Thank you. That is a good point about having puddles. It is a covered screened porch, but I do get very wet rugs when it rains. I hadn't thought about that. I like the idea of removing a few of the posts. I feel like it detracts from the overall appearance.

I'm not up to date on drainable fabrics, but in this case, it might be a matter of selecting the "right" rugs. I've seen "synthetic sisal" rugs that look very "porch-y". Also, if the porch floor is less than 30 inches above the ground, the lower vertical members aren't necessary. Visually, you want the space between vertical posts to be taller than the width (say, 7 feet high x 5 feet wide) and the posts should be at least 5 1/2" wide.

You don't have to take up the wood flooring to lay tile. They will place full sheets of plywood down on top of it. Make sure they lay a rubber membrane on the plywood to give you a moisture barrier . Then the tile goes down, I'd try to stick with a flagstone, tumbled travertine , of slate stone if possible. It just does better in the eliments , and to avoid a mildew issue. As far as rugs go, check " Fountgate ", they have a very good product that catches all the stuff coming in from outside, and they last forever ! Hope this helps.

Thank you for this information. I have wanted to change the posts into something more asthetically appealing, and this allow me to dramatically change the appearance and give it more of a veranda type look, which I am going for.

Thank you for the information on the tile. I would love to have a tile floor - it just adds character to a room. I will also check into the "Fountgate" rugs to see other options.

HI -- Think you need bigger posts further apart. As for the flooring , you will need to put down some plywood to keep the bugs out and I think a good quality out door carpet would be better than tiles. That's what we did over twenty years ago and it still looks great with no problems.We are working at screening it in soon too. We love to sit out and watch the rain etc. in the summer and we are going to add a heater for the cool nights.

I agree - bigger posts further apart will definitely improve the looks of my porch. I also like the idea of putting down plywood if I go with carpet again. I want my porch to reflect a dressed up yet relaxed nature - I am tired of the cabin-at-the-lake look (rough). I love my porch too - as do my cats and dogs. We all enjoy relaxing outdoors with no bugs to contend with. It's wonderful. Thank you for your input. This site is really helpful with people giving their ideas and input from experience.