Blog Post Updated on: May 16, 2022.

In this post, you'll learn ...

• How to plan for a screen room addition.
• The benefits of adding a screen room to your log home.
• Ideas for how to incorporate your rustic design style into your screen room.

You’re living in the log home of your dreams. But now you want a way to bring the outside in. Screened porches let the fresh air flow through, offering additional living space without the cost of an entirely new addition.

Homeowners often envision screened in porches from the past, which offered limited visibility and sagging screens. Today’s patios are superior in both quality and construction and will stand the test of time. Follow these steps for creating the perfect screen room for your log cabin.

Define the Purpose of Your Screen Room Addition

Prior to building any home addition, it’s imperative to understand the purpose of the space. Will your screen room function as a sitting area? Breakfast nook? Entertaining space? The answers to these questions will determine the size and space you need to fulfill your dreams. For entertaining large groups of people, you will need more square footage; for curling up with a book or eating breakfast with your family, the space can be smaller.

Planning for Your Log Home Porch

Once you’ve defined the purpose, sit down with pen and paper and draw a rough draft of the space you want and how you would like it set up. Note the location of your home and where it opens up to your screened in porch. When you step onto the porch, from where are you stepping, and what will be your outside view? Are you entering the porch from your kitchen, living room, or another space? What angle on the addition gives you the best view of the outside? Are there definite angles of the house that will cut up the flow of the screened in porch?

Consider furniture placement next. You will want to set furniture in areas that open up to the outside; after all, you aren’t adding a screened in porch so you can view the interior of your home. Can you use the wall of your home for a sofa or bar area? If the space is larger, can you break it up into separate areas to open up the view better? Can you add a wood stove to support the rustic cabin feel, and, if so, where would it be and how would you set up furniture around the fireplace to enjoy both the warmth and the views?

Check out Patio Enclosure’s gallery of past screened in porch projects and Houzz’s gallery of log cabins with screened porches for ideas.

Keep Outside Elements Out

While bugs and bad weather were once problems with screened in porches, the materials we use ensure you remain bite-free and dry. Patio Enclosure’s black-painted aluminum screen rolling panels provide excellent visibility without glare, and they resist sagging better than traditional fiberglass screens. Choose a custom wood roof to tie into the look of your log cabin, which will create a customized feel to your addition; our sunroom roofs are one of the strongest in the industry due to structurally engineered I-beams, so you won’t have to worry when heavy snow blows through.

Two Creative Log Home Porch Designs

Log cabin homes have a feel of their own, which is why you probably fell in love with yours in the first place. If you want to create an amazing outdoor space that incorporates the rustic lifestyle, consider some of these fun creative options.

1. Ski lodge retreat. If your log cabin is situated near a ski resort, why not convert the screened in porch into a lodge-type retreat? Include a fireplace or wood stove as the focal point. Place chairs around the fireplace area, along with a small bar along the back wall for serving up warm drinks after a tough day on the slopes. Hang a ski or snowboard rack on the wall next to pegs for ski jackets; purchase a ski boot holder that fits beneath the coats, or create a shelf along the wall to place the boots on.
2. Bed and Breakfast. Give your space a bed and breakfast feel by creating two distinct spaces: one for dining and one for relaxing. Place a small, cozy table out from the front door and a loveseat-sized sofa and cozy chair together as a reading area. Purchase a wooden basket to hold magazines along with a variety of rustic pillows to decorate the space.

Create the Rustic Screened In Porch of Your Dreams

Call Patio Enclosures today at 800-230-8301 to schedule your FREE in-home estimate, or contact us online. We can help you create the perfect screened in porch for your log home.

Learn More About Screen Rooms ​