What to Know Before You Decide
To stop rain blowing into a covered porch or patio, close the side that faces the weather with a roll-up screen. A roof only stops rain falling straight down; wind pushes it in sideways under the edge. Mesh screens cut most of it but are not watertight. For full rain protection with the view kept, use clear vinyl.
This guide explains which side to close, how much each fabric keeps out, and what happens to the screen in a real storm.
Why does a covered porch still get wet?
Rain only falls straight down when there is no wind. In a storm it travels at an angle, and the stronger the wind, the further it reaches in under the roof. A deep porch roof helps, but a typical porch or covered patio is not deep enough to keep wind-driven rain off the furniture on the exposed side.
Which side lets the rain in?
Usually one side: the one facing the prevailing weather. After the next storm, look at where the floor and cushions are wettest. That is the side to screen, and often the only one that needs it.
Will a mesh screen keep the rain out?
It keeps out a lot of it. The coated polyester fabrics shed water rather than soaking through, so a lowered screen stops much of the rain that would have reached the porch. But mesh has small openings by design, for airflow and the view, so treat it as weather protection rather than a sealed wall. Some fine spray can still get through in heavy, wind-driven rain.
Which fabric stops rain completely?
The solid sheets, which have no openings at all:
- PanoramaFR is a near-clear vinyl that blocks wind and rain while keeping the view. It is the usual choice for porches where the view matters.
- Soltis Proof 502 is fully opaque. It gives a complete weather enclosure plus full privacy, with no view out.
- The trade-off for both is airflow: with no openings, no breeze comes through. That is why the screen rolls up on warm, dry days.
What happens to the screen in high wind?
Our screens run in side channels and finish in a weighted bottom bar, so the fabric stays in place instead of flapping. How much wind a screen can take depends on the size of the opening and the openness of the fabric. A more open weave lets air pass through, while a solid sheet catches all of it, so solid sheets on large exposed openings need more care.
On large exposed openings we can add a Somfy wind sensor, which raises the screen automatically in very strong wind to protect the fabric. Our guide to whether privacy screens block wind covers this in more detail.
Can one porch handle summer breezes and storms?
Yes. Leave the screen up on good days and lower it when weather comes in. Some porches use a different fabric on each side: clear vinyl on the weather side and an open mesh on the sheltered sides for airflow and insects. The porch screens page shows the common layouts.
What to send us for a quote
- Photos of the porch or patio from the outside, showing each open side.
- Which side gets wettest in a storm.
- Rough width and height of that opening.
- Whether keeping the view or keeping airflow matters more.