Porch Design Considerations
There are many options when it comes to designing your Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill porch. From the general size and shape to the finishing details inside, there can be a lot to consider. Please reference this handy list to get some ideas of the many possibilities for your new porch.
Roof Line Considerations: What Does Your Home’s Architecture Have to Do With It?
The architectural design of your home is a factor in the type of roofline your new porch needs to have. While some home designs give you the full list of roof options to choose from, others might limit you. If your home has second story windows, bay windows or other pop-outs, skylights, roof vents, a unique roofline or a combination thereof, we’ll tell you the options that will work for your porch.
Roof Choices
- Shed Roof
- Gable Roof or Open Gable
- Hip Roof
- Pavilion Roof (Gazebo Roof)
- Flat Roof
- Custom Combination Roof: Sometimes a homeowner has their mind set on an open gable roof, but the placement of their upper story windows prevent it. Depending on the exact circumstances, we can sometimes create a custom combination roof that combines a shed roof with an open gable to allow more light in the space while still fitting below the windows.
Ceiling Considerations
There are some instances where a specific roofline will affect what type of ceiling you can have. Most of the time, however, ceiling choices are aesthetic, and we can find a way to create the ceiling you want. Some clients even make the ceiling a focal point of their porch, by using wooden beams for a rustic feel or a painted ceiling, for dramatic effect.
Ceiling Options
- Vaulted Ceiling (Slopes but can be curved or arched)
- Cathedral Ceiling (Equal sloping sides that meet in the middle)
- Flat Ceiling
- Open Rafters
- Finished Ceiling (enclosed rafters)
- Painted Ceiling
- Ceiling Materials: Bead board, pine, cedar, hardwood, plywood, tongue and groove, vinyl/PVC
Screen & Window Options
Screens are not just for insect protection anymore. Depending on the type of screening you choose, you could increase the benefits of a screened porch to meet other outdoor living needs.
- Privacy: With privacy screening, a reflective mesh is deployed to block the view into the porch from a distance. But from inside the porch, the view remains unobstructed.
- Solar: With the use of solar screens, your porch will remain cooler as the special mesh lowers the heat transfer through the screen while allowing you to maintain a breeze and a clear view to the outside.
- Pet & Child-Proof: This durable screening is thicker and built to resist tears and splits from pet claws. It also can withstand the pushing and pulling that might come from small children.
- Insect Screens: By employing a mesh with a tighter weave, this special screening is built to keep some of the smallest of insects off of your screen porch, allowing you to enjoy a pest-free outdoor lifestyle.
- Weather Resistant Screens: The special coating on this screen will stand up to heavy wind and rain. Most screening features this coating.
- Eze-Breeze Porch Windows Adding Eze-Breeze vinyl porch windows to your porch will transform it into a 3-season room. This will allow you to close the windows on cool or rainy days for added protection, without taking away the open air feeling of the classic screened porch.
Not all porches need a railing. It depends on the height of your porch. If your porch requires a railing or you want a railing, there are several options available.
- Wood Railings
- Low-Maintenance Railings: vinyl, aluminum, or acrylic
- Cable Railings
- Knee Walls
- Custom Railings: We can create custom railings and handrails if needed. For instance, the location of the stairs on this deck didn’t allow for a handrail on the house, so we created custom planters to attach the railing.
Accessories
Porches are a true extension of your indoor living space. Having a roof over the porch allows for additional accessories that increase the space’s functionality, style, and comfort. Porch accessories don’t have to be limited to furniture, pillows, curtains and rugs; built-in accessories can improve function, allowing you to live in the space more often.
- Skylights
- Lighting
- Ceiling fans
- Outdoor Fireplaces
- Outdoor Kitchens
- Outdoor Wet Bar
- Television
At Archadeck of Raleigh, Durham and the Greater Triangle, our goal is for your porch to be exactly what you want and need to meet your lifestyle objectives. Our team is dedicated to helping you navigate the choices in size, shape, materials and style, to ensure your aesthetic and outdoor lifestyle dreams are attained. Call today at (919) 446-5585 to schedule your design consultation. We look forward to working with you!
View our project gallery for additional design inspiration.
