October is the month most covered porches go quiet
The grill comes inside. The cushions go in the garage. And the porch you spent all summer on sits empty from the first cool snap until spring.
It does not have to work that way. A covered porch in Loveland, Mason, or anywhere across Greater Cincinnati already has the roof and the framing — the part that is missing is a wall you can put up and take down whenever the weather changes. That is exactly what retractable porch screens do.
The Screen Shoppe has been installing them for Ohio homeowners since 2001. Here is what they are, why October is a sensible month to add them, and how the install actually works.
What retractable porch screens actually do
A retractable screen lives in a housing above your porch opening and comes down when you want it. Open, you have a normal covered porch. Closed, you have a sheltered room with the view intact.
We install three kinds, and the difference matters more in fall than at any other time of year:
- Insect screens — fresh air and natural light, with the bugs left outside. Ohio mosquitoes do not read the calendar; they stay active well into the warm spells that October keeps handing us.
- Textilene Nano 95 solar screens — these block up to 97% of the sun’s rays. In summer that means shade. In cooler months, the same fabric helps hold warmth in the space instead of letting it drift straight out.
- Weather protection screens — the fall workhorse. They shield your porch from wind, rain, and low-angle glare, which is what usually ends an evening outside this time of year.
Most homeowners in Montgomery and West Chester pick based on which problem shuts their porch down first. If you are not sure, that is a good thing to talk through on a free estimate visit.
Why fall is the right time to add them
Three reasons, and none of them are pressure tactics.
You get the season back. An Ohio October is genuinely good porch weather — right up until the wind picks up or the temperature drops after sundown. A weather protection screen takes both of those off the table, which can stretch your porch season by weeks on either end of the year.
The install is straightforward now. Adding motorized retractable screens to an existing covered porch is a retrofit, not a construction project. There is no reason to wait for spring and join the queue.
You will use it in winter, too. Homeowners often find that an enclosed porch becomes the spot for morning coffee and holiday overflow seating — the room that was seasonal turns into one you pass through every day.
Comfort at the push of a button
Our motorized screens run on Somfy motors — Somfy is the world leader in tubular motors, and on a screen you will operate hundreds of times a year, the motor is the part that decides whether you love the system or tolerate it.
Add the Somfy myLink option and your screens answer to your phone or tablet, at home or away. The Rainier system also integrates with smart home devices, so the screens can come down on a schedule instead of waiting for you to remember.
One button. The porch changes. That is the whole idea.
Two ways to add screens to your porch
New construction — fully integrated. If your porch is still being built, we work directly with your builder to recess the screen tracks into the columns and hide the housing inside the header. The result is a system you barely see until you use it.
Retrofit — for the porch you already have. More of the system is visible on a retrofit, but 16 color options mean it reads as part of the house rather than something bolted on. The housing mounts under the header and the side tracks attach to the columns with L brackets.
Either way, our own trained team does the measuring and the installation. We do not hand your porch to someone else.
Already have a screened-in porch?
Then you may not need a new system at all — you may need the one you have brought back to life. Our porch enclosure services include screen panel replacement with modern materials, new door installation, and frame repairs on porches around Loveland, Milford, and Blue Ash.
It is also common to combine the two: fixed screen panels around the permanent sides, and a retractable screen across the main opening so the space can still open all the way up on a bright fall afternoon.
Questions we get about retractable porch screens
Can retractable screens handle Ohio wind and rain?
Weather protection screens are built for exactly that — wind, rain, and glare. They are the option we point homeowners toward when the goal is a porch that works in less-than-perfect weather rather than only on calm evenings.
Do I have to choose between an open porch and an enclosed one?
No, and that is the point of a retractable system. Screens down, you have shelter and privacy. Screens up, you have the open porch you started with.
Will screens make my porch dark?
Textilene mesh is built for visibility — you keep a clear view out. Solar screens cut glare and heat rather than blocking the view.
How much do retractable porch screens cost?
Every porch is a different size and shape, so the honest answer is that it depends on your opening, the screen type, and whether the install is a retrofit or new construction. A free estimate gets you a real number for your porch instead of a range that may not apply to it.
Do you build new porches?
We do not — but we work with a vetted network of local builders and are glad to point you to the right one. Once the porch is up, we handle the screens.
Fast & free estimates
If your covered porch is about to go quiet for the winter, this is the month to do something about it. The Screen Shoppe is family-owned, based in Loveland, Ohio, and has been helping Greater Cincinnati homeowners get more out of their outdoor living space since 2001.
Get In Touch Today or call (513) 774-8090. We are available by appointment, and estimates are fast and free.
