Porches & Decks Remodeling Design Dilemma

Help Front Porch Skirting & Steps

last year

As part of our whole-house remodel, we need to re-do our front porch skirting and steps. The exterior bricks are all being painted white (due to a large addition - we cannot match the bricks and thus painting is a must).

Here is the front of the house now (wooden lattice skirting):

We are opening up the steps so they are wider and more inviting. We also like the idea of brick skirting. Both the skirting and wider inviting steps would be like this photo below.

We are updating the porch railing and would like to use horizontal cables, like this:

Questions:

Any other skirting ideas that will tie it all together into a more modern farmhouse /cape cod look?
If we use the brick skirting & step pattern seen in photo above, will it look okay for the skirting and steps to be painted white?
Any other ideas on how we can tie this all together with the white brick house?

Thank you!

Comments (9)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO you never paint brick it instantly devalues your home. I need to see what the house will look like when the addition is added and IMO no way will cable railing look right on that house . You have a cape cod stay true to that style unless you are removing and changing all the gables this will continue to be a cape cod. . I need to see the elevations with the new addition to help with the steps and skitrting.
Lindsey Brady
Original Author
last year
@Patricia Colwell Consulting

Thank you for your feedback. The brick has to be painted due to the addition - we are removing some doors & windows & bricking those up, adding 2 rooms and a 3 car garage. The paint is unavoidable (and also we like the look of white painted brick). Open to other porch railing ideas. Thanks for your feedback!

Here are the elevations with the addition (front steps will not be straight stacked and will get wider as you go down). It is difficult to tell in the 2d elevation drawing, but the front porch sticks out 13 feet from the front of the house. The addition on the left side is set back 4 feet from the front corner of the house (not porch) and the front right corner of the garage is even with the front corner of the house (not porch).
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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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There are tools that can help you get much of it up . There are glue removing chemicals. Chemicals that are intended to strip the finish from furniture will likely work. https://www.grainger.com/product/5LF60?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9KufjIrO6gIVi-DICh3Hewy5EAQYBiABEgJvgvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI9KufjIrO6gIVi-DICh3Hewy5EAQYBiABEgJvgvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!264955915859!!!g!439063557298! If all else fails and IF you are very careful, you can remove the glue with a modest amount of gasoline. Work on one level at cover it with thick paper shop towels or old towels you are prepared to throw away and wet the towels and let the glue soak for ten or fifteen minutes. Then use a plastic scraper to gouge it up. With a flammable, do not use metal tools because sparks could create fire. https://www.floormatshop.com/Roberts-10-522-4-Safe-Tuk-Carpet-Nylon-Tucker-Tool-3-5-Inch.aspx?matchtype=&network=g&device=c&keyword=&campaign=662863806&adgroup=pla-301747708304&_vsrefdom=floormatshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9KufjIrO6gIVi-DICh3Hewy5EAQYBSABEgJ2tfD_BwE There are less expensive tools but the idea is the same.You need to scrape off the glue. Even an old metal kitchen cooking spatula could work.
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kandrewspa
last year
Horizontal railing is not consistent with the style of your house. Look at your first inspiration picture. That is the look you should be going for. You can use square instead of turned balusters if you want - I can't tell from your picture what you have now. I think you could use some more posts, similar to your inspiration picture. The inspiration picture also has a more substantial front door which is attractive, but would probably be costly. Have you looked at a Romabio finish for your brick? It's a more subtle effect than paint.
Lindsey Brady
Original Author
last year
@kandrewspa I guess we are trying to lose the style of our house if possible (but maybe that's just wishful thinking). I saw the horizontal railings added to this cape cod and thought it looked decent...but I am open to other ideas. I just don't want it to scream traditional (although I'm not super modern either - just don't like the old style wooden railings)

Balusters will definitely be square (hard to tell in our drawing but those have been updated in our plans). We do wish we could do a double front door; however there are steps literally to the right of the front door when you walk in and thus we cannot expand the door to the right. Even adding the sidelites to the left and right of the door is going to be very difficult due to the first step butting up to the side of the door. If we expand the door to the left, our designer said it will look awkward because the double windows are so close on that side. Thoughts on that? I would prefer a double front door. Or if there is another door style that would help without expanding it, we are open to that.

Yes - actually the Romabio Masonry Flat Paint was what I have had my eye on. I liked the look of the house that was painted in this blog: https://www.younghouselove.com/painting-our-brick-house-white/ and thought it would be an appropriate application for our remodel.

Thanks for your feedback and I look forward to hearing more ideas and thoughts.
Lindsey Brady
Original Author
last year
Anyone else have thoughts? Thanks!
Bluebell66
last year
I don't mind white paint on brick and these days, I'm not so sure it means an automatic decrease in value of your home - it probably depends on a lot of factors. In my market, housing is crazy and people love painted brick. Anyway....we are in the process of getting two new decks, and we met with four different deck builders. Each one told us the horizontal cables are dangerous and they won't install them - so you may want to do a little research before you go that route.
Sandyfeet
last year
@momof4

Of course you can paint your brick and change your railing. It is your house! And as fast as houses are flying off the market, it will certainly not devalue your home. However, I have to agree with Bluebell66 I don’t think the horizontal cables are safe. I have grandchildren and can just see them climbing then jumping off the railings! 😂 I do feel like you can get a thin (narrow) vertical pickets that will have a similar effect of disappearing from a distance. I can’t wait to see what you end up doing!
jackowskib
last year
Perhaps look into a subtle stone for face of skirting to bring some earthiness to the farmhouse vibe. And a horizontal slats for porch railing in a cool design of a couple different widths.
decoenthusiaste
last year
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Help Front Porch Skirting & Steps

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Patricia Colwell Consulting

Lindsey Brady
Original Author

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Help Front Porch Skirting & Steps

Comments (9)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

Lindsey BradyOriginal Author

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kandrewspa

Lindsey BradyOriginal Author

Lindsey BradyOriginal Author

Bluebell66

Sandyfeet

jackowskib

decoenthusiaste

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Lindsey Brady
Original Author

Lindsey Brady
Original Author

Lindsey Brady
Original Author