Historic districts: review before exterior work
The City of Sanford requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before exterior work on historic landmarks and on properties in its Downtown Commercial, Sanford Avenue and Residential historic districts. The city applies that to repairs as well as new construction.
For a screened porch or entry on a historic home, questions like frame profile, color and how the enclosure meets original columns and trim may come up in review. Talk with the city’s historic preservation staff before finalizing a design; we can adjust the layout and finish to what review requires.
Screened porches on older homes
- Wood columns, beams and porch floors need to be sound before an aluminum frame attaches to them. Rot should be repaired first by the right trade.
- Panel lines can follow the rhythm of existing columns and railings so the enclosure reads as part of the house.
- Door hardware is chosen for daily use on an entry, where the screen door opens dozens of times a day.
See screened porches and entryways for how these projects are planned.
Near Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River
Sanford sits on the south shore of Lake Monroe. Homes near open water get more wind, which enclosure engineering accounts for, and often more small flying insects in the evening, where a finer mesh on seating-side walls may help. If a waterfront enclosure has been through several storm seasons, a look at its connections and bracing is a sensible first step before rescreening.