CUSTOM PORCHES AND PORTICOS FAQ'S
A complete front porch or portico makeover is not only beautiful, but it also protects your investment.
PORCH FAQ’S
Based on the size of your front porch addition, an average project may take anywhere from 3-4 days to 2 weeks. Larger projects may take longer.
Front porches and porticos can dramatically improve the curb appeal of your home. An expansive full front porch adds more livable space for entertaining and relaxation. Porticos are covered entrances for the front door that help accentuate the entry area.
Both provide optimal protection for your guests, front entry and even your foyer. Doors, hardware and trim that are exposed to the weather eventually succumb to splintering, rotting, fading and more. Hard rain can even seep in through the threshold, ruining hardwood floors. And, just think how your guests might feel waiting outside during a downpour. Our Atlanta porch builders will create several design options in a photo proposal, that will complement the architecture of your home. A new Atlanta porch addition or portico from Georgia Front Porch will help save your entry from costly repair or replacement, while adding real value to your home!
Porches are making a big comeback, with more screened-in, side, and rear porches featured in traditional and contemporary homes. Offering as much of an emotional element as practical, a front porch is more and more part of the home because it enhances curb appeal, expands living space, transforms quality of life and impacts the value of the home. Homeowners want deeper, wider, and bigger full front porches than ever before.
Columns, whether round or square, number and size of steps, hand railing and lighting combine to enhance the beauty of your residence. Recessed, low voltage lighting creates a very soft and pleasing effect. Details such as decorative trim, patterned floors, and interesting railings and pickets can create a custom look that reflects the homeowner’s style.
There are a variety of porch materials available depending on your budget and lifestyle. There are things to consider with regard to materials of construction. You can choose between shingles versus standing seam metal, bronze or copper for the roof, bead board or smooth BC plywood or tongue-and-groove wood for the ceiling and wood, copper or iron for the railings, etc. Also consider new composite materials for columns, fascia boards, etc. which greatly reduce any future maintenance or replacement.
Every porch is custom designed and tailored to your home’s unique architecture. We typically develop a photo proposal for you to review, ensuring your satisfaction before any work begins. Because construction details can vary (e.g., railing styles, roof materials, flooring, etc.), we will suggest an optimal design that will provide maximum curb appeal from any angle.
Expect to budget 25 – 30% more for composite deck material for your front porch.
It depends on the manufacturer. Composite materials range from recycled plastic bags and milk jugs to recycled plastics, vinyl and aluminum.
With wood flooring, you must seal the lumber with a high-quality wood sealer shortly after it’s built (30 days in summer, longer in colder months). This can also provide a finish with color (the stain and sealer are the same process). After that, we recommend staining and sealing your deck on an annual basis.
The first step is to determine a budget and basic idea of the style. Next is to meet with a Georgia Front Porch expert to discuss size, options, materials, and costs. They will also provide terms and conditions in writing, along with warranty information and copies of insurance documents to provide optimal peace of mind.
Ready to begin? Have more questions? Call one of our curb appeal experts anytime at 770-781-8234, or request a free design consultation.
Portico FAQs
Front porches and porticoes can dramatically improve the curb appeal of your home. An expansive front porch adds more livable space for entertaining and relaxation. A good portico definition is a covered entrance for the front door that helps accentuate the entry area.
Yes! A portico can help provide optimal protection for your guests, front entry and even your foyer. Doors, hardware and trim that are exposed to the weather eventually succumb to splintering, rotting, fading and more. Sun and rain damage can create the need to replace interior wood flooring in the entrance, doors and door frames, side lights and transoms. And, just think how your guests might feel waiting outside during a downpour. Porticoes offer a solution to more living space, especially in modestly sized homes with a limited lot size. Builders of town homes or cluster style communities are even finding this space necessary to decompress the feeling of attached living structures, making areas such as this standard to each home. Covering the entrance can substantially reduce and even eliminate those headaches. It’s a convenient amenity to protect guests on those cold rainy nights as they wait for the door to be answered. And don’t forget front porticoes make a perfect stage for holiday decorations. Georgia Front Porch will create several design options in a photo proposal, that will complement the architecture of your home. A new front porch or Atlanta portico definition from Georgia Front Porch will help save your entry from costly repair or replacement-while adding real value to your home!
Porticoes can be any size. Some homeowners use their existing stoop footprint to base the roof size. Others increase the length by replacing or enlarging the existing stoop. The larger the portico the more protection, and in many cases a much more dramatic look. A popular size is 5 feet by 8 feet (40 sq ft), but it also depends on the number of columns desired.
Based on the size of your portico addition, an average project may take anywhere from one day to 1 week.
The benefit of the portico, which is inspired by the design of community-oriented neighborhoods, is the numerous styles to choose from and a variety of ways to customize. Basic styles are gabled, flat, curved, or hip. Important considerations include following lines on the existing house while complementing the general style of the neighborhood. One preferred portico is flat with posts and railing above, simulating the elegance of a balcony. We also offer standing seam, coated metal roofs that can match existing metal details or create a more upscale appearance. Because construction details can vary (eg: roof styles, lighting, etc.), we will suggest an optimal design that will provide maximum curb appeal-from any angle. Every front portico is custom designed and tailored to complement your homes unique architecture. We typically develop a photo proposal for you to review-ensuring your satisfaction before any work begins.
Over the years, construction materials have advanced greatly. These include composite decking, imported hardwood for porch floors, and fiberglass columns, fascia, and ceiling materials. Most of these can be painted to match trim colors and will not split, rot, warp, or be ruined by termites. Low-maintenance alternatives to wood include fiberglass, polyurethane, vinyl, and wood composites.
Practical as well as beautiful, front porticos can be one or more stories high, and may be as narrow as a door or as wide as an entire building. Roof material, trim, round vs. square columns, number of columns, floor material, hand railings, and step dimensions can all dress up the look of a front portico.
Expect to budget 25 – 30% more for composite materials.
Simply call 770-781-8234 and speak to a Georgia Front Porch expert.
Do you have more questions regarding porch or portico cost, design, or installation? Click below to have one of our curb appeal experts contact you for a free design consultation.
You can also call us directly at 770-781-8234. If you want to remodel or add other outdoor spaces, such as a deck, fence, screened-in porch, arbor, or more, visit Atlanta Decking & Fence.
