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Ideas and instruction for adding a porch to your home
The Porch Book is inspiring and broadly instructive, showcasing the beauty and benefits of adding a porch to common home styles. A gallery of inspirational ideas includes porches designed for enhanced outdoor living, with an emphasis on those attached to decks and patios. Plenty of attention is given to structural considerations, such as bolstering framing to add a porch to a deck, adding a roof, footings and foundations, insulation and weatherproofing, and wiring and plumbing basics.
From simple covered steps to grand verandas, porches are inviting, comfortable, gracious, and even genteel. They can add warmth to the coldest facade, increase energy efficiency, and offer a sweet sweep of shade outdoors. Turn to The Porch Book and flip through a section of before-and-after photos that demonstrate how front porches can radically improve the look of a home. Then, choose a construction style that complements your home and get ready to bring some added charm to your living space.
Features before-and-after photos that inspire you to give your home's exterior a facelift
Covers amenities that make porches more attractive, like lighting and fans, kitchen areas, decorative ceiling and wall treatments, flooring options, and much more
Offers design construction topics, like using an architect, permit issues, adding entryways, and more
Whether you're looking to upgrade an existing porch or build a new one from scratch, The Porch Book inspires and instructs you on everything you need to create a porch that invites you to slow down, sit back, take a big breath, and come together with family and friends.
List of contents
Chapter 1 before and after 6
Real-world makeover stories with before-and-after photos showcase the potential of a porch to transform a home of any size or style.
Chapter 2 styles 50
Get a real understanding of architectural styles and their impact on the success of a porch addition or remodeling.
Chapter 3 design 80
Whether you work with a designer, a builder, or just your skills, here's what you should know about developing good design ideas.
Chapter 4 structure 96
Building a porch is much like building a house in miniature. Get to know its parts and how they connect to the rest of your home.
Chapter 5 the extras 142
Your porch is more than a space, it's a collection of elements that make that space more fun, comfortable, and appealing.
Chapter 6 details 152
From house numbers to light fi xtures, don't neglect the little things that give your porch its polish and character.
Chapter 7 case studies 170
Follow the process on three porch work sites to see exactly how the porch-building process comes together.
Glossary 188
Index 190
About the author
For more than 75 years the Better Homes and Gardens brand has been one of America's most trusted sources for information on cooking, gardening, home improvement, home design, decorating, and crafting. Through refreshing ideas, clear directions, and beautiful photographs, the brand has inspired millions of Americans, with more than 38 million books sold since 1930, including the New Cook Book, New Garden Book, and New Decorating Book--all cornerstone titles in their categories. Today, the Better Homes and Gardens brand encompasses books, magazines, television, radio and online media. The greater BH&G family includes partner brands such as Family Circle, American Patchwork and Quilting, Country Garden, and Diabetic Living, all of which publish under the BH&G imprint.
