Hi, I don't really think that you need to go to the expense of moving and adding a column and railing. Try the least expensive road first. Some ideas: You could put a wicker loveseat to the right of your pantry window, but it would be sideways....not facing the road. Would the view be good for someone sitting there facing that direction? Then put a chair to the left of the window at an angle. You could probably seat three people this way. Put a low bench type table under the window. Like this one. This bench may not be the perfect size but you can get the idea of what I mean. You could put so many cute and colorful things on this with the extra shelf below. Now you have the large space between the door and the chair. I am thinking maybe shutters for your door and then maybe a good size palm to the right of the shuttered door. OR instead of the palm maybe put a barn star in that space instead of the palm. I hesitate to say barn star because they are much over used right now, but this way you could get the picture of what I am saying. I kind of like the palm because it puts something on the floor. OR you could find a large wood American flag(Ebay) and hang in that area (more color) . Also a round container of flowers on the floor on either side of the column. This way it will soften the column and not look so tall. It looks like you might have some gingerbread at the tops of your columns already. This is nice but thinking you could go bigger on that. Might be ok when the flower containers are there. Maybe somone could photo shop this for you. Hope this will give you some ideas. Putting a railing there will make the porch even more narrow and you won't be able to see the cute decorations from the road!!

These small company guys are not computer tech guys, they're on the job guys. Hands-on guys. Guys who define themselves as being the company. They assume you are hiring them for their expertise and don't like interference. Fewer of them have an Office Girl to answer the phone these days. The cell phone has changed the way they work, but not necessarily for the better. They are multitaskers who don't physically visit the computer very often. They're in the truck running from one place to the other and you're on their to-do list, along with the gas station and the school conferences and the donut shop and all the other construction jobs that are currently underway. Welcome to the 21st century. Took me 6 months to realize this. I actually believed that the company phone number and the standard modes of communication were the appropriate ones. Even the company website contact list is wrongo with my cabinetmaker. He has an office phone, a company phone, phones for the other two permanent employees in the office, and his cell phone. It's the latter that is the only one which works for me, but even that is problematical. If DH phones him, the topic is more likely to be addressed than if I launch the topic. This is a reality and I cannot change it, have to accept it or I will just make myself miserable. "Oh, yea, you did email me. What was it about again?" is a typical response. Making a formal appointment to talk in person or on phone is helpful, but be sure that you have an itemized list and it's a conversation that has a beginning and an end with a definable middle. Should have followed this advice myself. I was dumbfounded that I had to ask for a bill in print. Am still awaiting it. The emailed bill is a comic piece, but it's his best effort at putting words into print. So it goes.

Based on the photo you shared of the porch under construction, it looks like the beams were wrapped with fiber cement boards before the brick was finished. That is a common way to finish a beam. Brick could be installed with a steel lentil, but I can't say that I have seen that in a situation like this before. Generally the beam is painted the same color as the soffit, but you could do something different if you prefer. Mark is correct that you should check the construction documents to see if this was built according to the plans.

ok- I'm back- was out in the garage shaving the dog...yes...literally, he's our 12yo hot spot, allergy-prone mess of an Old man-Doggy boy...yellow Lab...his new name is Patches now. ;-) BEST DOG EVER! I'm going to respond to Mark Bischak, Architect first...and it may explain some other comments as well. LOL - Yes to the view and the wine! It's our "Mullet House"...business in the front and party in the back! Since the beginning when we decided to build this retirement (soon, but not soon enough) house, we knew we were on a budget and our mind set has been focused on the house being a simple design with durable but cost-effective finishes and for it to be low maintenance when we get too old to be DIYer's anymore. So honestly, we're not concerned with bells and whistles and elaborate details out front, we just want it simple but nice. We designed it mostly ourselves to meet our needs and basically had the plans draw-up to meet codes etc. We gave them our general ideas on the look we were going for with decisions on the final choices to be worked out with our builder. So the plans are more technical as opposed to being aesthetically correct. But like I said in the beginning, I just wish he'd talked to us before doing it the way he did. I don't like those kind of surprises. We haven't met with him on-site yet, but we did talk on the phone and I'm hoping his explanations make sense when we can actually see why. Charles Ross Homes - and Anna, The actual plans have the roof as a 6/12 pitch and they are to scale - and I agree it looks better, but I don't think he changed the pitch. (and that white door in the pics is just the 'dummy' door. PPF. - I like your picture with the dual column and double wide base, as well as the gable color matching the house! As for the slope on the cap, that makes sense, but it is all caulked and it is cement board - does that make a difference? bpath Oh Sophie - not a clue on the gutters...I better add that to my list of questions. So we're not opposed to the straight columns, but they just seem too skinny to me. The builder tried to explain on the phone why the tapered columns wouldn't look right and the more we think about it, we're getting it. but we still think the bases should be taller - to the bottom of the window height. roccouple - I think this pic shows what you're referring to?