Floor Treatment for covered Screen Porch

[HawkinsHollow]

Need to figure out what I want to put on the floor of my newly screen covered porch. It stays mostly dry in all the but the craziest of rain storms but I am still going to be cautious what I put down. I would love to put composite tongue and groove, but have you seen the price for that stuff? Not happening! The short list right now is wood look tile (lots of work and not cheap), slate tiles (even more expensive and laborious) and these wooden squares. The subfloor is avantech.

I really like the squares but the wife is concerned about dirt getting down in the cracks and being hard to remove. The squares are the cheapest and easiest option by far. I think a shop vac once a month will take care of the dirt that might get down there. What says ye?

 

[EddieWalker]

I've done a few vinyl floors for clients with screened in porches. It's the easiest to do yourself and probably the lowest price flooring out there.

I personally like tile and I've been stocking up on what seems to be the most expensive tile ever sold at Lowes. It's a really nice 4x8 tile that will give lots of traction for my dogs and grandson when he's playing in the pool. I buy a case just about every week and hope to have enough by this time next year.

 

[ponytug]

Need to figure out what I want to put on the floor of my newly screen covered porch. It stays mostly dry in all the but the craziest of rain storms but I am still going to be cautious what I put down. I would love to put composite tongue and groove, but have you seen the price for that stuff? Not happening! The short list right now is wood look tile (lots of work and not cheap), slate tiles (even more expensive and laborious) and these wooden squares. The subfloor is avantech.

View attachment 3421558View attachment 3421559

I really like the squares but the wife is concerned about dirt getting down in the cracks and being hard to remove. The squares are the cheapest and easiest option by far. I think a shop vac once a month will take care of the dirt that might get down there. What says ye?

I confess that I'm with your wife on that one. I wouldn't sign up for something that is going to be high maintenance, and I think with those cracks outside are an invitation to dirt.

I've had both vinyl and ceramic/stone tile. They both work well, but watch out for the slip hazard if vinyl or glazed tile gets wet.

@EddieWalker what is the tile that you like?

All the best,

Peter

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I've done a few vinyl floors for clients with screened in porches. It's the easiest to do yourself and probably the lowest price flooring out there.

I personally like tile and I've been stocking up on what seems to be the most expensive tile ever sold at Lowes. It's a really nice 4x8 tile that will give lots of traction for my dogs and grandson when he's playing in the pool. I buy a case just about every week and hope to have enough by this time next year.

I am not sure I can stomach putting vinyl on my porch. It always seems so cheap. I am not sure I have ever seen a vinyl floor that I was like "WOW, that looks amazing".

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I confess that I'm with your wife on that one. I wouldn't sign up for something that is going to be high maintenance, and I think with those cracks outside are an invitation to dirt.

I've had both vinyl and ceramic/stone tile. They both work well, but watch out for the slip hazard if vinyl or glazed tile gets wet.

@EddieWalker what is the tile that you like?

All the best,

Peter

I know, I have to admit in my heart I feel that same way. But I love the way they look and wish I didn't have reservations about them.

 

[ponytug]

I know, I have to admit in my heart I feel that same way. But I love the way they look and wish I didn't have reservations about them.

I agree- they look nice. Larger ones (2x2' or larger) might work as something that you could pull up and put down after cleaning, but in my experience they tend not to be dimensionally stable, especially outdoors.

You could do solid parquet, with a flood epoxy or multilayer varnish surface, but that's going to need annual work to keep the sun/rain exposed areas stable.

Did I mention that I am a fan of low maintenance?

All the best,

Peter

 

[EddieWalker]

Vinyl snap together planks are being used in fairly high end new homes. most of the time, the wood looking planks are so good that even when you touch it with your hand, it's hard to believe it's vinyl.

Here is the link to the tile I'm buying at Lowes. The pictures are a lot brighter and lighter color than what they are in person. I'm a huge fan of earth tones and natural colors. I think that I need about 60 cartons to do my porch, and I'm at 35 right now. I'll buy another this week if it's in stock. Normally there is 4 or five boxes of it on the shelf. Never enough to do a room, so I'm guessing that everyone is buying a box at a time until they have enough. It's probably the wackiest thing I've done for home remodeling, but with so many other projects that have to be done, this is my way of working towards that project without causing a lot of pain by buying it all at once.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/American-Olean-Wright-36-Pack-Brown-4-in-x-8-in-Glazed-Porcelain-Brick-Look-Floor-and-Wall-Tile/1002655372

 

[2manyrocks]

