Everything we get asked about porches

Sand gnats and no-see-ums slip through standard screen mesh. A finer mesh stops them, but it also cuts the breeze and darkens the view a little. At the first visit we hold a sample frame of each against your own porch, so you can judge the trade yourself.

Fewer, never none. A screen is only as tight as its edges: the door sweep, the corners, the gap at the base of the rail. We close those on purpose, and we hang the door on a spring so it shuts behind you.

Pine pollen settles on the screen and in the corners every March and April. Rinse it with a garden hose from inside, and skip the pressure washer, which bends the mesh. Finer mesh clogs a little faster, so it's worth knowing before you choose.

Pet-resistant screen is thicker, vinyl-coated polyester that stands up to claws far better than standard. It costs more and dims the view a touch. Many owners use it only on the lower panels by the door.

Some, because it lives outdoors on the Gulf Coast. We build it to dry out: air on both sides of every board, a floor that sheds water, trim primed on every cut end, and nothing wooden touching the ground. You'll still wipe it down once or twice a year.

Composite or PVC decking, outdoor-rated tile and painted pressure-treated boards each handle wet differently. Rain blows through screens, so the floor has to shed water either way. We lay out the trade-offs at the visit and you pick.

Moving air makes a porch feel cooler and makes life harder for small flying bugs. Use a fan rated for damp places under a roof, and one rated for wet places if rain can reach it.

It's an old Gulf South habit, often called haint blue. Some people say it keeps wasps off; we say it looks good and costs the same as any other paint. Ask and we'll bring a few blues to match your trim.

Heavy-duty screening tested for flying debris does exist. It's rated as a whole assembly, with its own frame and fasteners, not as mesh alone, and it costs more. We pull the maker's test report for any product we propose, and your building department and insurer may ask for it.

No. A screen keeps out bugs, not wind or debris. We build the screen panels so they come out in minutes without damage, and you take them down and store them before a named storm. The roof, posts and connections are what hold the structure.

With metal connectors from the roof framing to the posts and from the posts to the footings, set to the plans we file. The permit inspector looks at them before the walls are closed in.

Policies differ, and screened enclosures are often treated differently from the house itself. Ask your agent before we build and again after. We don't file or negotiate claims.

Usually, yes. Building a new porch or enclosing an existing one is normally permitted by the City of Mobile or the county where you live. We prepare the drawings and apply; your building department has the final say.

If you have one, almost always. We give you drawings and material samples in the form your architectural review board asks for, and we don't order anything until it approves.

In stages, written into the agreement before work starts: a deposit, payments as each part of the work is done, and a last payment after the walk-through. Alabama doesn't set one number for every job, so we state the amounts and the stages in your plan.

Paint from before 1978 may contain lead. When paid work disturbs it, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (RRP) says a certified firm has to follow set work practices, and you get the EPA's renovation pamphlet before we start. Enclosing a porch often touches old trim and siding. We ask the year first, treat old paint as lead paint unless a test says otherwise, and seal off the work area. Jobs under 6 square feet inside or 20 square feet outside are exempt, but window replacement and demolition never are. Our certification is listed under Credentials.

We don't build pools, open decks with no roof, or additions with a bath or kitchen. If you're not sure whether your idea is a porch, send a photo and we'll say so.