Adding Overhang Porch Additions

Pros and Cons

• One of the primary benefits of any porch overhang addition is the shade and rain protection, and the sense of enclosure it adds to the porch. Depending on the overhang’s size, you may be able to keep furniture and items on the porch without worrying about weather damage. An overhang also keeps snow off your porch during the winter. Besides cost, a key drawback to an overhang addition is that it alters your home's appearance. Without careful planning and precise construction, the addition may not match your home’s existing elements.

Process

• A basic porch overhang addition requires installing vertical supports around the porch, and then extending the existing roofline. Gable roof additions create traditional porch overhangs that are fully integrated into existing roofs, making the porch overhang appear natural and intentional. Completing the project requires installing or finishing eaves, gutters and soffits matching the roof’s existing portions.

Second Story Additions

• Some of the most complex overhang porch additions involve second-story additions. These projects add second stories to homes that were originally one-story tall, or expand the living space on the upper floor so that it occupies the area directly above the porch. Second-story additions rely on the home’s foundation’s strength and require special fortification ensuring that the first story, or the structure of the porch below, can support the added weight. To build an addition over what was once a porch overhang requires new pillars and a new porch ceiling at the very least.

Alternatives

• Instead of adding an overhang porch addition, pursue a simpler solution for covering your porch or entryway. A door awning provides protection for your entryway while a collapsible or retractable awning covers your entire porch as needed. These solutions also improve the home’s look, giving the front door a more central, emphasized appearance. Wood and wrought iron awning supports complement the materials already present in your home's facade for a fraction of the cost of adding a permanent overhang or second-story addition.