Asked on Aug 18, 2017

Inexpensive and attractive way to prevent rain entering screened porch

Stelmour450
by Stelmour450

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  10 answers
  • Have plexiglass cut slightly smaller than each opening on the porch. Install hooks at the top of each frame, and the drill holes in the plexiglass to correspond with the hooks. When it rains just put up the plexiglass "curtains" - or build frames and insert the plexiglass into the frames and hang the same way.

    • See 3 previous
    • Cheryl Cheryl on Apr 24, 2020

      That is a great idea. I thought about tarp but then it would not be heavy enough to blow up from the wind. Plexiglass is heavy....just a great idea, thanks. Mine is for a lean-to, the ground is so muddy there.

  • Sharon Sharon on Aug 18, 2017

    Install either large bamboo shades under the eves outside or clear shower curtains you can slide over on a rod installed under the eves.

  • K K on Aug 18, 2017

    Why do you want to prevent rain entering? Instead of preventing it maybe you need to prevent the moisture from causing a problem.

    We have a 15 by 15 foot screened porch. In the fall we remove and store the screens and put them up again in the spring (Michigan winters!). Over more than 40 years we’ve stained once and replaced the screen in only one of the 8.

    Our floor is plywood sheets and is finished to prevent water from getting through because we have a storage area underneath. Rain and snow drain off because the floor is slightly pitched -but that’s kind of hard to retrofit! Rain would drain through the spaces between boards if you have a decking-type floor.

    All or our furniture is water-proof or at least water-resistant so it’s not a problem if it gets wet. The rain only comes in on one side and never makes it all the way across so if a bad storm is coming we just push everything back.

    Were not home all the time so going out to close drapes or whatever wouldn’t happen! :-)

  • V Smith V Smith on Aug 18, 2017

    How about roller shades? If you remove the plastic piece inside the bottom pocket and replace it with a lenght of plastc plumbing pipe, then run a piece of thin rope thru that makin a loop that can be secured by hooks below the shade. Securing if will help when the wind isn't too strong. It would not be water tight, but it might help if you are just looking to reduce the amount of rain that gets in. If you get a lot of strong wind it will move anything short of windows. Bamboo and matchstick blinds might work if you wanted to invest the money. If your screens have a frame on the sides that could support tension rods you could make simple rod pocket curtains using fabric that is meant to get wet. You would just make as many pockets (3 or 4) as you needed to make it look like a roman shade when it was "up".

  • Ptrish Ptrish on Aug 18, 2017

    can you cut plexi glass to the size of screens and overlay them with continued bad weather the large sheets of plexi are not super expensive.

  • Emily Emily on Aug 18, 2017

    We have a small screened in porch . . . if it rains, like today, we cover the upholstered furniture and move things closer to the wall. Our screens are over 8' tall and if there were an easy way to prevent rain from entering the porch we would have done it years ago. How big is your porch and how handy are you?

    • Stelmour450 Stelmour450 on Aug 21, 2017

      Thanks for replying Emily. Our screens are 7' high x 12'x8' We've just moved in and unfortunately I've put a wooden dinette set in there as well which, like you, have to move every time it rains. Other furniture is look-alike wicker therefore fine. We are quite handy at renovating. V'been doing it all our adult lives, it seems

  • Karren Karren on Sep 23, 2018

    I made heavy duty plastic flat curtains a little bigger than the size of the screen. Turn the edges under with heavy duty outdoor 3M clear all weather tape for strength and attach an eyelet at each corner and at least another in the centre top and 2 extra on each side. If you have a water problem entering from the bottom of the screen make the plastic long enough to channel the rain water over the opening or balcony and only use holding eyelets on the bottom corner.

    You will need to put small screws or hooks on the outside screen frame and make a loop of elastic place through eyelet and hook onto screw or hook and make the elastic short enough to hold the curtain taught. This works to keep out most rain, and you can remove them in fine weather.

    Can be used inside the screen but you must have a way of channelling the water off the balcony from the inside.

    • Nicole Nicole on Sep 01, 2019

      What did you use to make these and where did you buy it ?

  • Libbie B Libbie B on Jun 16, 2021

    I think installing curtains inside would be your best bet. We have a screened-in porch we live on May-September and have given up trying to move things in case of rain. So we added drop cloth curtains in the one corner that was the problem. Worked like a charm.