Porch Considerations for Escaping Summer’s Heat

For many families, the porch is one of the most popular spots in the home because it’s the one place where the beauty of nature and the comfort of shelter exist simultaneously. After all, what’s better than watching a downpour from the safety and comfort of your porch? But, while the porch might be a prime location for waiting out an afternoon shower, it is also a great place to escape the oppressive heat of the summer sun. With the following porch considerations from our builders in Leland NC, you can turn your porch into the ideal summer escape. And, by spending more time outside on your porch, you’ll also be able to save electricity by turning your thermostat up a few degrees.

Porch Design: Size and Location

How much porch do you need to enjoy optimum comfort and where on your home should you have it built? These two questions are your base considerations and the first things you should think about before having your porch built.

Most modern porches are sized between 300 and 350 square feet. This tends to provide the homeowners with enough space to handle their furniture without the design overwhelming their property. As for location, on the east coast, southern-facing porches help avoid a direct hit by the hot noon-day sun, and this will help the porch stay cooler and more comfortable throughout the dog days of summer.

Porch Flooring

There is a variety of flooring options available for modern porches ranging from old fashioned wood to masonry. Typically, masonry works best on a porch that is located close to the ground. This is due to the additional support requirements needed to handle the weight of the material and because moisture can be a problem for wood flooring when it is close to the ground. Meanwhile, if the porch is being built in direct contact with the soil, then a concrete slab will probably work best. If the porch is elevated, then you can finish the floor with traditional wood beams, composite flooring, or exterior-rated tongue-and-groove flooring.

Ceiling Fans

Even though the porch is the perfect place to sit in the breeze, the wind isn’t always promised to be stirring. That’s why having ceiling fans installed along the ceiling of your porch can prove to be such a heat-busting benefit. Turn them on while you’re sitting on the porch and you’ll be surprised at how cool your porch be, even on hot, stagnant days.

Porch Lighting

Since a good portion of a porch’s use takes place during the evening hours, lighting is an important consideration. But, if you live in a warm climate, then you’ll want to avoid direct lighting because these types of lights can produce a lot of heat. Instead, go with atmospheric accent lighting such as lights that direct light up into the rafters of the porch or sconces installed on the porch’s pillars. White Christmas lights can also be used year-round for quaint and charming low-wattage porch lighting.

Furniture Choices

While you may think that permanent furniture will make your outdoor living space look posh, the reality is, your taste will be most likely to change over time. And, should you have permanent fixtures and furniture installed on your porch, then it will be more expensive and complicated to make any desired changes. Instead, use free-standing furniture that you can move about as needed. This will enable you to be able to fit more people on your porch if need be and make it easy to give it a fresh look.

To Screen or Not to Screen?

Another consideration you’re going to have to make is whether or not to screen in your porch. Usually, the decision comes down to two factors – the type of look you want your porch to have and the number of bugs you have in your area.

If you want your porch to have a more formal look and bugs aren’t a problem in the evening hours, then building your porch sans screening is a great idea. But, if you live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes or other flying buggers and you want your porch to be functional and practical, then screening in the open spaces is probably for the best.

Contact Trusst’s Builders in Leland NC Today

If you want to have a new home custom-designed for your family or you just want to see about adding a porch onto your existing home, then Trusst Builder Group’s builders in Leland NC can help. Since 1992 we have been building homes and neighborhoods throughout the Cape Fear area and we take great pride in our history in New Hanover and Brunswick counties and in the work we perform. Give us a call today at 910-371-0307 to schedule a consultation with our builders in Leland NC and find out what we can do for you.