Help with screening in my patio please

[cabinetman]

Paul

Now you produce the mystery brick. Well, I still fall on the idea of Tapcons, but limit their depth to wall thickness of the brick with relation to the hole, It wont matter if the Tapcon penetrates through the hole, as they are shaped like a machine screw having a straight threaded shank. They thread into a smooth hole. Another fastener is called a sleeve anchor. Just drill a hole and push through and then tighten the nut. It expands and doesn't need much to hold in place. Here again, the depth can be figured. As for the head (nut), it can be outside of the screen assembly. These are available in many materials, and sizes, and are used commonly for aluminum screen enclosures.

[cabinetman]

Paul

Don't you read your posts Dee Dee Dee

[Woodshark]

If I was going to install screens I would use the screen tight system. Home Depot carries the line.


http://www.screentight.com/screenedporch.shtml

[LarryG]

All wood in contact with concrete or masonry should be pressure-treated.

I'd not use a composite material for a structural member. But here most if not all of the members will not be truly structural; they'll be infill, not carrying any weight. Still, I would use real wood for at least the basic members and cover it with composites if desired.

The sill plate should ideally be raised up off the slab a small amount, say 1/4", to allow water to run out. This can be done with a few large flat washers, between the sill and the concrete, at each anchor bolt; or with riser blocks intended for exactly this purpose. An alternative is to notch the sill at intervals, forming weepholes, but this can cause water to collect between the weeps and cause the finish, the wood, or both to fail prematurely. Getting the whole sill up off the slab is a much better detail.

The holes in brick are called "cores." Almost all brick have these. When purchasing brick, it is usually possible to specify "10 percent solids" (bricks without cores) in order to get the bricks needed for decorative or projecting courses where the cores would show.

There may be a steel column inside the brick columns, but in light residential construction supporting a roof load only, probably not.

Tapcons, or any type expansion anchor, should go into the mortar joints, not the brick itself. Brick are fired in a kiln to make them (relatively) weatherproof. Penetrating the fired surface "skin" with a drilled hole allows a place for moisture to enter the (relatively) softer body, which will eventually cause spalling and failure (pull-out) of the mechanical fastener.

The space between the tooled brick joints and the wood jambs can be sealed in any number of ways: rod and sealant, compressible foam sealant, or with a simple bead of exterior-grade sealant (i.e., NOT ordinary caulk) as long as the gap is not more than about 1/4".

[BigHand]

Seconding the recommendation on "screentight", used it a couple of years ago.
Also available at Lowes.

I'd be happy to show a couple of pics, but so far I'm stumped on uploading images (don't know how to "dumb down" the file size).

[MilDoc]

Thanks for all the great advice folks! Now, on to planning....

[jlake1998]

Im not sure you need to attach to the brick columbs.. Im also thinking i would not want to lose a few inches of pathway if you attach the frame to the current concrete.

Possibily you could widen the concrete walkway approx 4" to the outer edge of the post and put J bolts in the concrete, tar paper on that and then a treated bottom plate. then attach the top to the header

[JimD]

My screened in porch is about 10 feet off the ground, I park a boat underneith. Partially because it is so high, I built frames of PT that I painted white and then screened. It was a lot easier lifting the frames up and screwing them in place than trying to install screen on a ladder. You application would be easier to screen in place but it also does not take long to build the frames using pocket screws. PT also takes and holds paint well as long it is not real wet - use latex.

Your frame is pretty much what will look good to you. It only has to hold the screen and maybe take an impact if somebody falls into it. I use PT for anything outside, however. I think it weathers to grey OK and holds up pretty well if it is out of direct sunlight and preferably direct rain too. I would use PT for the frame, I might make mortise and tenon joints in 4x4s just for appearance. I might not fasten into the pillars, framing above and anchors into the slab should be enough. Is the slab stable, however? You don't want to lift the roof if the floor moves upward from frost heave.

Jim

Jim