At Centennial Construction & Remodeling Services, Inc., we have seen that no two porches are exactly the same. Each one needs to be constructed according to the owners’ desires and practical needs.
When adding a porch to a home, there are plenty of things to consider. By making the right decisions early in the process, you’ll save yourself so much frustration, time, and mental energy.
Here are a few things to ask yourself and think about when considering the addition of a porch to your home.
How do you want to use the porch?
It may not seem like the most important factor, but it is. Knowing what you want to do with your new porch will help you determine where it should go, whether it’s attached to your home or not, and what you’ll need to include. For example, if you want your new porch to act as a dining room, it needs to be fairly close to the kitchen. If it’s going to be an extended family room or a place where you expect to entertain guests, you may want to position it away from a nursery, bedrooms, an office, or a study due to the noise level.
How large of a porch should you get?
How many people will be using your new porch? If you’ll be hosting parties and anticipate lots of usage of the porch, you’ll need to ensure that it’s large enough for seating and mingling. However, if it’s going to basically be just you, it can be cozier. Many people make the mistake of building a porch much larger than they need it to be, which can take away from the comfy atmosphere of it. This is because they picture the porch being the entire width of the back of their house—which is often unnecessary.
Should you get a screen?
If you want extra privacy or want to keep animals and certain creepy-crawlies off your porch, a screen may be a good idea. With screened-in porches, some homeowners can also create a unique makeshift guest room. If you do decide to get a screen for your new porch, the screen system and type of screen you select is important, depending on your goals for it and the sort of surrounding property you have. You may need a more durable screen if you have dangerous branches nearby, birds that might slam into it, or kids in your family that might damage it by throwing balls or waving hockey sticks around. Or, if none of those things is a threat and you want to be able to see your entire backyard, more “invisible” screens are available. Whatever your screen needs, it’s probably been manufactured.
What kind of roofing and flooring is best for your porch?
You’ll need to consider if you want a flat roof, a gabled roof, or something else—and if it complements the rest of your house and the windows around it. Equally important is the flooring you select. Wood is popular, and so is stone and tile. However, stone and tile can be dangerous due to cracking grout in colder weather. Also, think about how the material used for flooring will feel on bare feet.
Will you have lighting or electrical needs?
When done right, add-on porches often become the favorite “room” in the house. This can call for extra electrical outlets (since everyone is charging something these days), which is a smart inclusion when building the porch as opposed to installing them afterward when it will be more pricey. Besides outlets to charge everyone’s phones, you might want to plug in lamps, a TV, or other electronics. Also think about if, and where, you may want lighting fixtures or a ceiling fan.
At Centennial Construction & Remodeling Services, we are your porch installation experts. You can trust our outstanding craftsmanship and service from start to finish, no matter what you choose. Contact us at (317) 848-7634 to schedule a free consultation in Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield, Fishers, or any northern Indianapolis area.