How to Enclose a Front Porch

A front porch is an important part of your property, if you have an open porch then you might be considering enclosing it. There are quite a few different techniques and methods that you can use to enclose your front porch.

As long as you have the right tools and materials available you shouldn't have any problem. Enclosing your porch makes it a much more useful and inviting space of your home. It's a very easy project to complete and shouldn't take very long to complete at all.

Step 1 - Working out the Amount of Materials Required

The first thing that you will need to do is plan and work out exactly how much materials you will need. Start by measuring the size of your porch and then planning it on a piece of paper. Try to draw this to scale on graph paper to make it easy to work out the supplies that you actually require to complete the project. This should make it very simple to estimate the number of bricks, roof tiles and other pieces of building materials that you will need.

There are a number of different types of enclosed porches which you can make. You could buuild a brick built structure which then has a permanent roof on top. Or alternatively, you could create a structure which is then cladded in aluminum or UPVC sheeting.

Step 2 - Getting Plans Signed off

Because you are adding an addition onto your house it is important that you get the plans signed off. This will ensure that the plans aren't just up to scratch, but that the building codes are met and that you won't cause your home any damage. Take your plans to an architect to get them signed off so that you can be sure they are safe.

Step 3 - Marking the Ground

You will now need to mark the ground depending on where you will be digging. If you are adding any posts for example then you'll need to dig down in order to secure the posts in concrete. By planning the project on the ground you will also be able to avoid any obvious mistakes which could otherwise be costly.

Step 4 - Building Walls

If you're building a brick built structure then you will need to start building the brick wall. This is a very easy thing to do however it will take plenty of planning and patience to construct it properly. Before doing anything else you must also wait for the walls to dry completely.

Step 5 - Cutting the Rafters

Once the walls are built you can now cut the rafters to the right length so that they fit over the walls. The rafters will need to be cut so that there is an overhang to protect the walls of the porch. The rafters will then need to be covered using plywood and tiled using slates.

After completing this project your front porch should be completely enclosed and this should make the space much more useful and practical to use.