It is only natural that an attractive front entry to your home leave a positive, lasting impression over a front entry that is less attractive. Learn how Archadeck can design and build a welcoming and appealing front entry for your home.
Has winter’s chill prompted you to daydream about spending warm summer days on a new front porch? This is the perfect time of year to think beyond daydreams and take action to add the new front entry you want on your home. Whether you’re thinking about adding a portico to welcome guests smartly or a full-size traditional front porch, Archadeck can help. Are you ready to get started?
When you work with Archadeck of Suburban Boston to design a front entry for you, we’ll start by asking some questions:
- What is your purpose for adding a new front entry? (You may have more than one purpose.)
- Do you want a simple portico, a traditional front porch, or something more elaborate?
- How do you intend to use your new porch?
- If you have a porch on the front of your home now, what do you like about your current porch, and what do you not like?
- In what ways does your current front entry not meet your needs?
We promise we’re not trying to interrogate you. We just want to make sure the front entry you build with Archadeck is exactly what you want—and need.
In return, our clients often ask us questions, too, like these:
These are great questions! We’ll answer them here. We also recommend reading these two articles, which include photos of all sorts of front porches—and a few porticos, too:
What is the difference between a front porch and a portico?
Before looking at their differences, let’s establish what front porches and porticos have in common. They increase your home’s curb appeal. They welcome your guests and friends. A front porch or portico will protect visitors from rain, sleet, or snow while they wait for you to answer your front doorbell.
The differences between these two structures lie in their relative size and their intended purpose beyond enhancing your home’s appearance. A portico is the smaller of the two. In addition to making your home’s front entry attractive, a portico shields you and your visitors from wet weather at your doorstep. Notice that the portico does not offer your guests a place to sit.
A front porch, by comparison, is larger—usually large enough to offer your guests a comfortable outdoor place to sit and visit with you. We often design a front porch with furniture in mind. As porch designers, we want to make sure you and your family and guests have enough room to walk around the porch furniture you select.
Front porches have the added benefit of keeping your home’s interior cooler on hot, sunny days. The porch roof serves this function by strategically creating shade right in front of your home. When you add a front porch, the windows along the porch are no longer directly assaulted by the heat of the sun’s rays. Did you think you had to be outside on the porch to benefit from its shade? Now you know you can benefit from that shade indoors, too!
What is a Captain's Porch?
Historically, a captain’s porch informed everyone passing by that the home belonged to a successful New England sea captain. Today, if you want to make a formal statement, adding a captain’s is stately and more formal than other types of front porches.
What is a Farmer’s Porch?
In contrast to a captain’s porch, a farmer’s porch is informal. This porch runs the full width of the front of the home. It’s usually a deep, wide porch that offers plenty of room for porch swings, rocking chairs, or other comfortable porch furniture. If you want a casual outdoor “living room” where you can relax and visit with folks, a farmer’s porch may be what you need. Unlike a back porch, a farmer’s porch faces front where you can see and interact with your neighbors. If you’re nostalgic for the days when everyone knew their neighbors and had time to visit, a farmer’s porch may be what your home needs.
Read more: Standing the Test of Time, Farmer's Porches Offer Welcome Respite
At Archadeck of Suburban Boston, We’re Your Front Entry, Front Porch Experts
Your home’s front entry speaks for you. It gives people an idea of what to expect when you answer the front door. It says you’re going to welcome folks at arm’s length—or with a generous hug. Your portico and porch experts at Archadeck can help you select the details that effectively communicate what you want your front entry to say. Our custom designs and the carefully-crafted structures we build always communicate that you care about the quality of your surroundings.
Contact Archadeck of Suburban Boston today to learn more about how we can enhance your home with the perfect front entry for your needs.
