What Can I Use To Block The Wind On My Porch?

A porch on your home provides you with your own personal outdoor space. Since porches are generally shaded, unlike decks and patios, they also offer respite from the sun's rays during the summer months. Due to the open nature of a porch, however, most porches don't provide much protection from the wind. If you want to block wind on your porch, you must add additional features to or around the porch.

If you want to naturally block the wind from your porch, you can create a windbreak with trees or shrubs. Small trees and vertical shrubs can be planted directly against the side of the porch while a line of larger trees can be planted 15 to 20 feet away from the porch and still provide wind protection. Evergreen trees and shrubs are the best for year-round protection since they don't lose their foliage in the winter.

A trellis is another wind-blocking option that incorporates natural components of the landscape. Install the trellis directly against the side of the porch, and plant a variety of plants at the base. For protection during the summer months, you can plant any type of summer vine, while evergreen vines, such as ivy, can block the wind year-round.

Much like the blinds used on windows, porch shades install along the roof of a porch and can be pulled down and lifted as needed to shield the porch from both direct sunlight and wind. Many porch shades contain ties or hooks at the bottom so that the shade can be anchored down against gusts of wind.

If you want a porch that is protected not only from wind but from insects and animals as well, you can screen in the porch. The small openings in the screens allow some sunlight and air to pass through but limit the strength of the wind that blows across the porch.