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front porch flooring-have to decide!

13 years ago

We are at the point of our build where we have to make a decision on what type of flooring to use on the front porch. The plans call for concrete but we really wanted something different. We had decided on Aeratis PVC flooring but then got the bid back and it was really high. We've considered stamped concrete made to look like wood planks. Please convince me the PVC decking is worth it or help me find another option. Thanks!

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Comments (4)

debraf
13 years ago
We just had the Aeratis porch flooring installed on our 2nd story porch and it is beautiful. I don't know how much more it is than concrete but having your concrete stamped would probably be expensive too.
booboo60
13 years ago
How much "weather" will your porch get? Maybe you could make your decision that way. We have the synthetic wood decking on our front porch; it holds up well to the extreme temps that we have in summer and winter.
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Ipe is typically not stained - it is oiled. The best comparison is teak which behaves quite similarly. Ipe is a very beautiful reddish color when fresh. It will stay fresh with annual oiling. If this is not done, then it will gray. The gray is still acceptable if a bit rustic. So technically no maintenance is required - just know that it will not look the same as new. If you want that new appearance, then annual oilings are required. You can always sand and restore the appearance of the wood if you haven't oiled - to a point. I think most anyone who is obsessed enough with building to do the research and pick and pay for ipe will likely do the oiling. This is especially true on the front porch. It does smell for a few days to 2 weeks for the truly sensitive after oiling.
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I feel your pain--too many decisions! We are building a craftsman also, with stacked stone and I wanted stamped concrete for the porch decking, but it's a large covered porch and if rain pools on it, it would never dry because of water getting caught the grooves. So, we are going to do a brushed colored cement on the decking instead. It should dry up quicker and I'm going to get it colored to match the bluestone stair treads that we put in. We'll probably do the stamped concrete in the back for the patio. Good luck! Here's a link to our construction: Here is a link that might be useful: Craftsman construction
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Stone looks better than concrete & you'll be the one looking at it. An extra 1100.00 in the bank account would probably look pretty good too. No one else can make the decision for you, it's your $. If you want opinions you all ready have mine.
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brutuses, I'm just realizing that les917 also said "the full width of the porch." It didn't sink until you wrote the same thing! Wow, I never even thought of extending the step out along the entire porch because of the boxwoods (which are trying to hide the exposed foundation). I figured the step would just lead to the door, but I can see how a full length step would leave lots of room for sitting! Would you run the walkway just straight up to the step, but have the step run the entire length of the foundation? There are a lot of homes like ours in our subdivision and everyone has the same walkup, so it's hard to visualize. Plus I've only had one cup of coffee! I really appreciate the new ideas!
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kak112208
Original Author
13 years ago
debraf..thanks for the input. I think it would be beautiful on our deck but it is going to cost us around $4000.00 dollars just to do a very small porch. The stamped concrete is around $7.00/sf and the aeratis comes out to around $10.50/sf. So we just need to decide how much we want the aeratis.

twotogo- The porch is covered but water may still blow in from the front. What brand of decking did you go with, if you don't mind me asking?
nini804
13 years ago
We used brick...is that an option for you?

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