Porch leading to a wooden country house

What features should be taken into account?

Adding a porch to a wooden house, like any other changes made to the project, must be done in compliance with certain rules:

1. Safety. According to fire safety regulations (including because wood is a highly flammable material), the base of the porch must be 5 centimeters below the threshold.
2. Aesthetics. Wood is best friends with wood, and it is advisable to choose the same material for the porch as for the facade. Stone, brick, concrete, metal are less suitable as a porch for a wooden house, since they require thinking through every detail.
3. Style. Wooden buildings are firmly entrenched in the stereotype of traditional architecture: looking at architectural “delights” such as large logs as supports, it seems that it is almost impossible to make a house with a porch in a modern design. However, it is worth replacing the round section with a square or flat one – and the design will be transformed dramatically!

Types of porches

To build a porch, you need to understand what kind of result you want to achieve, that is, how it should look in the end. According to the degree of closure, the structures are divided into 3 types:

Open

A simple open porch to a wooden house consists of the stairs themselves and railings (low porches can be made without fences). The main drawback of this structure is the lack of protection of the front door from precipitation.

Semi-closed

Or the so-called porch with a canopy. The canopy protects the front door not only from rain and snow, but also from the scorching sun. It also makes the entrance to the house more comfortable – for example, if it’s raining outside, under the canopy you can roll up an umbrella, get your keys and calmly enter the house.

Closed

A closed porch to a wooden house has not only a roof, but also walls, and often – windows. The construction of such a structure will cost more, but the interior space can be used as an additional storage area – for example, for bicycles, strollers, seasonal items.

A porch for a private house can serve not only as part of the entrance group, but also as an improvement to the adjacent territory. There is, for example, a porch-patio: a large open area in front of the house, where you can take out a dining table or place a cozy recreation area for meeting with friends.

The photo shows an open area connected to the porch

A combination with a veranda is a large covered porch that requires its own foundation and, preferably, should be laid at the design stage of the house.

A combination with a terrace is something in between a patio and a veranda: a large covered extension with railings instead of walls.

You also need to consider the shape of the steps. There are classic square, trapezoidal, radial ones.

And the last thing you need to keep in mind is the location. To save space, it is convenient to place the staircase along the wall, but if there is enough space, it is better to make the stairs perpendicular to the front door.

What material can it be made of?

All types of porches can be conditionally divided into those made of wood and all the rest. After all, most often they are made of wood: the finishing does not stand out from the general appearance of a wooden house and is in harmony with the facades. And they are much easier to make than any others.

Other advantages of wood:

• environmental friendliness;
• ease of processing;
• cheapness;
• versatility.

Wood has few disadvantages – natural material is afraid of moisture, fungus, fire and insects. Therefore, it requires coating with special protective compounds, antiseptics before assembling the porch and during operation. In addition, wood serves much less than metal or concrete.

Suitable building materials: edged and unedged boards, timber, beams. Choose lumber that suits your style: for example, a flat processed board will suit a modern house. Traditional – cylindrical logs.

Using other building materials is also possible, but make sure that they will not look alien:

1. Metal. The second most popular porch for a wooden building. The base is welded, decorated with forged railings, complemented with a suitable canopy. Metal porches are strong, easy to maintain, durable and do not require a bulky foundation (pile is enough). If you complement it with wooden steps and handrails, they will fit into the exterior design without any problems.
2. Concrete. Concrete is cheap, easy to use and durable. All you need is to properly assemble the formwork and mix the solution. Suitable if the base of the house is finished with stone.
3. Brick. A brick porch is also easy to assemble with your own hands, it does not require additional protection, lasts a long time, and looks beautiful. To visually unite with the facade, use wood in the decoration – for handrails, supports, canopy.

The photo shows a finished forged staircase

What kind of finishing should be used?

Not all structures have walls and a ceiling, but each one definitely has a floor. Let’s talk about it. The porch floor finishing should have the following qualities:

1. Durability. This is ensured by resistance to dirt, dust, mechanical impacts, acids, fats, etc. For example, untreated wood quickly “wears out” and requires additional protection.
2. Safety. When it rains or after washing, the porch should not be slippery – some paints and varnishes, as well as glossy tiles and porcelain tiles, are guilty of this.
3. Practicality. Rest assured: there will be a lot of dust, dirt, and sand on the horizontal surface near the door. Do not hope for a miracle, take this into account in advance and make it so that dirt is easy to remove. For example, pour water from a hose and simply wash it off.

