Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Enjoy summer weather on a new front porch

By MAC MCKINNEY
Contributing Writer

The subject of books, songs and millions of fond memories, the porch truly is an icon of American life. As we enter the warm summer months, families across the country will gather on their homes’ front, rear or side porches to sip lemonade, relax and watch the world go by.

If you’ve been envying your neighbors as they lounge in their hammock or porch swing for a post-dinner doze, don’t despair. With good planning and a little luck, you too can be relaxing on your porch after dinner long before the end of summer.

• Planning your porch. Designing the right porch for your house is one of the most important steps in the building process. How large should your porch be? If you hope to dine al fresco during the summer, you’ll want to plan for a porch that’s at least eight to 10 feet deep, to accommodate a good-sized table and chairs. On the other hand, if you just want to place a couple of chairs outside, six feet or so should be sufficient.

Plan carefully when deciding which way your porch should face. A south-facing porch will take advantage of the summer warmth; sunset buffs will want to ensure that their porches face west, and if you love luxuriating in the early morning sun as you read the paper, place the porch on the east side of your home. In addition to the sun, take into account other natural phenomena that may affect your enjoyment of your new porch. For example, if you live in an insect-friendly area, consider installing screens.

As you design your porch, make sure to take the rest of your home into account. The porch is an accessory, so shouldn’t overwhelm the main structure of the house; however, it should be large enough to look like part of your home instead of an afterthought. In order to ensure aesthetic continuity, try to use the same materials to build your porch as you did when you originally constructed the house. This includes coordinating millwork and other design motifs so that your new porch integrates smoothly with the rest of your home.

Finally, before you break ground, take a good look at your home’s landscaping. Decide which landscaping features you’d like to save, and which ones are superfluous. Make an effort to preserve surrounding trees; they not only will shade your porch but also help blend your home with its natural surroundings.

• Building your porch. Whether you plan to construct your porch yourself or hire an experienced contractor, the first order of business will be to draw up your plans and have them approved by your local zoning board, homeowners’ association and other relevant parties. After your project has been approved, you’ll need to apply for a building permit, which should be displayed near the construction area throughout the building process.

Most building codes require any new structure attached to a home to be supported by a foundation extending below the frost line, generally three to four feet below grade. Before you dig, contact your local utility companies (including your cable and DSL providers, if applicable) to determine if any lines will be affected by your construction. If so, ask the company to shut off and reroute the lines as necessary.

After you frame the floor, stairs, railing, walls and roof of the porch, you’ll need to open up your exterior wall to create any new entrances to the porch; for example, French or sliding glass doors. Make sure that you and your contractor have carefully considered how to prevent dust, dirt and intruders from entering your home. Hang clear plastic dust curtains to guard against debris, and protect valuable or difficult-to-clean items by draping them with sheets. Secure any openings after the day’s work is complete; a good way to block entry, as well as inclement weather, is to nail sheets of plywood over the gap.

The final phase of building your porch is the installation of wiring, insulation and any supplemental appliances and fixtures. Remember that the walls need to remain open until the work has been certified by a building inspector.

Once construction is complete, you and your family can begin to relax and enjoy the summer season from the comfort of your new porch. Consider purchasing a porch swing, hammock or comfortable outdoor furniture to complete the experience, and invite friends and family over to sit on the front porch and celebrate the new addition to your home.

For more information on home additions or to find a builder in your area, please contact the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia at 770-716-7109.

(Mac McKinney, who is owner and president of McKinney Builders Inc., is president of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 550 builders and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Meriwether, Heard, Pike, Upson, Lamar, Butts and Jasper counties.)