Can I replace the screen on my porch with corrugated plastic roofing?

MrsCloud2014
by MrsCloud2014
We bought our house last year and loved the beautiful screened in porch. We have since discovered that we are not screened in porch people. Our dog has Destroyed the screen in a number of places and now random animals (cats raccoons, the neighbors dog have all found there way to our back door. It all just feels too "exposed" now. My dream would be a 4 season room install but while we are saving for that I was thinking of replacing the screen with corrugated plastic "walls". Anyone have any input?
  13 answers
  • Florence Florence on Jan 18, 2017

    I have a screened in porch, that I wanted to turn into a seasonal play room for my pets. This is merely a suggestion . It does depend on how long it will be before you can turn your room into the finished space you really want. If you want a short lived plan, this is what I did... I wrapped the frames on the outside of the screen spaces with 6ml. plastic sheeting and taped each section with aluminum all weather tape. Both items can be found at Lowes or Home Depot in the plumbing section. Cutting the plastic to size is easy with a kitchen sheers. I then taped it to the outside of each window frame. Not only did it keep uninvited guests from getting in, but for us it kept the rain and wind off the porch so my pets could play outside. Weather too, too hot or cold, then it was off limits.

    weight translucent sheeting, a good size roll was about $40.00, more sufficient for 14 full length panels. I needed minimum 2 rolls of tape at $20.00 each. Any extra was retained for maintenance if needed. The whole project took one afternoon. Measuring was just done with a yard stick and the eye-ball method.

    For me it worked so well, I left the back of the house that way & a garden with high growing plants camouflaged the view from the outside. The last time this cheap trick needed any maintenance was 4 years ago. An old clean couch blocks the area my little escape artist beagle was using inside and away from wondering. I have a very large doggie crate blocking another get-a-way area.

    I keep the doors always open and they use it whenever as an extra nap time spot.

    The inside area is 28' by 14' and they are happy. Note: By also covering the inside of the screens, (which only took 2 rolls of tape, there was enough sheeting)

    it created natural insulation, (air is an insulator) so any dull rainy days it was comfortable enough till better weather for outside play.

    • See 1 previous
    • Florence Florence on Jan 19, 2017

      Mrs. Cloud 2014 - This project was more easier that it sounds when written out. 'Wrapped around may not have been a good description.

      Let's say the area you want to cover is a screen panel like mine, 7'x3'.

      Cutting the sheeting that size the tape it around the flat surface frame of your screens with the tape. It 's done! Doing both the inside and out does help for insulation.

  • BabyBoomerSC BabyBoomerSC on Jan 18, 2017

    What about lattice panels installed horizontally to cover the bottom part of the screens? They can be cut to whatever dimensions you need and screwed/nailed into your existing porch frame. This should be sturdy enough so that your dog won't destroy it. Another option is to just install wood pickets around the perimeter of your porch on the bottom portion.

    • See 3 previous
    • Cherie Cherie on Jan 19, 2017

      We did our entire front porch with it - it was called Pet Proof! and it certainly is but you have to staple it up tightly to your framing! I put additional pieces of trim over ours just to be extra safe. It lasted for 20 years! The wood went bad in places but the screening has outlasted cats, dogs and an occasional peacock!!!

  • Connie Connie on Jan 18, 2017

    As the wife of a retired fire captain I would not suggest doing corrugated plastic maybe corrugated metal! Corrugated plastic also known as fiberglass is very flammable and if it catches fire, flames fast, and will melt all over you if there's ever a fire! good luck

  • William William on Jan 18, 2017

    Plastic corrugated panels are made from fiberglass reinforced resins or polycarbonate. Fiberglass is not flammable, that's why its used for insulation. But as the panels break down over time, the fiberglass fibers are exposed, released, and can be inhaled. NOT GOOD! Polycarbonate panels are solid, UV safe, and do not break down. They are used to replace glass in windows, doors, picture frames, etc. As with anything that is flammable, it all gives off smoke/fumes. You can use the corrugated panels half way up to prevent damage and keep the varmints out

    • See 1 previous
    • William William on Jan 19, 2017

      No. Corrugated panels come in fiberglass and polycarbonate. You can see strands of fiberglass embedded in resin in the fiberglass panels, while the polycarbonate are solid corrugated sheets.

