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With proper maintenance, the average life span of a screened-in porch is six to eight years for the screens themselves, but the foundation and structure can last for 50 to 100 years. To keep your screened-in porch in good shape, clean your porch screens regularly, patch holes, re-seal the wood as needed, and address any foundational issues right away.

Several types of porches are available to meet your needs and style preferences. Some common porch types include:

• Porticos are essentially a roof over a walkway leading to the home's front entrance. 

• Sunrooms are closed-in porches that are an extension of the house with glass or plastic panels that allow optimal sunlight. 

• Wraparound porches extend around the entire home, or at least the front and one side, and offer multiple entrances to the house.

• Back porches are an extension of the home’s floor into the outdoors. These offer more protection and privacy than a deck.

You can either nail or screw deck boards according to your preference. We recommend using 3-inch galvanized deck screws in this guide because screws offer superior holding powder over time. If you’re using screws, you can minimize the risk of cracking the boards by drilling small pilot holes before securing the boards to the deck joists.

When installing deck boards, screws are a better option than nails. For one, screws have more holding strength than nails, so they’re better at keeping your deck boards in place. Also, nails are more likely to pop out of the boards than screws, which can create a tripping or poking hazard on your deck.