Different Types of Porches

Porches come in all shapes and sizes and perform different functions for the home. As an addition to your home, it could be an enclosed entrance in which you leave your boots and have a closet for coats. It can be a place where you like to sit and enjoy the outdoors with an overhang to keep you dry when you are outside in the rain. You can also have a screened in porch or one that has plenty of windows where you can have plants growing. In this case the porch can be both an extension of your home and your garden.

You can use just about any kind of material to build a porch as long as it is sturdy and will withstand the elements of the weather. There are numerous designs available to help you choose a porch that will complement the exterior of your home. You can also choose to have the porch at ground level and have steps leading to the door of your home or you can have the porch on the same level of the home with a decorative railing around it and the steps leading up to it.

Many homeowners have the porch on the front of the home or choose to have it wrapped around two or all sides of the house. Most home with a porch in the front employ the covered design. There are many impressive designs to choose from if you want something completely unique, such as building a two-story porch with a balcony or pool on the second-story level.

Whether you choose an open or closed porch is up to you. Both designs have advantages and disadvantages. Enclosed porches give you the added advantage of being able to enjoy them in any type of weather. Open porches give you an extra entertaining space where you and your guests can enjoy drinks, stimulating conversations and the wonderful outdoor weather at the same time. You may not realize it, but it is more expensive to build an open porch than an enclosed one and this may affect your decision.