So when did screen porches disappear? Did central air make them obsolete?

Dunno. But I wish I had one on the Door County house. The bugs up there are a pain in the neck.

A lot of people have decks but I don't know why. The wood gets mossy/rots, it's slippery, and it's a lot of upkeep.

And, bugs.

We love our three season room down here in Chicago. Having the storm windows means we can button up and keep rain/snow out, and use it earlier in the spring and later in the autumn.

Every house has them in the part of Florida where I lived. I love them. I spent a lot of time on the porch swing out there, or eating dinner at my porch table.

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Originally posted by jodi:
Any chance you could keep a condo in california to escape to in January? I never thought the life of a snowbird was for me, but after two years in northern Maine and already two major winter storms here when it’s supposed to be fall (I know, I know, in Montana, any weather is possible), I’m rethinking...

I only really came to hate winter after I moved East of the continental divide. Winters were a lot more bearable (and at least a month shorter) in Missoula. Also hated Michigan winters. I happen to think Midwestern winters are a lot worse than Montana winters.

Yes to the snowbird thing.

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Originally posted by Steve Miller:
So when did screen porches disappear? Did central air make them obsolete?

In Tampa, this is exactly what happened.

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Originally posted by wtg:
Dunno. But I wish I had one on the Door County house. The bugs up there are a pain in the neck.

A lot of people have decks but I don't know why. The wood gets mossy/rots, it's slippery, and it's a lot of upkeep.

And, bugs.

We love our three season room down here in Chicago. Having the storm windows means we can button up and keep rain/snow out, and use it earlier in the spring and later in the autumn.

When my deck in Massachusetts started rotting, I replaced it with Trex. Not all that easy to work with (and the contractor screwed it up, so he wound up having to replace half of it, at his own cost), but it looked good and never rots.

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Originally posted by Quirt:

When my deck in Massachusetts started rotting, I replaced it with Trex. Not all that easy to work with (and the contractor screwed it up, so he wound up having to replace half of it, at his own cost), but it looked good and never rots.

There were a lot of problems with Trex when it first came out. You can’t install it like wood.

I understand the problems have been worked out and as long as you install it like the instructions say it works very well.

Trex really wasn't a thing when we built the DC house in 1991. It's also not the easiest material to get (maybe it's better now) in a remote location. There are no big box stores and the lumber yard is modestly sized. Trex is premium priced in urban areas and through the roof up there.

We have a Trex knockoff (Ultra-dek) product installed here in Chicago, but most of it is now covered by the sunroom. It doesn't get sealed or stained, so there is that labor savings.

Moss still grows on areas that are mostly in shade so it needs regular power washing. Ours is on the north side of our house and shaded by a huge maple tree, so it gets a fair bit of shade. And it's slippery as heck in the winter when it gets damp and the temps drop.

Definitely better than wood but I still prefer a screened-in area for outdoor living.

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Originally posted by Daniel:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Miller:
So when did screen porches disappear? Did central air make them obsolete?

In Tampa, this is exactly what happened.

I can remember sleeping on the screen porch at my Grandmothers house in Minneapolis. She did’t have air conditioning and some nights the whole family would sleep out there.

There are still screened in porches in Maine. Screened in garages too. (Weirdest thing, one of the houses we looked at had AstroTurf and lawn furniture in their garage, and a screened door behind the garage door, and it wasn’t the only one around that had that) that was all because of the bugs. Sitting still outside up there is pretty much impossible in the warmer months.

While fixing the tiniest of nicks and scratches in the walls all over the house:

“I’m surprised you can even see that.”

“I’m nesting.”

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Miller:

quote:

Originally posted by Quirt:

When my deck in Massachusetts started rotting, I replaced it with Trex. Not all that easy to work with (and the contractor screwed it up, so he wound up having to replace half of it, at his own cost), but it looked good and never rots.

There were a lot of problems with Trex when it first came out. You can’t install it like wood.

I understand the problems have been worked out and as long as you install it like the instructions say it works very well.

That was the problem. His guys didn't read the instructions about pre-drilling screw holes and making them a certain distance from the end of each board. So the ends started cracking.

They tried to file a claim, and were told by the company, you screwed up and we don't cover that.

So the contractor had to pay for it himself. Luckily, he was a stand-up guy, and sucked it up without complaint.

We like this second house a lot.

It’s just the right size, the layout makes sense, the deck is in good shape and the changes we would make would be straightforward. Air conditioning it will not be a problem.

Only problem is a fairly big deal. One corner is sinking for some reason; enough that the window in the dining area is racked and no longer closes correctly. If we decide to offer on it the offer will have to include the seller fixing that and a warranty on the work. The owner is a corporation and may not go for it, even though they have been aggressively dropping the price in an effort to sell before winter.

Hmm that would make me very nervous. But I would imagine you are much better able to assess it, or better able to understand an outside assessment than I would be.

So, there aren’t other good options then?

So... what about the grandkid?