Differences between 3-season and 4-season porches have diminished in the last few years as traction has gained toward adopting national standards. The International Energy Conservation Code's efficiency standards indicate that the traditional New England-style home will become extinct. For hundreds of years, 3-season porches have been built on the periphery of Maine homes preventing direct air exchange between heated spaces and the whipping winter wind. Our homes are unfortunately not being recognized nationally for their traditional effectiveness in this regard, perhaps due to our overall energy consumption.

Window retailers not meeting the new U-factor prescriptive code have been driven out of business in an attempt to prevent hot air from escaping through glass. Builders are more often being required to build using specific types of windows and insulate a space to pass fenestration standards (even if the room will never be heated). Blower Door Testing is now being required in some cases to ensure that even porches are being built tightly. Ironically once a room is built to these new standards they do require additional energy to ventilate them effectively.

Maine Porch may, at our discretion, provide the option of a 3-season porch in certain areas. These will positively effect energy efficiency if added around a door you regularly use while heating your home and add additional living space in cusp-seasons.
*Unfortunately due to vendor loss, cost increases for additional materials, and potential for prescriptive or National Code compliance, building a 3-season porch can now be just as costly and involved as a 4-season habitable space. And either way may increase your taxes.

If you're local to the Greater Bangor Area and are interested in a 4-season porch, we build those too!