The Catio

Screened Porch and Deck Addition for a Custom Catio, Colchester, VT

This project in Colchester, VT, began by replacing two old decks around the home with something entirely new. The homeowners had a special request: a space to enjoy every Vermont season, and one where their cats could enjoy a slice of the outdoors too.

We built the Catio addition off the back of the house, under its own gable roof, with Douglas fir running through nearly every detail.

  • Exposed, stained ceiling rafters with a tongue-and-groove inlay between each one
  • Posts and sills in the same fir
  • Tongue-and-groove boards wrapping the knee wall, inside and out

On top of that knee wall, a wide ledge doubles as a perch, built on purpose for the cats to look out from.

ScreenEze's most durable screen encloses the whole porch, with a layer built underneath the Trex flooring to keep bugs from finding their way in from below. TandoStone surrounds the new triple-pane slider connecting the porch to the house.

Outside the screens, the addition keeps going.

  • The same Trex decking carries out to an open-air deck
  • Matching railings and stairs lead down to the patio at ground level, the perfect spot for soaking up the sun during golden hour
  • Azek trim and new gutters finish the whole addition

Between the porch and the deck, these clients, and their cats, have the ultimate hangout spot for every season.

Let's Begin

Project Facts

  • Location: Colchester, VT

  • Project type: Addition

  • Year: 2024

  • Cost: Premium

  • Scope: Two decks replaced with a screened Catio porch, open-air deck, and ground-level patio

Build Details

  • Roof: own gable roof off the back of the house

  • Ceiling: exposed stained Douglas fir rafters, tongue-and-groove inlay

  • Woodwork: Douglas fir posts, sills, and knee wall (inside and out), with a built-in cat perch

  • Screens: ScreenEze, with an under-floor layer against bugs

  • Decking: Trex (porch and open-air deck)

  • Slider: triple-pane, Tando stone surround

  • Deck & stairs: matching railings, stairs to a ground-level patio

  • Trim: Azek trim, new gutters

"We have had prior experience with Taylor and knew immediately we would want him as our contractor for our latest project which involved replacing 2 decks and adding a Catio/screened porch and new sliding door. We were not disappointed. Him and his crews attention to detail and professionalism is unparalleled. They were prompt, professional and a whole heck of a lot of fun to work with."
- Jeff Ohler
Quotation Mark

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