For finishing a porch with steps, the following is suitable:

• wood (requires regular treatment after installation);
• decking boards made of wood-polymer composite (decking is easy to clean, lasts a long time, does not slip);
• tiles (there are special ones for steps, from the usual ones choose non-slip ones, preferably outdoor);
• stone (expensive, but aesthetic pleasure is guaranteed);
• granite tiles (cheaper than stone, more reliable than tiles).

The photo shows a porch with a wooden floor

Than decorate the porch?

If you perceive the platform with steps not just as a staircase, but rather as a connecting element between the interior of the house and the site, design ideas arise by themselves.

Flowers

In floor vases, hanging planters, hanging pots on the railings. Plants can be flowering or decorative, climbing or woody.

Lamps

Light is important not only in the interior: on the porch, lamps can act as decor or a completely functional addition (illuminate the steps at night).

Textiles

Of course, you shouldn’t lay a beautiful carpet, but, for example, decorating the space between the canopy and the handrails with curtains won’t be superfluous.

The photo shows decoration with curtains and flowers

Furniture

Some outdoor items are a decoration in themselves. A comfortable rocking chair or a set of a coffee table and wicker chairs with cute pillows literally invite you to relax.

Tip! In addition to additional decor, you can make the extension itself beautiful: for example, choose suitable wrought iron railings or an elegant canopy with carved elements.

How to build it yourself?

The creation of any extension begins with a project, and a project – with determining the dimensions:

• Width. This parameter is not limited, but the porch should be wider than 90 centimeters (the minimum size for moving one person), and most importantly – wider than the front door.
• Height. In the place where the entrance will be located, measure the distance from the base to the top of the door threshold. Subtract 5 cm from the resulting figure – this is the height of your structure.

In addition to the overall dimensions, you need to determine the depth of the steps, the height of the risers, railings, the length from the wall of the house to the edge of the first step.

The optimal step height is 160-190 mm, the depth is 25-30 cm. Knowing this information, as well as the height of the porch, make a calculation and determine how long the stairs will be.

To build a porch for a wooden house with your own hands you will need:

• Bar for the frame (10 * 10, 10 * 20 cm).
• Finishing boards (40-50 mm thick).
• Cement.
• Shovel.
• Tape measure and pencil.
• Bubble or laser level.
• Hand or electric saw (jigsaw).
• Nails and hammer (screws and screwdriver).

Let’s get to work:

1. Dig holes 80-100 cm deep along the designated perimeter, partially fill with soil, tamp, pour in concrete mortar, let dry completely. The foundation is ready!
2. Align the supports on all sides in height, lay and secure the logs (cross fastenings).
3. Make a bowstring or stringer – 2-4 parts (depending on the width), which will serve as the base for the steps. Secure the stringers to the logs, install according to the level.
4. Prepare and install the steps, risers. The first ones should extend 2-3 cm beyond the base – both on the sides and in front.
5. Lay the floor on the landing between the door and the stairs.
6. Install handrails on the steps and railings on the landing.

A canopy over the porch is installed at any stage of construction: a separate one can be attached to the wall before the start of the construction of the stairs, the roof, accordingly, is installed after all the work is completed.

See the video for a simple way to attach a porch to a wooden house:

Beautiful ideas for inspiration

A porch can both decorate a house and ruin all the beauty of the facade. To prevent the latter from happening, the design should be thought out no less carefully than the functionality.

One option is to make the porch contrasting so that it catches the eye of guests and the owners of the site. It is not necessary to use bright colors. For example, in the photo below the staircase, canopy, and handrails are white, but due to the fact that the facade is darker, the structure literally glows against its background.

The photo shows a contrasting entrance group

If the house is painted, the extension, on the contrary, can be made of natural wood. Warm texture goes well with any neutral shades: white, beige, gray, black.

A porch and a house in the same style and color are a universal option if you want to create a harmonious picture without highlighting the entrance group.

Another option to emphasize visual beauty: unusual design. For example, instead of planed bars for railings, you can use crooked branches. Or, on the contrary, make an ordinary tree more refined by means of carving and other decorative techniques.

When creating a porch near your house, follow a simple rule: everything should be in moderation. Then the rise will be reliable, practical and aesthetic.