This narrow, three-season porch
has plenty of living space and
is comfortable in all but the
coldest weather.

Three-Season Porch

Popular in the 1960s and 1970s, the three-season porch is increasingly obsolete. The idea is to extend a home's usable living area with a minimum of expense. By enclosing an existing solid-floor open-porch area with partial walls, screens, glazed windows, and a door, you gain the use of your porch during inclement weather and chilly spring or fall days.

Three-season porches are still feasible in warm-climate areas. In colder parts of the country, a portable space heater or a fireplace lengthens the use of a three-season porch, making it practically year-round space. However, low-cost insulated-glass windows and doors, and the relative simplicity of adding insulation and surface finishes to walls and ceilings, have made sunrooms a more cost-effective and practical choice.