How to Plan for Building a Porch
- 1). Create your home's layout on graph paper. Measure the length, width and height of your home precisely, so the porch drawings will look proportionate. Sketch a bird's-eye view of your home floor plan layout, plus the front or side facade where the porch will go. Experiment with different roof lines as you begin the design work.
- 2). Design a porch that blends with the overall structure. Do not design a porch that stands out on its own. Develop roof angles that fit with the home's main roof, for instance. Draw a single sloping roof at a 30-degree angle. Make another sketch to see how this same roof looks with a 45-degree angle.
- 3). Review home design books if you desire any multiple roof angles. Draw a hip roof on your porch, for example. Keep in mind that a hip roof for a porch will have three sloping sides -- which will need expert guidance on drawing final measurements.
- 4). Include fine details in your drawings. Sketch the house overhang with all trim work to fit the overhang areas of the porch. Use the same depth of house overhang, such as 18 inches, on the porch overhang. Draw the guttering, downspouts and splash blocks for the porch to look original to the house. Draw railings, if you want to include them, and support posts. Visit a home improvement store to see balusters for the railings up close. Purchase square balusters -- which are placed vertically every few inches to connect the upper and lower railings -- if you prefer them to round balusters, for example.
- 5). Sketch porch steps and select their construction materials. Include formal brick steps, for example, if the porch is on the front of your brick house. Use curved brick steps for a very elegant look. Keep in mind that you can buy pre-made concrete steps for a side or back porch. Design wooden steps, as another choice, if your porch overlooks a backyard flower garden.
- 6). Select construction materials for the porch. Use asphalt shingles for the roof if your home has asphalt shingles, for example. Consider using copper, metal or cedar shakes on a home's front porch roof if this works for the overall house design. Choose the porch base materials, which might be concrete or wood decking. Select any materials for porch columns, which can be as simple as buying pre-made wooden columns or building stacked stone columns.
- 7). Finalize all porch dimensions as closely as possibly. Visit a builder, architect or home designer for additional input and help with cost estimates. Be sure to design your ideal porch and then cut back to fit the actual budget. Reduce the size of the porch to save costs, for example.