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How to Add to a Small Front Porch

Expanding the footprint of a small front porch can improve the curbside appeal of your house. But you want to ensure that the porch roof's shape harmonizes with the angles of the existing roof. Adding more square footage to a porch may allow for a fully enclosed or partially enclosed porch; expanding the open area of the porch also allows improvements, such as well-crafted railings. Because a porch serves as a space to place umbrellas or remove shoes, it may need enough room for a sitting bench or storage areas.

Things You'll Need

  • Concrete
  • Exterior tiles
  • Asphalt shingles
  • Framing boards
  • Bolts
  • ½-inch thick plywood
  • Tar paper
  • Copper metal roofing
  • Guttering
  • Premade columns
  • Railings
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Instructions

    • 1

      Figure out how much to enlarge the floor base. Construct a couple of extra feet of concrete flooring on each side, for example. Plan to build the base out of the same materials used in the original porch. Cover the entire dimensions of new floor space with tile squares to tie it all together.

    • 2

      Make plans to extend the roof on each side to cover the new floor base area. Plan to remove old asphalt shingles to build additional roof framing. Cover the new roof with sheathing and install new asphalt shingles to cover the whole roof.

    • 3

      Build the porch foundation extensions first. Choose a time when the weather is good to construct the flooring. Order concrete for a concrete pour instead of trying to mix it all yourself. Build the porch floor area bigger than the new roof will be, if you desire. Keep in mind that the roof design will affect the overall porch design more than any other aspect of the project.

    • 4

      Construct additional roof sections by adding approximately 3 feet on each side. Secure the framework to the house framing with bolts, because screws are never strong enough to hold this kind of framing. Install plywood sheathing ½-inch thick and cover it with tar paper. Add asphalt shingles that match the house shingles. Install copper metal roofing as another option. Replace guttering with larger sections for the added porch materials.

    • 5

      Improve the look of the porch with columns and railings. Buy a couple of well-made wooden posts at a home improvement store. Select posts that are large enough to give the visual feeling of added strength to the structure. Buy posts that are 12-inches square, as one option. Install new railings that tie the porch base to the house design. Choose railings with square balusters, for instance.

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Exterior Remodeling
  1. How to Add a Lean-To on a Front Porch
  2. How to Add a Roof Line to Cover a New Porch
  3. How to Build a Small Gabled Porch Roof
  4. How to Add Privacy to a Front Porch
  5. How to Decorate a Small Porch
  6. How to Add a Hand Rail to a Front Porch
  7. How to Add a Front Porch for a Cottage Look
  8. How to Add a Gable Porch Covering
  9. How to Remodel Cement Front Porch Steps
  10. How to Add a Porch Roof Onto an Existing Roof
  11. How to Add a Porch to a Tudor
  12. How to Add Walls & a Roof to a Porch

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