  • William William on Jan 19, 2017

    No. Corrugated panels come in fiberglass and polycarbonate. You can see strands of fiberglass embedded in resin in the fiberglass panels, while the polycarbonate are solid corrugated sheets like Lexan, Tuftex, Suntuf...... https://www.google.com/search?q=polycarbonate+corrugated+roof+panel&biw=1016&bih=642&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiJl9iNvc3RAhXEdSYKHTfFByMQsAQI0gE&dpr=1

  • Hillela G. Hillela G. on Jan 19, 2017

    That's so frustrating!! Maybe you can keep the upper level screened in still where land animals can't reach, the upper half)

  • Sam Sam on Jan 19, 2017

    almost any hard surface type application will work.

    it seems that where your horizontal pieces is quite low. which makes me wonder would the dogs still get their nails into the upper part if they were to jump up and put paws on rail to look out...(if they are bigger dogs) if that is the case, i'd go up just a bit further with what ever application I used. or put an inside rail up in that area for paws to land on that keeps them away from the screen.


    on our free standing screen room, we have T111 on the lower half of our room. (can be found at menards, lows etc)

    can be stained or painted. looks nice. wears well. can be put on the outside and on the inside for a finished look. pieces come in 3x8 pieces. so if you just cut it in half, it would be going up four feet al the way around. then put a nice ledge on the top. paint or stain. it would finish off your porch (which looks like a great place!) till to save up for your dream three season room.

    good luck!


  • Rymea Rymea on Jan 19, 2017

    We used a willow fencing, that comes in a roll, once on the lower part of a porch for some privacy. It was about 10 years ago so not sure if it is still available. It would give you a little more privacy than lattice and I think it would be less expensive. Of course first you would have to repair the screens to keep insects out.

    • See 1 previous
    • Rymea Rymea on Jan 20, 2017

      Thank you. Actually not much wind or rain comes in but it's all outdoor furniture except the little drop leaf table. The glider is very old.

  • Dfm Dfm on Jan 22, 2017

    i'm blessed by a green house supply company that's just about 20 min away....I scavenge the bargain bin and can get polycarb green house panels. they are strong, double pane, and will let light in. the channels obscure the view.

  • Cheryl Cheryl on Feb 11, 2017

    My daughter used garden lattice which worked. However you can get animal proof screening from ACE Hardware. I used this and this worked well. I have cats, even the sharpest claws wouldn't hurt this screen.


  • Dfm Dfm on Mar 02, 2017

     this is a poly carb panel.....i've got them on my basement windows as an interior storm window.

  • Dfm Dfm on Mar 03, 2017

    check your local area for a green house supply company. less travel or shipping. goggle greenhouse supply company iowa. farmtek.https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ContactUsView. not sure how much a full panel is, i go and hunt their bargain bin. this is just 1 company....there may be one closer to you.

  • Liz Liz on Mar 10, 2017

    There is a material called 'hardware cloth'. It's not really cloth, it's a wire mesh, heavier and stronger than regular screen wire, that you can use over regular screen to keep animals out. We got ours at a local hardware store and it comes in any length or width that you need. (Very inexpensive.) My husband used a heavy duty staple gun to attach it. You will need to replace any screen that is torn and then you could just attach the hardware cloth to the bottom half of your porch. (Staple it into the wood supports on the porch.) Google " hard ware cloth pictures", if you want to see it. Good luck!

    • See 1 previous
    • Liz Liz on Mar 16, 2017

      Try to get the width closest to the distance from the floor of your porch to the wood railing that goes between the floor & the top of the screen. In your picture, it looks about waist high. Measure the interior 3 sides of your porch, (over the bottom half of the screen), and buy enough rolls of hardware cloth to cover this. See my comment above about how to attach it. Heavy duty staple gun. Yes, you have to cut it. Ask at Home Depot or Lowes or your local hardware store for the best thing to cut hardware cloth. It's a tough, durable, metal wire, (NOT A CLOTH), and you can't cut it with scissors. We used something called tin snips to cut ours. No dog, raccoon, possum or any other animal can get through it. It looks nice to put it on the inside of the bottom half of your screened porch. (Have the screen replaced first, and then have the hardware cloth put on the inside, facing the interior of your porch. Let me know if you have questions. We've enjoyed having ours inside our screened windows & we can keep our windows open with no worries about raccoons eating through the screens & getting in the house.