Scuff Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 (edited) How should we do our front porch? It will have a full lower porch. Should we rebuilt the balcony or close the door in, putting in a picture window in the future. We are doing this ourselves, so the roof has to stay as is. Edited August 13, 2011 by Scuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I think you could architecturally make that work beautifully, and it would be so nice and functional! It would look like a big bump out to add to the rectangular nature of the house. ( I mean both floors would have a screened porch.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Depends on the weather and the neighborhood. Do you see yourself sitting on the porch on summer evenings waving at your neighbors? Or wanting to get out of the cold in the winter (and bugs in summer, lol)? Cute house! Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 We absolutely want to sit out on it and wave to the neighbors. :) I dismissed the idea of screening it in because I don't think we can add a roof over the porch without tying it into the house roof. Not a job I think we can handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Have you considered sliders on second floor? That's my "better" idea. Three windows across would look nice, as would a large window. A new door on second floor with the two windows, I think it looks awkward. Not very feng shui.:tongue_smilie: Unless you were to put the door between two windows. The architectural line-up wouldn't be what is the word,...symmetrical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Yeah, the house isn't very symmetrical. That does bug me, but it is what it is. That's actually the reason I didn't want to just replace the door with a window. Although I suppose we could put 3 new windows in and space them properly. What are sliders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Sliders. Um, sliding glass doors, patio doors. Maybe even french doors would work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I can't tell -- is this the front or the back? We have double-decker screen porches on our house. The upper one is the sleeping porch. We have room enough to put two sets of bunk-bed cots out there (plus an extra single cot), and the kids slept out there every summer for years. It was a wonderful part of their growing up years. :) But, if it is in the front of the house, you may not want a sleeping porch there... Still, I vote for double-decker screen porches. You can always use the bottom one to eat on and the top one to sit and read on.:) I just love porches, and how they make our house feel so much bigger in the summertime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 You can make the top screened by making a box and covering it with screen wire. If the top is covered with screen you won't have to tie into the roof. However, I would for simplicity just do a balcony. WIthout a top you can use it for star gazing, waving to neighbors, and just relaxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Ah, sliders. Gotcha. :) I love french doors. I don't know if that'd be wise in this neighborhood, though! This is the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I'm not much for balconies.....I'd love a huge picture window though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks in Ontario Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 While small upstairs balconies look real neat, I have yet to see anyone ever out on them. I'd go for a full first floor porch with a sloped roof and either 3 spaced windows or a triple window upstairs depending on what's inside. The porch roof would hopefully hide where the door was so it didn't look like an add on with the siding. It would also keep the symmetry more pleasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I'm not much for balconies.....I'd love a huge picture window though! :iagree: My thoughts on a balcony would be: 1. I don't want a door to my bedroom, esp. facing the street. That just doesn't feel private enough to me. I like my bedroom to feel tucked away and quiet. Obviously others feel the exact opposite and love the idea of opening a bedroom door to the front. 2. One of my four boys would find a way to jump and/or lower themselves AND lower/drop/throw other items off that balcony within one week. No, they are not hooligans. But I know my boys and wow, would that second story balcony be tempting! :D Love the house! So much character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Sliders. Um, sliding glass doors, patio doors. Maybe even french doors would work. :iagree: This!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Sliders. Um, sliding glass doors, patio doors. Maybe even french doors would work. French doors, yes. Sliding door...no. I abhor sliding doors. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 :iagree: . 2. One of my four boys would find a way to jump and/or lower themselves AND lower/drop/throw other items off that balcony within one week. No, they are not hooligans. But I know my boys and wow, would that second story balcony be tempting! :D Love the house! So much character. Thanks! I don't know how to multiquote. This is one of the main reasons we thought to close it in. We only have one boy, but the girls have grown up with a brother and are much more inclined towards such things than I was with all sisters. Also, that's a kids' bedroom. Well, technically it's a separate apartment and that's the living room. Which makes a balcony make sense. And seeing as that would be the apartment's outdoor space, keeping it is a good idea. However, we're using the whole house for us and that is being used as a bedroom. I'm thinking a balcony makes it easy for teenagers to sneak out. Or burglars/kidnappers to nap my children in the night. (although they couldn't really do this without waking us up too) On the other hand, I always wanted a balcony as a child. It was one of the things I liked about the house when we bought it. It saddens me a little to think that wouldn't have it. The old porch was rotten, so we never went out on it before. If we don't rebuild it we never will. I'm leaning towards keeping it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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