How to Use Software to Plan a Screened Porch

Designing screened porches on the computer requires a lot of trial and error. Depending on how far along in the process you are, you can either create an exact model for a builder to follow or just experiment to get an idea what you might want. There are several pieces of software that can help you plan the porch, each appropriate for various degrees of intent and expertise.

Home Designer
HGTV Home & Landscape
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Instructions

- 1
  Design a screened porch with Home Designer. This advanced program lets you plan your porch and even place the screens. This is all done through moving objects around with the mouse. The program will give you a warning if it does not think your design is structurally sound and even give you tips about how to remedy the problem. It costs $199.99 as of time of publication.
- 2
  Plan the screened porch with HGTV Home & Landscape. This program offers a more basic interface than Home Designer and fewer tools, but, at $39.99, is also less expensive. You can build from the main visual interface or a floor plan.
- 3
  Construct a model with Google Sketchup. This 3-D modeling program has one main advantage – it’s free – and one main disadvantage – it’s not specific to home design. This means it will help you create only rough sketches. But if you are in the early stages of planning and just want to play around without spending a lot of money on an official program, this is a good place to begin.

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