If you’re looking for a simple, relatively cheap, yet enduring and good looking addition to your home, you can’t go wrong with an oak porch. Today Oak Porches UK dive deep into the types of oak porch you find, and why oak makes the best material for the job.
Why have a porch at all?
Before we look at why oak porches are the best around, let’s look at this key issue- why have a porch at all? After all, on many older buildings, it’s hardly an original design feature! So what makes a porch worth installing?
- Modernisation: Unless you’re dealing with a listed building or a particularly charming design, older isn’t always better. While many British homes have their own charms, you can tell they’re not the most modern designs, and this can be irritating to homeowners. In particular, dark interiors and cramped space for storage can be an aggravation- and a porch can help you attack both.
- Wow Factor: When blended seamlessly with the original build, a porch enhances the character of a home, as well as adding practicality. It creates a separation between the street and front room, so guests get to experience your home in a better way.
- Extra Space: An oak porch also adds space and storage to your home. Not only can you create a ‘drop off’ zone for boots, shoes, and coats, it can also add valuable log storage space, become an extra small room, or even host plants that don’t appreciate the chill British winters.
- Additional Security: An oak porch also acts as a barrier between your home and the outside world, and it protects your entrance doors. Without being too obvious, it allows you to make sure your family and possessions are safe and sound.
Do porches add value to my home?
If you’re planning to sell your home, then a new and seamlessly blended oak porch can add value to your home. But that’s not the only type of ‘value’ that a porch will bring to the table. Porches increase resale value. While they often aren’t directly included in the square footage of the home (although a fully enclosed porch can be) they do add to your potential buyer’s perception of the home. Remember that ‘wow factor’ we mentioned earlier? It contributes greatly to the curb appeal of your home. In fact, it can completely transform your front door! If you’ve opted for windows or a ‘sun room’ design, it can also be a great way to bring in the natural light that people crave.
But curb appeal isn’t just for people who might buy your home. It’s for you, too! Returning home to a house you enjoy has more power than you might imagine. It helps recreate your home as somewhere beautiful and inviting, bringing value to your life every day of the week.
What types of oak porch are there?
From large and out-there to a modest frame for your front door, you get oak porch kits in a vast range of sizes and shapes, and you’re sure to find a design you love. We can help you create the design of your dreams, from a mounted canopy-style to a fully enclosed new sunroom, and we offer bespoke design services too. So don’t feel limited by the designs we mention here! Almost anything is possible with the right space and planning.
Mounted or ‘hung’ porches
These are primarily designed to add a little touch of charm to a smaller property, or an awkward space like a narrow alley. They provide a beautiful frame for your entranceway, adding cottage-style charm without intruding into the space too much. You’ll also be able to hide under the overhang from inclement weather as you open up your front door.
Canopy style oak porches
Our most typical style of porch, these provide a seamless and arresting transition from street to home. There’s a variety of styles you can choose from, from a traditional-looking brick plinth to full- and half-post designs. This is a design you can easily add storage too, or make into a mini-room, mudroom, or other practical addition to the home. Typically, a design with a more curved look will add rustic charm, where you can achieve a more modern line with straighter designs. With oak, however, you never have to worry about it not fitting in.
Fully enclosed porches
If you ever wanted to add a grand feel to your home, a fully enclosed front porch is the way to go. This creates an impactful entrance space that will wow guests and reignite your love of home. It’s also a great way to add extra insulation to the front of your home, and can be enhanced with smart glazing to create a light, bright, and airy space. Many can even be wired (and plumbed) like another room, depending on size and design.
How do I look after an oak porch?
Many of our clients worry that an oak porch, being wooden, will be difficult to keep looking good. Nothing could be further from the truth. Oak is almost the perfect building material for the British weather. It’s durable, robust, and naturally dries in such a way that the oils and resins of the wood withstand mould, rot, insect intrusion and other issues. In fact, as it settles and moulds to the front of your home, it will only get more robust!
Sunlight can slightly alter the appearance of your oak, however. Over time it will fade to a soft silvery-grey colour, which many owners enjoy. If you’d prefer the brighter, browner hue of the original cut, however, you can use a UV protective oil to keep it safe, and even to stain the wood to be a perfect match for your home. Depending on the weather in your area and overall exposure to the elements, this would only typically need to be renewed every few years. Remember that the colour shift from weathering is a natural process, and is not indicative of structural damage.
Should you need to clean up the porch area, a little soap and water is all you need.
How long will my oak porch last?
Oak is one of the most robust timbers in the world. You’ll find beams that are centuries old in many of the U.K’s most famous churches and other heritage buildings, in fact! So you can rest assured your porch will be around a long time if it’s properly cared for. In fact, it could outlast the rest of your home! Many porches will age and weather into something even better than when first installed- after all, they don’t call oak ‘timeless’ for nothing!
Are you keen to harness the beauty of this ageless wood for your own home? If you’re looking for a porch extension, there’s no better route to go than oak, for practicality, ease of erection, and gorgeous good looks. Why not give the Oak Porches UK team a call today, and get the ball rolling on a porch of your very own?