During the time that contractors were building modern homes, the porch became a thing of the past, in many cases. But those who have a large, comfortable porch know that these simple parts of the home provide great benefits. Porches are a great place to relax during nice weather, and as some have found, porches are a desirable item for buyers when a home is on the real estate market.

For those who have an older home with an existing porch, remodelling porches can also be a plus. DoItYourself.com provides some excellent ideas for upgrading this fresh-air location with paint, wood stain and basic skills with a hammer and saw. For example, homeowners in the Atlanta area have transformed their simple concrete slab porches into screened-in areas that eliminated such annoyances as mosquitoes and summer heat. This simple repair/renovation greatly increased usable home space in spring, summer and fall.

However, many homeowners found that deciding to upgrade the porch area was simple. The actual project was a bit more complex, though not impossible, obviously. Fundamental plans called for putting screen walls around an existing patio behind the house. These areas are usually a section of concrete at ground level, sometimes covered by a roof extension from the main part of the house. The problem, if there was one, was usually making the new screened-in structure blend with the home while protecting the occupants from heat, humidity and insects.

Because the original concrete floor had a slight drop to allow rain to run off, one of the first tasks was to make sure the framing of the walls accounted for this. The basic steps for the project included:

• Cut panelling - 4x8-foot sheets of panelling for ceiling are cut to fit.

• Ceiling panels, wiring and fan are installed, using a nail gun instead of hammer for panels. This makes ceiling work much, much easier. Ceiling fans and light combinations keep the screened-in area much cooler and proper lighting provides for night use.

• Frame for walls is installed, using 2x4 lumber. Spacing allows for screens of standard width to be installed.

• If desired, interior panelling pieces can be installed at this point. Some people prefer to use a commercial staple gun to hold the wall panelling pieces in place. Careful placement of panelling nails may work as well. At this point, the bottom of the wall panels may have to be trimmed to allow for the slope in the concrete floor.

• Exterior covering is installed near the end of the project in some cases. Many homeowners use "hard board" horizontal pieces, installed from the ground up. Again, it may be necessary to cut the first section to fit with the ground line and concrete. Some homeowners found that matching paint color for the exterior of the new porch was one of the more difficult tasks. Others have a porch with walls made entirely of screen material.

• Final placement of screens, using vinyl "grids" for this purpose. These are attached to the wood frame and the screen material fits into channels. Newer designs allow for screens of aluminium or fibreglass to be installed without staples. Excess screen material can be trimmed. Caps are provided to cover the channels, locking the screen in place.

This procedure can provide an ideal location for family relaxation or entertaining guests during beautiful spring, summer and fall weather.