Screened-in porches have come a long way from the rickety, drab structures where grandmothers used to read romance novels in rocking chairs.

Thanks to advancements in technology and design, some of the screened-in porches of today are surprisingly cool, with cutting-edge sound systems, sleek fire pits, and state-of-the-art grilling facilities.

The Scenario

Bill and Eileen are two of many Virginians who call Great Falls their home. They purchased their 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom house in 2002 and have since grown to a family of five with three young daughters. With the amount of room the property has, the couple will be living there for the foreseeable future and has already completed several renovations to its interior.

With a reinvigorated kitchen, a basement-turned-bar and game room, and an expanded master bedroom, the couple's attention has turned to their deteriorating 25-year-old deck that is showing signs of its age. As Bill and Eileen come from large families, they are looking for an outdoor makeover to support the scale of holiday gatherings they are accustomed to as well as birthday parties, play dates, and other events year-round. With their current set-up not meeting these needs, it's time to makeover their outdoor living space.

When it comes to screened porch materials, Zuri synthetic decking is a popular option. Made by Royal Building Products, it replicates the beauty of natural wood by incorporating grain textures with minimal pattern repetition to make each piece look like a unique piece of hardwood. However, because it emulates this characteristic so well, color variability can make it difficult to decide on what style of Zuri to use for a screened-in porch.

How an innovative design emerged from a desire for a patio in Howard County

The elements of a great decking design should compliment your surroundings and be inspired by what you already have

A Darnestown client was in need of a new deck. With her original 30-year-old installation falling apart, she explained her desire to have a fresh deck design that would compliment both her spacious lot as well as the large hardwood trees and native plants that surrounded it.

Her demands? For the space, which would be used mostly when her children and grandchildren visited, to be contemporary and functional. She said she had given up gardening years ago due to the pesky local deer population and that she and her husband did not spend a lot of time outdoors when the kids were not around, but that it still had to be aesthetically pleasing when viewed indoors.