Appropriate walkway width to porch
Kathy Darling
5 years ago
My home is being renovated to expand the front porch (the front of the house sits sideways to the street) to a 7 foot depth (from 4.5' depth) and new driveway. There will be a walkway from the street to the porch (one step height) and alongside the driveway. The porch and walkway will be mortared flagstone and the driveway will be broom finished concrete. My question is how wide should the walkway be that will tie into the 7' wide porch? Should it be 3.5' or 4'? There will be a landing of flagstone (at the 7' width') at the beginning of the porch and the depth of the flowerbed (about 3') to allow access to the water faucet without standing in the flower bed. I drew a primitive picture to try and show how it ties together and another showing the framing for the new porch from the street view. The garage wall will be rebuilt with a smaller garage door. To the left of the walkway is grass and the orange lines in the dirt indicate the 3.5' line for the walkway. Thank you for any advice.
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Comments (11)
Kathy Darling
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Width of Pathway
Comments (6)First off, please forgive the crazy typo I missed for the patio size. It's 25' wide not 225'. Yarkvaark, We've got landscaping sketches on 4 different detailed sheets. I've got a diagram of area 2 areas but it is VERY difficult to read unless you're familiar with the area. I tried an aerial view, but the backyard is almost completely covered behind the house and it's shadow. I think you're right about walkways tend to be too small then too big. You're right again with the back pathway being 50ish feel long the wider we do go the less long it will. feel. I think it's the 4' pathway running alongside the 25' 15" raised patio that gives me a feeling of too much hardscaping. Bahia, we've talked over using pavers with thyme in the middle which would give it more green and break the expanse up. Though that has it's appeal, I'm not sure if it would ultimately look right for the area. My DH has never liked my flowers falling over the pathways, but he conceded that he'd be OK with it being the walkways would be "extra" wide. So perhaps for that reason alone, I should go for the extra foot and not worry about it. I guess my "problem" lies by the main patio. I'm hearing the 4' pathway would likely still be best (or basically don't shrink it down beyond that). My next question then is to use ground cover between the breaks or keep the area "clean". The area would be 1. a 14' deep patio 2.drop down and 4' walkway 3. 4' flower bed 4. Stone retaining wall 5. 15' of sand, 6. lake With that look...would you use include the ground cover in the walkway or keep it clean?...See MoreDesperately need help with front walkway redesign
Comments (5)The thing about landscape improvements is that most people who buy a house expect it to have at least some landscaping, and certainly expect a sidewalk, so they will not pay extra for it. Kind of like a roof. They expect a serviceable roof, so while they may deduct for the cost of replacing a bad roof, it doesn't necessarily mean you can add the replacement cost to the sale price if you do it ahead of time. In addition, a new owner will probably have her own ideas about what kind of landscaping is suitable, and tear out and replace much of what you've done, unless you are putting in a really spectacular, high end job that's so wonderful that they wouldn't want to change it. You don't give any hints as to your location, but zone 6 gets snow, and you'll have to be able to clear the walk in winter. Stepping stones are OK for a casual secondary path through a garden, but the approach to the house, especially for strangers to the layout, should be as direct and clear as possible, and hazard free. The minimum width for walkway should be 4 feet, IMO, and 5 is better if you have the space. It's unpleasant to have to go to the door in single file, and a problem if Aunt Bessie needs someone offer her an arm on the way in. You end up looking something like a conga line. I would forget about a flower bed against the house, and either plant groundcover or a few annuals at most. Anything tall will fall over onto the walk, especially as it leans out for more light. Shrubs will require constant trimming and will end up looking nasty. The cost of installing a new walkway depends on materials you choose, the size of the project, how much grading/prep work is required, demolition of the old walk, and the skill level of the installer. An experience artisan will cost more than a guy with a pickup truck and an account at Dome Heapo. Add the cost, if any, for dumping the waste you break up. You must be young folks, because I wouldn't want to demolish a concrete walk and install a new one without outside help....See MoreAdvice: Pathways and Porches
Comments (7)You can mix materials, but it has to be done with care....coordinating colors or shapes or scale or mood/formality. If the pavers were the same color family as the stone, and you used bark or even turf instead of gravel among the stones, you'd have less of an issue. Typically one uses the more formal, expensive materials closest to the house, and lesser or humbler materials towards the edges of the property. The central walk should really have the finest materials, such as large, well cut flagstones....leaving smaller (or more irregular or lesser) materials, such as pavers, for secondary paths. So we have multiple factors going awry here. As to the porch, you need consider grade as well as color, texture, form, and scale. It seems you cannot build up the porch more than 1-2" at most or you'll interfere with the door, and you must avoid creating an awkward 2" step, especially with a narrow walkway. If I were you, I'd probably paint or stain the concrete a deep red or similar color, and budget for a wide front walk in flagstone, or perhaps a more affordable and well-designed mix of concrete and flags....See MoreFront entry walkway/porch help
Comments (1)Depends upon what you plan to plant in them & the size of your yard. In general I would say no less than 24” - 36” & sometimes wider. Better to go a little larger than too small when it comes to planters....See MoreKathy Darling
5 years agoKathy Darling
5 years agoKathy Darling
5 years agoKathy Darling
5 years ago
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