Ideas About What To Do About Height Of Front Porch?
Have a problem with my front porch - which is the step into the house is too high. Many people have complained about it especially when coming out. They have also commented on the step from the sidewalk to the porch is also high. I also have elderly people in the house so a shallower step would be a wonderful thing.
This house was built in 1965. Porch is poured concrete with a brick edge. There is no way that step heights this tall would be approved today by an inspector if this was new construction.
At first I was just thinking of building a single wood step at the threshold and a single brick step coming off the sidewalk. Than I was thinking of building a brick step at the threshold and a brick step off the sidewalk.
A friend saw a video where people put brick veneer on their porch and I started thinking about bricking over the entire porch with regular brick. It would raise the height of the entire porch so that would fix it. People have said they love the idea of the brick porch.
I have some concerns - first being about where the brick is against the siding - do you leave a gap?
What about the siding itself?
And what about the porch columns - do I cut them to fit the new height?
And lastly - could I put brick veneer on the front and side of the porch?
I have done quite a bit of masonry on my own (sidewalks and patios) so I am pretty sure I could do it.
Would like to hear some comments.
Comments (9)
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TJ Smith
10 months agocat_ky
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agoci_lantro
10 months agoI had the same problem at my backdoors. Built a wide free floating step. 2x4's on edge topped with pressure treated deckboards...3 deckboards wide. Yes, it needs scrubbing!
SapphireStitch
10 months agoWe had our front sidewalk converted to a gradual ramp because I use a rollator to walk, and as part of that job we wanted the porch raised to make the step into the house as small as possible.
Our landscape/hardscape guy paved the top of the porch with pavers that are held in place with ”locking” sand. This picture shows the pavers right after they were installed. When they built the brick edging for the ramp they put a row of bricks around the pavers to make them look part of the design.
Sigrid
10 months agokrissie55
10 months agolast modified: 10 months ago
Seabornman