Minneapolis neighborhood
Screened porch and deck building in Keewaydin (55417)
Keewaydin's post-war Cape Cods and ramblers sit on level lots near Lake Nokomis, where summer bugs and a short back step make screened porches and low decks the usual request.
- Answered 24/7
- Serving 55417
Keewaydin at a glance
Screened space and low decks for Keewaydin's post-war homes
Most Keewaydin houses went up after the war, so the back door usually sits only a few steps above the yard. That makes a ground-level deck or a screened porch the natural fit, rather than the tall decks you see in newer suburbs. Living this close to Lake Nokomis also means plenty of mosquitoes on July evenings, and many owners tell us they barely use their open deck after dark. A screened porch framed on proper footings, with a roof tied correctly into the house, turns that back step into a room you'll use from May through September.
If a porch is more than you want right now, the small decks added to these homes in the 1970s and 1980s deserve a hard look. We tend to find stairs resting on a patio block, railing posts notched and held with two small bolts, and ledgers nailed to the rim. Some can be saved with new boards and rails. Others are better torn off and replaced with a low deck sized for a table and a grill. After a safety inspection, we tell you plainly which group yours falls into and what each path involves.
Keewaydin deck and porch situations we handle often
Turning a deck into a porch
Owners often ask to screen in the deck they already have. That only works if the footings and beams can carry a roof and snow load, so we check them first and add footings where needed.
Stairs sitting on patio blocks
Short deck stairs here often rest on a loose concrete block that shifts every spring. We replace it with a solid landing pad on a compacted base and anchor the stringers, so the bottom step stops rocking.
Finishes baked by afternoon sun
Many backyards in this part of Nokomis get full afternoon sun, which dries out stain fast. We clean, brighten and reseal wood decks with a penetrating stain that fades evenly instead of peeling in sheets.
Planning a three-season room later
Some owners want screens now and windows later. We frame the porch so glass or vinyl panels can be added down the road, with the right header sizes and a floor that sheds water.
Deck services Keewaydin homeowners call us for
Typical prices for these jobs in Keewaydin
Ranges from 2026 Twin Cities projects. Your price comes in a written scope after we see the site.
| Service | Typical range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Screened Porch Building | $24,800 to $68,500 | per porch |
| Ground-Level and Platform Decks | $31 to $69 | per square foot installed |
| Deck Replacement | $42 to $98 | per square foot including tear-off |
| Three-Season Porch Building | $41,600 to $97,800 | per porch |
| Deck Staining and Sealing | $2.85 to $5.40 | per square foot |
| Deck Safety Inspection | $185 to $395 | per visit |
Deck questions from Keewaydin
Will a screened porch on my Keewaydin Cape Cod darken the kitchen?
It can if the roof is too low or too deep. We set the porch roof pitch and height so it ties in under the existing eave without shading the window behind it, and sometimes add a skylight or keep one side open to the yard. Before we draw anything, we look at where the morning and afternoon sun falls.
How close to the lot line can I build a deck in Keewaydin?
Setbacks come from the city zoning code and depend on your lot, so we check them for your address when we draw the plans. On narrower Keewaydin lots that check sometimes decides the deck width. We also note where your garage, gate and utility lines sit before choosing footing spots.
Is a safety inspection worth it on a 1970s deck behind my Keewaydin home?
Yes, especially if you don't know who built it. An inspection covers the ledger connection, footings, joist hangers, railing posts and stairs, which are the parts most likely to fail on decks from that era. You get a plain list of what is fine, what needs repair now, and what can wait a season or two.
Deck work in Keewaydin? Call any hour.
We are on the phone 24/7 and on site across Keewaydin every week. Tell us about the deck and we will set a visit.