Anyone use vinyl sheeting to help insulate a screened in porch?

[Julian]

We have a large 25x15 screened in porch that we use most of the year. At New Years we have a party every year, and the porch gets used all night, and our patio heaters work well, but the heat just goes right out through the screens. Last year a bought a couple of cheap ($15) large window insulating kits, and this worked great. Now I'm wondering if I can just make some re-useable vinyl sheet windows with grommets like they have at restaurants with outdoor patios.

Anyone do this? Anyone have any info about how thick (mm) the vinyl needs to be? Anyone have a good source for clear vinyl?

This looks REALLY cheap....but also says it can be milky...

Thoughts.....opinions.....Jetboaters don't fail me now!

 

[cwoav8r]

@Julian , that link is broken for me...

 

[Julian]

Think I fixed the link....

 

[cwoav8r]

Yep...Fixed... just to be clear about the space, is it just the walls? The ceiling/roof is covered? Is it important that you can see through the material?

My first impression is that any thickness will help hold the heat to some degree, but the thicker the better, especially for re-useability.

Have you thought about shower curtains?

I sectioned off a portion of our lanai for privacy with beige fabric shower curtains (20X20 space) off the master bedroom and it tends to hold in a little heat.

 

[MikeyL]

It's an excellent idea, Julian. And the results will justify the expense and time. Enjoy and Good Luck - Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA
We have seen this done before with excellent results.

PS - The suggestion about "the thicker the better" is a great one, BTW.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

What kind of heaters do you have? Are they the tall propane guys?

 

[Julian]

One smaller natural gas heater and one tall patio heater like you see at restaurants. They work great!

Just trying to figure out where to get vinyl, and what thickness/quality I need. I want to be able to see through it. And I will need some big sheets!

Here are some photos of the porch....

 

[Murf'n'surf]

How much can you spend? This stuff ain't cheap!

http://www.csctextiles.com/vin-ecoclr.htm

 

[MikeyL]

Really incredibly nice and well-designed porch, @Julian ! Like the skylight effect as well ! And the "open concept" railing ... SO very few understand that, with the thin-style pickets,, maximizing the view. REALLY nice !
Great coloring, especially the flooring. Great job !@ I can see what a super Party Place this makes !
Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Julian]

@Murf'n'surf That is the exact type of stuff I seek. Now my questions begin! The link I posted to Uline listed their stuff as 1mm too, and it was 1/10th the price....so the width of the stuff alone doesn't mean strength/durability....

I don't mind spending some serious money if it will last a good long time and will be worth my effort making all the section. But at some point if it gets too much, inexpensive stuff stapled up under furring strips might be WAY more cost effective????

 

[cwoav8r]

Open it in youtube, links to the products are on the video page...

 

[cwoav8r]

Best guess by my calibrated Mk1 Mod0 eyeball is that you have about 48" on center X 8' tall between the majority of your posts. Best guestimate is about 30 yards (+10%) @ $200 from here, it's only 20ga...

https://www.fabric.com/buy/ap-883/20-gauge-clear-vinyl

The 40ga would be about $460...

https://www.fabric.com/buy/de-696/40-gauge-clear-vinyl

 

[steined]

My dad built wood frames and stapled and sandwiched the vinyl with another wood frame. Works very well but only 5 ft tall screens. It gets hotter than hell in there on sunny days, greenhouse effect! The vinyl he used was not the thick kind you get for Windows and the like, but thicker than the stuff they use in window insulation kits. It works well for them, but after a few seasons it's a little cloudy.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

First off... @Julian that patio is awesome. My wife and I have been talking about adding a screened in porch and when we do that is pretty much exactly how we would like it to look. Excellent job!

I found this site and if you look at the picture that reads Clear Vinyl Windows... it looks pretty much like what you are going for. Anyway this site has a lot of great info that fits with your needs.

http://www.mosquitocurtains.com

 

[Julian]

Awesome! Thanks for all the links and info!

@MikeyL Yeah...we spent a lot extra on the aluminum pickets to maximize the view! Turned out well but wasn't cheap!

@GiddYupJoe We looked at and talked to a lot of neighbors about their porches. We wanted one that would be EASY to clean....so there are removable sections at each end of the porch that makes hosing off the porch a breeze!

@cwoav8r Your estimates are pretty close...now that know 20 gauge vinyl will suffice, I just need to find the best place to buy it. Some places pre-finish the edges too...which is attractive!

 

[MikeyL]

Kewl idea, as the temps dip here is Georgia, @Julian ............
Try EBAY !
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X20 gauge vinyl&_nkw=20 gauge vinyl&_sacat=0

Good Luck - Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[txav8r]

You will love that after you finish it Julian. I think I would get a canvas company to make this for me. Maybe the size of the job would get you some big discounting. Those guys ain't cheap but the benefit of having a zip off system like your camper canvass would make it great! If you can buy the material and somehow set it up where you can make panels, you could do it cheap, but storing the sizable rollups is going to be a factor. If you just did it like in your boat, where you just roll them vertically and keep them there all the time, that would be easy, but the eisenglass gets dull and brittle in time. Maybe that is a nod to buying it basically wholesale and making your own panels. It doesn't have to seal up perfectly, but cutting the draft and creating a trap to heat loss will gain a great deal of comfort in that fabulous outdoor room. I think if it were me, I would compare the cost of a slide away patio door wall system. It would make it truly a 4 season room and let the outdoors in most of the year. But I know the cost may not compare...but it would add value to that great room. Also, all that clear vinyl I don't think is the same as eisenglass, some have components to resist deteriorating due to crazing and yellowing, along with the drying effect making them brittle. Obviously the more sun exposure, the more this occurs. So using them when you need them but not keeping them up all the time will make them last longer. But the constant rolling/unrolling may add to the wear and tear too.

Be sure you consider ventilation as a big concern with this project. Your heater can cause great harm if not exhausted properly.

 

[Julian]

The natural gas heater can be used in a "sealed" room. The propane one probably cannot, but that said, I see them in use on restaurant patio around here all the time....in vinyl sealed spaces like this....I think there will be enough ventilation, but I will also look up the patio heater directions.

We already have a glassed in Sunroom on the other side of the house, but it is smaller and not a "party" room, so I'm not inclined to glass this one in. I do like the idea of roll up vinyl....but I think I'd still have to take it down during pollen season (literally yellow snow here) or it will get very dirty....

Just did a quick measure, and the main spans are, of course, 55-56" wide - while most vendors online are selling rolls that are 53" wide! F'ing typical! Where the heck did they come up with 53"!

 

[0627Devildog]

We have a large 25x15 screened in porch that we use most of the year. At New Years we have a party every year, and the porch gets used all night, and our patio heaters work well, but the heat just goes right out through the screens. Last year a bought a couple of cheap ($15) large window insulating kits, and this worked great. Now I'm wondering if I can just make some re-useable vinyl sheet windows with grommets like they have at restaurants with outdoor patios.

Anyone do this? Anyone have any info about how thick (mm) the vinyl needs to be? Anyone have a good source for clear vinyl?

This looks REALLY cheap....but also says it can be milky...

Thoughts.....opinions.....Jetboaters don't fail me now!

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/cat1;ft_barn_curtain;ft_livestock_barn_curtain.html

Awesome stuff. . . used to control winter temps in barns. I use it to curtain off a portion of the basement where all the pipes are that I supply heat to.