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Can anyone tell me ( or give me a vendor resource) if it is possible to leave the framing from the screens on a screened-in porch and attach glass panels to the frames? My hubby and I are thinking about doing it ourselves.
I've googled sunrooms but I've only found vendors that want to sell you the complete package...Roof and three-sided kits.
I have have two carpenters come to measure for a sunroom conversion but they never got back with me on an estimate. I suppose the job was too small for them to commit. I also called our local Home Depot but they do not do service installations in our area. Bad advertising since they have this huge display at their front door plus sent us a sunroom post card!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. - Deborah
Seems that small jobs aren't feasible for workers any longer. That's okay with us -- we love projects!
Back in the 50s (or thereabouts), some homes had conversion porches. Screened sections were about 3-feet above the base. The lower 3-feet were wood panels. When it was time to "winterize" these porches, framed window units were put into position for the cold season. During the warm season, the framed window units were removed (and stored). My husband and I did some think-tanking on this idea and he even discussed it with a friend who's an architect. It is entirely possible to make a porch like this, but I would not think that the majority could ever be air-tight due to the lack of seals.
As a kid, I remember one particular beach house that we rented for a summer. The home was turn of the century and had a number of porches. One had been converted in this manner and even had single beds to sleep on the screened porch. It was a novelty to my brother and me. I remember that the window frames were locked into place with some type of a hook and eye system. It was not air-proof, but it was not intended for true use during the winter since this was in the Rehobeth Beach NJ area.
Incidently, we didn't build a conversion porch. We opted for a detached greenhouse instead. LOL Good luck to you in the project!!
Do you have photos of the frame?
It would help to determine if they can stand the weight.
How about GH polycarbonite panels or do you need crystal clear?
What my husband finnally decided to do was tear out the metal frames and build wooded frames out of 2x4's to install picture windows. Home depot will install new windows (15x 14 room) for around $6,000. More than we had hoped for but at least I'm going to have a nice sunroom sooner or later
What we are stuck on at the moment are several screws that have rusted into the anchors within the brick. We've tried driving a bit through the screw to back it out but can't drill deep enough. We don't have an industrial drill, just an electric screwdriver. I've sprayed the screw heads with lubricants but still can't get those suckers out. If your husband can advise us how to get those screws out I'd appreciate the help! We need the 2x4's to sit flush on the brick, that's why we need the screws out.
