Front Porch Design, Planning &Amp; Building In The Uk

By Chris Tailby

So, you’re thinking about adding a new Porch to your home and looking for the best advice and designs? Congratulations! Keep reading, all will be revealed.

There are many great reasons to add a new Porch to your home. You may have not considered them all. Here are the main ones:

You want to improve the visual entrance to your home, internally and externally.

Increase the value of your home.

Create more space and more light.

Provide your home with the added security of a second door.

Cut energy bills – keep warmth in.

Some people have found additional uses too as Porches can make great storage areas for shoes, coats and in some cases even tropical plants!

Do I Need Porch Planning Permission ?

It’s the most frequently asked question so here’s the answer:

The majority of Porches built in the UK do not require planning permission as they fall into the category of ‘Permitted Development’ – Providing that:

The ground area of the new Porch does not exceed 3 Square Metres.

The height does not exceed 3 Metres above ground level.

No part of a Front Porch is closer than 2 Metres to any highway.

The building of your new Porch does not encroach on or over your neighbours property.

Your home is not a listed building or within a conservation area.

These are the general guidelines although I would recommend that you seek clarification with your local planning department.

If you are looking to have a new Porch built within the Midlands or Milton Keynes, feel free to get in touch with us at Trustyle-uk.co.uk with any questions. Our qualified designers are always on hand to help with any questions on planning and design.

Designing The Ideal Porch For Your Home

Designing the perfect porch for your home is easy when you know how. Many get this crucial bit wrong though. Even the most conscientious of home- owners with the best intentions can get this wrong.

I recently spoke to one of our best designers about this very issue and he provided me with these excellent tips:

Firstly, the new front Porch should compliment the existing home.

Of course, everybody knows this but getting this part right is the most important part of the designers job. Do this right and you could easily gain more value to a home than the cost of the Porch itself.

The size of the Porch shouldn’t be too big as to dominate the front of the house or project forward of the bay.

When considering the Porch roof, take a look at your home’s style, roof and age. If you have large gabled two story bay windows, a pitched roof will look far better than a flat roof. (A pitched roof is a term for roofs which look like upside down V’s)

Flat Porch roofs are better placed on flat fronted homes where the roofs run flat and straight across the front of your home. It might seem straight forward but start looking around and you’ll see homes with pitched roofs and bay windows with flat roof Porches extending fully along to the bay – Most feel that this detracts from the house’s potential.

If you have protruding bay windows, never look to extend it to form an enclosed Porch. There are other more appealing designs to go for regardless of the shape of your bay. You’ll be looking to bring appeal to your home and that of the neighbourhood.

The materials used to build the Porch should depend on the existing house and Porches can come fully glazed using timber or UPVC or half glazed using brickwork, timber or UPVC. Porches often have more glazing than masonry.

All new brickwork should match the existing house using the same bond and mortar. Existing house style, windows, doors and brickwork are all considered by our designers to create the perfect match and balance.

The finishing touch is the right door to complete your Porch.

Building A Porch – Terms

Eaves

Where the roof overhangs the house wall

Bond And Mortar

Method or pattern of laying bricks together with the particular bedding material used between the bricks.

Soldier Course

This is a continuous straight line of upright brickwork.

Door Canopies

Is a roof over a front door, sometimes supported by posts.

Stepped Houses

Where a part of the house is built further forward than another.

Recessed Doorways

Where the front door sits further back than the rest of the houses front wall, normally with a roof or a protruding first floor room above.

Pitched Roof

Where a roof forms the shape of an upside down V.

Halls Adjoining Houses

Is a pair of attached houses where the front doors are next to each other.

About the Author:

trustyle-uk.co.uk

Source:

isnare.com

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