Your wife may be similar to mine: low tolerance for dirty looking floors. I would avoid flooring that shows dirt and has recesses for dirt to collect. You'll never hear the end of it.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Our closest neighbors have two adjoining screened in porches, both about same size. The one has linoleum and screened in, a couple small throw rugs & cat door. Two doors one each end. The other has expensive windows with screens, a block floor like that and sliding doors into the house. It has a large rug & nice furnature. So through the house that porch stays clean. Going from outside the other way there's a sidewalk and linoleum easy to clean...into the nicer side that floor stays clean.
Our porch a couple years ago I got tired of painting concrete so made a wood (2x8s) frame covered with T&G 3/4 plywood, all PT, then covered with roll roofing then Trex. I had front door house side 1" higher than steps side so never standing water. I occasionally blow it off if needed.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Your wife may be similar to mine: low tolerance for dirty looking floors. I would avoid flooring that shows dirt and has recesses for dirt to collect. You'll never hear the end of it.

Yeah, ok!! You're probably right.

 

[ponytug]

Vinyl snap together planks are being used in fairly high end new homes. most of the time, the wood looking planks are so good that even when you touch it with your hand, it's hard to believe it's vinyl.

Here is the link to the tile I'm buying at Lowes. The pictures are a lot brighter and lighter color than what they are in person. I'm a huge fan of earth tones and natural colors. I think that I need about 60 cartons to do my porch, and I'm at 35 right now. I'll buy another this week if it's in stock. Normally there is 4 or five boxes of it on the shelf. Never enough to do a room, so I'm guessing that everyone is buying a box at a time until they have enough. It's probably the wackiest thing I've done for home remodeling, but with so many other projects that have to be done, this is my way of working towards that project without causing a lot of pain by buying it all at once.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/American-Olean-Wright-36-Pack-Brown-4-in-x-8-in-Glazed-Porcelain-Brick-Look-Floor-and-Wall-Tile/1002655372

Those look very nice, almost like split slate!

Is there a reason not do an online order, ready for pickup? I do that at the box stores when I am in need of large quantities. I just get nervous about the potential for color drift and variations in things like tile.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Torvy]

You'll never hear the end of it.

This^ No matter how often you clean it, she'll notice dirt.

Let her pick. We have dark stained concrete with area rugs. That waa her choice. We can always put something over it in the future if (when) she changes our minds.

 

[EddieWalker]

My biggest reason for not getting them all at once is the amount of money it will take, and my main focus has been on fencing in a pasture, which I finished a few months ago, now I'm working on our dog grooming room.

My struggle is having too many projects and getting them to the point were it's good enough to use, but not finished. I also spend way too much time working on equipment, mowing, and dealing with animals.

Cost for all the tile to do my porch, but not for anything else, is around $2,300 But I also want to do the walkways, and that could double the amount of tile I need. There really is no end to the madness!!!

Once I pay off the mortgage on my late brother's farm, that will give me a lot more cash to spend on things like this.

 

[bigtiller]

My folks added a roof to their wood patio deck, screened it in, and had outdoor carpet covering the floor. Everyone was happy with the carpet.

 

[Carl_NH]

I like the porcelain wood look tiles and they would stand up in the porch.

A wood choice that not too $$ is 1x4 SYP, medium hardness, can be sealed with poly etc.stands up to some weather and it looks good left natural as it ages.

 

[Oaktree]

My folks added a roof to their wood patio deck, screened it in, and had outdoor carpet covering the floor. Everyone was happy with the carpet.

I was going to suggest that. Our 3 season sunporch is enclosed, and that's what we did. Reasonably easy to keep clean, and doesn't get slippery when wet, or with snow-covered boots.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I was going to suggest that. Our 3 season sunporch is enclosed, and that's what we did. Reasonably easy to keep clean, and doesn't get slippery when wet, or with snow-covered boots.

My wife will not go for carpet.

 

[jyoutz]

Need to figure out what I want to put on the floor of my newly screen covered porch. It stays mostly dry in all the but the craziest of rain storms but I am still going to be cautious what I put down. I would love to put composite tongue and groove, but have you seen the price for that stuff? Not happening! The short list right now is wood look tile (lots of work and not cheap), slate tiles (even more expensive and laborious) and these wooden squares. The subfloor is avantech.

View attachment 3421558View attachment 3421559

I really like the squares but the wife is concerned about dirt getting down in the cracks and being hard to remove. The squares are the cheapest and easiest option by far. I think a shop vac once a month will take care of the dirt that might get down there. What says ye?

If as you say it occasionally gets wet, I would want tile, not wood.

 

[2manyrocks]

I believe tile would be better for resisting fading

 

[jyoutz]

Something that’s popular in the southwest: if you have a reasonably flat concrete floor, just dry set clay bricks with no joints. Then coat with a clear exterior stone sealer. Like this, except with smooth clay bricks instead of paver bricks.