Afternoon All,
Out here in NJ it’s been raining all morning so the wife and I have been “discussing” options for our planned front porch. My remodeling business does a variety of small to medium remodeling and new construction projects so I’ll be swinging the hammer for myself this time.
I’d like to know if anyone has anything to say about the placement of the steps. We have a traditional and modestly sized four bedroom center hall colonial with the front door set into a 6′ by 2′ pocket in the front plane of the house. We also have a deep front yard (200′ to the street) that is level and mostly grass with a few trees.
I’d like to have the steps on the side/end with a sidewalk to the driveway but my wife is insisting the steps should go in the front /middle with the walkway laid across the front of the porch. The porch will be about 40′ across, 8′ deep and have four columns across the front. I may be able to keep it low enough where we won’t have to have a railing across the front between the columns.
I’d love to hear some opinions on this and photos of side entry porches would be really appreciated.
THanks in advance,
Bart, [email protected]
Replies
I gotta agree with the wife. Center the steps, as wide as the 6' alcove. Looks a lot more "Formal" or "Traditional". Any possibility of inseting a smaller set from the side also? It would give you your more convienient access and still give her the look she wants. Funny how people want a large front porch on their home, yet no one seems to sit on them.
HV
Could you post a pic of the front of your home?
I agree a picture would help immensely in steering. Colonial as a term is fairly broad and encompasses enough other forms that giving one answer isnt so easy.
Most of those forms, whether the porch is single story or full height, whether a small porch or stoop with pediment, a medium porch with flanking columns, or a full width porch, I don't know I've ever seen a "traditional" example that didnt have the porch entrance in line with the front door. Even if the door was not dead center of the structure.
If you're able to post a jpeg, most of us can at least opinionate better as to what might work and look appropriate for you.
"Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton
Here the side step keeps it close to the entry.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
We were out driving today and we got a bunch of ideas from homes we saw. I've attached two pics of our house for your reference. I'd like to put the stairs to the left with a six foot wide paver walkway along the garage to the driveway. Along the walkway and against the garage I was planning to put three or four large pots or boxes with flowers. We've been discussing the front steps option and may include a wide front step out onto the grass with just a cement pad at the bottom of the steps for a couple of doormats or an outdoor rug.
When I consult with a customer I ty to throw all ideas out onto the table for their consideration whether they're conventional or not. The less conventional ideas usually get more consideration than you'd think and often end up in the project. I don't love being obligated to put the steps in the front just to 'frame' the door. I also don't want to extend this new constuction too far out from the house in order to preserve the depth of the front yard.
So, any suggestions or bright ideas? The main problem is trying to convince my wife that the side entry isn't too unconventional to work with our house.
Thanks a million,
Bart
by the way, I pulled the shrubs out on Thursday and the trailer (my rolling tool box) usually goes around the corner under the basketball hoop.
Bart
I wish I had taken pictures of an old family farm I put a porch on maybe 15 years ago. The grandaughter of the original owner had her son bring her to the peoples home so she could complement them on it. She said it looked like it had always been there. I don't know about that, but the folks love it and open there house to it in the summer (screened). A special consideration we had to make was how to deal with two windows that limited roof slope. Our decision was a couple of wells, flat just wouldn't have done the rest of the structure justice. You've got some room there, how will the low point of the roof come into play on your windows?
And as a hint, post your pictures smaller so we don't have to pan right and left to get the whole thing into view. Thanks and best of luck.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I am making zero claims about my photoshop abilities. Efficiency was the name of the game here. 4 styles that would be in keeping with a colonial (revival) . . . do with what you will."Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton
Here's a few observations, take them or leave them. Why not put stairs in front and on the side? Stairs function not only as a pathway, but also as a destination. A lot of people end up sitting on stairs with a book or plate of food, or whatever. Don't avoid them. It looks like the side stairs would get most of the traffic, but they wouldn't have to be any wider than the walk.
I don't think I would make a 6' wide walk, unless I had a good reason to. To me, that sounds like a road right next to the house. I could be totally wrong, depending on the pavers and the design of the walkway.
