My 50 year old house in Minnesota has a screened porch that was added twelve years ago. I’d like to improve it so we could use it earlier in the spring and later into the fall, but, I am worried about the way this porch was built. On top, the roof trusses are integrated into the rafter structure of the house. Below, the porch sits on a 16 x 16 reinforced concrete pad that sits on 8 twelve inch pilings poured to a depth of about 5 feet. So the previous owner, a local builder, tells me.
I’d like to enclose the porch with windows or sliding doors and raise the floor up level with the house (about two feet). Obviously, I’d be a lot happier about moving ahead if there were a real foundation here, but with what I have, and with no trace of movement in a dozen years, am I asking for disaster if I go ahead with the foundation I have, or can I get away with this?
Thanks for any and all advice.
Replies
It sounds to me as though you want to upgrade the porch to a degree but not actually finish it as a room to the house, correct? If so why exactly do you need to raise the floor height?
In the past I have enclosed porches for extented use using wood storm doors between existing posts. I secure and trim the doors to resemble panels rather than doors. I use the doors with the full panel of glass that have interchangable screens so that the "room" can be used year round.
Good Luck!
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
The reason we are thinking of raising the floor is so that we could put double doors out of the house onto the porch. In good weather we could then just open them up onto the porch and have a space that was both outside and inside. Right now, the porch is oddly set up with screens ending about eight feet off the ground which means that from in the house you look down at the lawn while the larger view (of a small lake) is cut off. But, the overall height of the porch ceiling matches perfectly the height of the interior ceilings of the house. So, raise the floor and the window/door openings and suddenly we'll be able to see the view.
Thanks for your help and the suggestion about the door. That sounds both attractive and potentially money-saving.
With no move ment in all these years, what more could you want in a "real" foundation? You have a real foundation, it is supporting the loads that it carries. Your wall treatment will not add appreciably to the load. The only reason I can see for a change is if you want an insulated basement under it.