Suggestions for front porch and walkway
susanschlegel
5 years ago
We need to replace our concrete front porch and walkway. I would appreciate suggestions. The house is a brown
-red brick with black doors and shutters. I’m interested in suggestions for flagstone and/or brick, both in design and colors. The landscaping will be done separately. Thanks in advance!
-red brick with black doors and shutters. I’m interested in suggestions for flagstone and/or brick, both in design and colors. The landscaping will be done separately. Thanks in advance!
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susanschlegel
5 years agoThanks for the response! You are right — we are on a slight hill, sloping down from right side of the house (in the picto the left. Full house photo is below. We think we need to replace the stoop, because we believe water is coming into the basement from underneath the stoop. The area is eroding and the stoop is sinking, and rain water runs underneath and into the basement.
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Suggestions for small ground cover in front of walkway
Comments (20)Hi, This summer I planted about 12 heathers. They have started to grow but I thought they would have grown a lot more by now. I have tried my best to water them at least twice a week and we've had some occasional rain. There are a couple of heathers that show small purple buds but a couple of days ago I noticed they were gone from one of them. The lack of growth and flower bud disappearing concerns me along with the fact that they are growing very slow. Any ideas? The groundcover bed also quickly gets covered in weeds (particularly along the perimeter) and I have to remove them quite often despite using bark mulch. When I planted the heathers I planted peat moss under them but I didn't plant peat moss over the whole bed. Should I have done that to keep weeds out and should I plant peat moss below the mulch where the weeds keep growing? Finally is there anything that you'd recommend to help the heathers grow such as fertilizer. Although I just read a bh article saying that you shouldn't use fertilizer on heathers. I'm not sure because I'd expect better growth at this point. The soil is very acidic. I am attaching some recent pictures. Thanks!...See MoreSuggestions for front porch railing needed
Comments (10)I would replace the railings. Even if not needed by code, they add a finished look and railings are always welcome with more than two steps. Appreciated by any elderly or infirm visitors and adding to resale value. btw, the yew is one plant that cam be pruned back to the ground for a more manageable size. It will regrow but slowly and it is easy to keep up with an annual pruning to keep the plant in check. However, a heavily pruned back yew is not an overly attractive item and since this a highly visible entry planting, you might opt to remove or relocate....See MoreSimple Front Walkway Suggestion Needed
Comments (5)Here's the thing--if you can do it yourself, you can do a few things. But those things are labor-intensive. From cheapest and easiest to more expensive: gravel, gravel with stepping stones, paver path. Look around on youtube, if you are fearless and want to take it on yourself and, most importantly, want to do it correctly the first time. There are a lot of good tutorials. This Old House probably has at least one. Good luck!...See MoreSuggestions for front porch area
Comments (5)Local regulations will probably require a railing, like it or not. I agree, the shutters are ruining the French doors for me. If you want to actually exit the house via the French doors, I would plan on one porch all across, without curves or separations. The required railings will change your house a lot. You might do better to install a "gingerbread" wood railing at each French door, without a porch to step out on, for safety so the doors can be opened and the outside air enjoyed. Where do you live? Would retractable screens be needed due to insects? As for the entry, I might prefer a larger porch that spans that entire extension and has flared steps and railing. Here's the idea; simply a way to keep you from falling out of the open door. Style them to match your cottage's look....See More
PROYardvaark
5 years agoI would try to keep it more of less level across the house face (red line) and create a subtle transition where the blue line is, adding fill where the yellow is.
Have you had any professionals come to the house to explore the water infiltration source. Is grade sloping away from house (toward street) at each side of stoop?
If possible, show well lit pictures of side of stoop, including where it joins the house.
PROsusanschlegel
5 years ago- PRO
Yardvaark
5 years agoI think your stoop is a pretty good size for the house. No complaints there. But I'd look at giving it a spacious, broad landing at least as wide as the stoop. The walk on the other hand is seriously undersized for it's surroundings. It should be at least 4' width, but for your house, I'd consider 5' or 6' a more appropriate size.
Another thing to consider, you have what looks like a large riser from the walk to stoop, and then another step up into the house. I'd consider bringing the stoop up to just under the threshold and placing two 6" risers with 16" treads between stoop and walk. This would be a more elegant entrance. I'd also reconfigure the path of the walk. It does not seem graceful. You might pull it a bit farther from the house and give it some contour.
User
5 years agosusanschlegel
5 years ago
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