The Screened-In Porch: Underrated!

In Northern VA you see a lot of newer McMansions and they all seem to have this sunroom off the side of the house, or maybe a sunny breakfast room, and then usually a deck. A lot of times this sunroom seems to go unusued, especially with a McMansion when they have more room than they need anyway. Well, what about an in-between room? The screened-in porch seems to have fallen out of favor with a lot of the newer house designs and I think this is a bad trend. Think about all the benefits of the screened-in porch:

1 - You can use it 7 or 8 months of the year in the DC area, certainly you would use it more than the back deck that goes totally unused all winter from November to March.

2 - You can get some fresh air! In this age of technology there have been a variety of studies showing how both we and our kids don't get enough time outside. Now sitting in a screened-in porch isn't exactly hiking through the wilderness, but hey, its better than sitting on the sofa inside (this goes without saying but for godsakes don't put a TV on the screened in porch that would totally ruin the whole point).

3 - It makes a nice transition from outside to inside, or the other way around. You know how people talk about the "flow" of the house? Well if well-placed, the screened in porch can help with the flow and encourage people to want to go outside, especially if you do a little landscaping or do a point of interest, like plant a garden out back.

4 - Lets say you are entertaining and there are people at your party that want to smoke, well instead of stinking up your house, or banishing them to the garage or huddled on the front porch, send them to the screened in porch. No matter how cold it is outside, its still better than actually being outside. And it will air out by morning.

5 - If you have kids, it makes a great playroom for them (again the fresh air thing), and they can listen to or observe nature from the safety of your home and under your supervision. And it can help keep the toys out of your living room!

6 - The screened-in porch is a godsend if you live somewhere buggy like DC. The District of Columbia was literally built on a swamp so when it gets hot, the bugs come out to play. Don't let that ruin your warm summer evenings! Gather the family together on the screened in porch and watch the fireflys, put a few good reading lights in and make it a technology-free zone.

7 - The screened-in porch makes a great sleepover or pseudo-camping area for your kids, or for the young-at-heart adults. Personally I do not enjoy camping and like the comforts of my own home, but I do see the fun in "sleeping under the stars" and listening to the creatures that come out at night. So this way you can do it on your own porch. Take a hike in the morning or something, and you've practically spent the weekend camping!

With all these desirable benefits, why has the screened-in porch been designed out of homes?