It is porch season. I enjoy decks and patios, but I love screened porches. The reason why porches are "better" is because they can be enjoyed in the late evening when mosquitoes are looking for victims. The porch is an extension of a home's interior. It can be decorated with rugs, pillow, and lamps. This allows you to leave the furnishings in place without dragging them in and out depending on the weather.
If your budget allows, having the roll-down clear plastic panels will keep your porch completely dry and even extend the seasonal use as it can keep your porch warm before and after hot summer season.
If you plan to screen a porch, I highly recommend metal screen. I find the metal screen to be rugged and offers a more clear view-through.
If you are able, add ceiling fans. For my personal porch I chose a 30" diameter 3- blade fan without a light. My porch is narrow so the small diameter is perfect. This Emerson Fan is powerful. On hot days the fans on high really cool the porch. It offers a wall switch to operate the speeds so there are no pull-chains hanging down.
Here are porch projects of mine. Click on a photo to open a slide show.