What if the front stairs were recessed ~halfway into the porch? So the top steps would be under the roof, but there would still be a pathway from the front door onto the main part of the steps before the stairs?zak
"so it goes"
thanks for all of the info and ideas everyone. i think i'm beginning to see the inevitable here with two sets of steps being the solution. the point that sitting and reading or eating or whatever on the steps is likely is a good one along with the point that there doesn't need to be a walkway to the front just because there happen to be steps there. my wife and i have been going back and forth all day and we're finding common ground so that's good.
the pictures look great even if they were done on the quick (for the right price!) and all are close to our original plan to add a more pronounced entryway instead of an 8' x 40' front porch. i may even wrap the porch around the corner a few feet to make the roof line and corner space more interesting.
i'll get to work on a set of drawings and we'll have to see how my schedule plays out. if i have a permit in hand and a gap in my remodeling schedule i may just have to make the porch a reality. i'm ballparking the materials at around $6500 which i think will add at least that much value to the house.
thanks again. well done.
bart
Your house is totally (well, except for the garage on one side) symetrical--I'd definitely put the porch steps and entrance right in the center. Mybe curve the walkway from the center over to the driveway. Or have two entrances--sort of "formal" and "informal".
Front. Just plain looks better.
As they say, it rained here like a cow p#ssing on a flat rock. Didn't even bother trying to finish digging deck footings.
Where in Jersey are you? And what is that crazy thing attached to the chimney. Haven't seen one of them in a long time.
that's the antennae we inherited when we bought the house. I haven't had a chance yet to take it down although I almost knocked it over with a radio controlled glider I skipped off the roof last year.
I'm out in Hunterdon County, about 12 miles from Pa.
And rain it did.
In the area?
Bart
Bart, with the formal colonial design, I think you have to put steps in the front. How about a portico like porch with steps on all three sides. It could be square, say 12x12, or slightly rectangular. Or, if you want a long porch extending the length of the house, put a second set of steps all the way to the left. Make the porch at least 8 feet wide so you can use it. Above all - keep the wife happy : )By the way, I'm thinking of a larger front porch for our home. It's also a post war colonial (1960s) that has a small brick porch (4x11) with steps at the front, in-line with the door. The brick-like paver walk is 3-feet wide and runs parallel along the front of the house. The existing porch was improperly rebuilt with the same pavers. Sand and the concrete pavers are in contact with the wood sheathing. This construction has also settled and is now a tripping hazard. I'm thinking of tearing it out and building something as wide and a bit deeper out of wood. This would involve a gable over the porch. I have yet to draw it. My dad (also Bart) wants to tear his 6-foot deep porch off his house (also a colonial) and build a deeper porch. His has a concrete deck that is only one step above grade, and you approach the front door head-on. He wants to repair/extend the concrete deck and cap it with fieldstone, and remove and replace the roof to make the porch 8-feet deep.Any suggestions for my house would be appreciated.What is it with Barts and porches?Bart
southbay bart,
it looks like you have the elevation and slope to tear out the existing slab porch and redo it 8 or 10" lower. If you can lower it enough then the existing roofline might be able to go the extra depth you're looking for without coming too low across the front. If you have to you could demo the roof above the porch only and raise the new header a course of shingles closer to the windows and use the same slope to match the garage. I'd probably steer away from wood though with it being so close to the gound.
Once it's deeper you'll have the same question I've been kicking around though. Steps around to the front or straight up the side?
that help at all?
Thanks everyone for the input and great ideas.
Bart
Nice area, from what I've seen.Wanaque, Passaic Co., about 15 miles from Orange Co., NY.
Personally, I see your house with a ~12'w x 8-12'd front porch with front stairs with a front facing gable. A second set of stairs on the side would be OK, but would reduce the usable space on the porch. It would seem that a 40'w porch would pretty much lock you into a shed roof or a low pitched hip, which, personally, I think would detract from the classic look of the current facade - especially the shed roof. I don't know - maybe you want enough room out there for the whole clan :-)
Also, personally I prefer to see posts set closer than 10'.
Hey - here's a crazy idea... How about a 2 story porch which could have either 1 or 2 floors. That would be classic colonial revival. As it is now, with the entry like it is, it's more of a Georgian colonial. A shed or low sloped single story hip would be more of a folk farm house type look.
One thing that annoys me about modern houses is that many are such a smattering of styles, that they almost have no style. Yours is not like that, but put the word style in your plans to expand - don't just think functionality.