Although Labor Day traditionally signals the end of summer, it's not nearly time to cover the deck furniture.

You might want to move it inside, though, to a screened sun porch that offers the view of the outdoors minus the pesky elements that come with it.

KIMBERLY SMITH / AJC (ENLARGE)
Margaret Swygert got ideas from magazines and books when designing her screened porch, which doubles as an open-air dining room.
(ENLARGE)
A sun porch without windows or screens can still offer shade from the sun.
Atlanta Decking (ENLARGE)
Fully equipped sunrooms provide light and comfort year-round.
Atlanta Decking (ENLARGE)
Scott Adams' screened-porch furniture is weather-tolerant resin, with cushions covered in Sunbrella fabric to prevent mildew and fading.
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"People are more savvy than ever," says Dave Tibbetts, president of Atlanta Decking in Cumming. "They aren't too interested in a 10-by-10 deck. A lot of people don't lay out in the sun like they did in the '70s. They want to feel like they're in the yard, without the bugs."

THREE KINDS OF PORCHES

A sun porch by any other name is not necessarily the same:

1. Screened porch: A deck with a roof and screens on three sides. Average cost is about $50 per square foot to build on an existing floor, or about $65 per square foot with no existing foundation.

2. Sun porch: A porch with screens and windows, with no insulation or central air. Average cost is about $60 per square foot to build on an existing foundation or about $75 per square foot from the ground up.

3. Sunroom: A room with heat, air, windows and walls. Average cost is about $85 per square foot to build on an existing foundation or about $100 per square foot to build from the ground up.

Costs vary depending on type of windows, flooring, electrical outlets and other building features. For example, the average cost of a 14-by-18-foot screened porch and a small exposed deck is about $20,000.

Source: Atlanta Decking; www.atlantadecking.com

THE FUNDAMENTALS

When adding a sun porch or screened porch to the back or side of a home, be sure:

• Gutters are installed to catch rain and debris. Porch gutters should meet the home's existing gutters in a seamless manner.

• Wall height and steepness of the roof are compatible with the rest of the house, so the added porch looks less like an addition and more like part of the original architecture.

• Flooring, such as wood, tile or slate, is installed if the porch is built on top of a deck. If the porch is built on a concrete slab, flooring options are typically limited to tile or carpet.

• The roof of the porch is built with eaves and overhangs to prevent rain from falling directly onto the porch.

• To leave at least a modest area outside the porch for the grill, because grilling on an enclosed porch is a fire hazard.

• To leave — at the point where the sun porch transitions to the outer deck — a slight step down of about 2 inches. The step will prevent rain on the deck from seeping under the porch wall. "Having a couple of inches of a step down is huge for practical reasons," says Tibbetts. "If the deck and the porch are at the same height, water can seep in."

• Ample outlets are installed for electronics such as TV, radio and stereo system.

• The screen is installed in separate panels around the deck, instead of one continuous piece of screen. It's easier to replace a smaller panel if the screen buckles or tears.

• To include much-needed amenities such as ceiling fans and outdoor lighting at the time of construction instead of later. "That's something that will never be added as inexpensively as it will be at that time," says Tibbetts.

• Height of the walls is compatible with the size of the room. "If the walls are too tall, when you sit down, you feel like you're in a playpen," says Tibbetts. "When you're sitting on the porch, you want to be able to see the outside."

BEFORE YOU BUILD

• As with any construction project, secure at least three estimates before hiring a builder.

• Make sure the contract spells out the full scope of the project, including size of the porch, warranties for leaks and estimated construction time. Don't leave anything in the contract to interpretation.

• Beware if the builder is only available by pager or cellphone. "If someone is only available via pager or cellphone, that might not be a good candidate," says Tibbetts. "This warranty you think you're buying might leave when the final check is cleared. You will have no recourse."

• Don't pay the entire cost upfront. An advance payment of one-third of the overall cost is standard. "The only leverage you've got for a good job is the money," warns Tibbetts.

ADVICE FROM NEW PORCH OWNERS

Get design ideas from books and magazines to determine what style of porch you want, says Margaret Swygert, who had a screened porch added to her southwest Atlanta home this summer. Some books even have construction plans that can help homeowners stay on top of the contractor's work. She also says it's a good idea to:

• Determine in advance how many ceiling fans to install. Swygert has one in the center of the room, but in hindsight, she could have used more. "The porch is large enough for two fans, and it would have cooled more," says Swygert.

• Invest in good flooring on the front end, so you don't end up spending more on it later. Since Swygert's porch was built on a concrete slab that was once her patio, her flooring options were limited. She chose commercial indoor-outdoor carpet because it was economical. However, now she wishes she had installed stone. "It would have been permanent. The carpet is just going to last a few years," notes Swygert.

Windows, or just screens?

This is the second summer Marcia Sandford and her husband, Bill Hester, have enjoyed the screened porch at their Peachtree Corners home. Her advice:

• Consider your home and lifestyle when determining whether to install screens only or screens and windows. The couple opted for screens only. "With windows, it's just another sitting room, and I have plenty of those," says Sandford. "I love the feel of being outdoors, but still you're protected from the weather and insects."

• Maximize airflow. Sandford and Hester chose 9-foot-tall arched screens for their porch to keep air circulating. "When you have a window, it's a smaller opening and you can only open the bottom half," she explains.

Furnishings and square footage

The size of the deck and the furnishings you use are key, says Scott Adams of Norcross, who had a screened porch built 10 months ago. His tips:

• Make sure the furniture is designed to withstand the elements, to prevent mold and mildew. He has resin furniture and items covered with Sunbrella fabric that won't fade in the sun, or mildew when wet. "You can hose it down and never have to worry about it," Adams says.

• Be prepared to expand the deck instead of just building on top of it. Adams made his porch deeper and wider than the original deck. "Plan it out before you start — how it's going to fit into the house architecturally, as well as how you're going to flow through it," he adds. "Most decks are not big enough, so if you're just going to put the porch over the top, you'll feel cramped."