 percent copper and 10 percent
zinc, bronze screening matches houses with
copper downspouts, flashing, and roofs. It
costs around 85 cents to $1 a square foot.
Make it invisible: For
barely-there screens, choose black aluminum or
less expensive black fiberglass; each absorbs
light so it won't hinder the view.
 Every
traditional porch needs a rocker or swing. A
larger overhang will allow you to use the porch
during rainy weather and will keep sun and glare
off of upholstery.
 Indoor
porches can be seasonal or year-round, depending
on weather conditions and on your provisions for
heating and cooling. Fit a porch with windows
that open wide or go for French doors or sliding
doors that let light and air into the space.
Take
time to enjoy the river, friends, family... and
your porch !
one
year later - still waiting for the screen....
photos: Better Homes
and Gardens /carolyn.bates photography
screening and pricing: Better Homes and
Gardens
-
post originally written
for kenneda.com/Sept 2005/ *reprinted
by request
|
Anonymous
