Whether you like reading under bistro lights alone in the late evening or throwing dinner parties for everyone in your extended family, one thing is for certain. You need a place to go if you’re going to spend time outside. And having a porch makes that easier.
Of course, building a porch takes a little more than just Googling "porch builders near me." It’s a large home improvement project that takes an investment of time and energy.
From simple covered spaces to elaborate three-season rooms, the range of porch ideas available today is broad. Which means with specialized porch design support, you can ensure your outdoor addition is precisely tailored to your lifestyle, budget, and home's architecture.
At Archadeck of Akron, we've spent years helping homeowners narrow down their options and figure out what they like most. Then we build it.
So whether you’re imagining a simple covered porch or a fully enclosed sunroom, your next step is the same. Understand your options so you can be sure you’ve made a sound investment.
Understanding Porch Types: From Simple to Sophisticated
Porch design begins with understanding the types of outdoor spaces available. Open-air porches provide classic covered outdoor living with protection from rain and sun while still being directly connected to your yard. These spaces work beautifully for morning coffee, evening relaxation, and casual entertaining.
Screened in porches add insect protection while preserving that outdoor feel. The screening systems available today vary from traditional screens to premium sliding vinyl options. That means you can enjoy unobstructed views that protect you from pests.
Three-season rooms take functionality further with windows that can be opened or closed depending on weather conditions. These spaces give you the best of indoor and outdoor living, and are quite comfortable in all but the hottest and coldest conditions.
Lastly, you have sunrooms. They represent the ultimate in year-round outdoor living comfort, outfitted with insulated glass windows and integrated heating and cooling systems.
Designing Your Porch
As you might imagine, there are many different ways you can design a porch. And you can break down your design choices easily and intuitively into four categories: flooring, walls, windows (or enclosures), and the ceiling.
We’ll start from the bottom and work our way up.
Flooring: The Foundation of Good Design
Your flooring choice sets the tone for your entire porch addition and your choices here will greatly impact both style and maintenance requirements. Traditional wood flooring using pressure-treated lumber provides that inimitable classic appeal and accepts stains beautifully, allowing for a wide array of finishes.
Composite decking offers low-maintenance durability with the look of natural wood but without the ongoing staining and sealing requirements. For more formal spaces or three-season rooms, consider paver, brick, or natural stone flooring that provides the feel of interior living spaces while maintaining weather resistance. For sunrooms, you have all of the same flooring options you would see inside your home, including hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, tile, and natural stone.
The key is choosing materials that match your intended use. Casual outdoor living spaces might call for natural wood, while formal entertaining areas often benefit from stone or brick surfaces that add an element of refinement.
Wall Design: Defining Your Space
Your choice of walls will also significantly impact both the function and porch cost of your project. For open-air porches, you might choose completely open sides for maximum air flow and connection to the outdoors, or incorporate partial walls for privacy and wind protection.
Internal wall finishes range from leaving structural elements exposed for a rustic feel to finished surfaces using beadboard, shiplap, board and batten, or tongue and groove boards. These finished walls create more intimate, room-like spaces that feel like extensions of your home's interior.
External wall materials should complement your home's existing architecture providing a seamless addition of your porch. Options include natural wood, low maintenance vinyl siding, classic cedar shake or wood shingles, or brick and stone for permanent, high-end aesthetics.
Depending upon the type of porch you’re building, you may also consider incorporating an outdoor kitchen or entertainment wall as well. This can go a long way toward making your porch an ideal place to host or relax.
Window and Enclosure Options
For homeowners considering enclosed spaces, window choices have a big impact on how your space feels from day to day. Basic screening provides insect protection while maintaining full outdoor air flow, which works very well in terms of temperature for about eight months out of the year in Ohio.
Vinyl window systems have become increasingly popular of late. Namely, because they offer additional weather protection, superior durability, and improved clarity compared to traditional screening, with better resistance to damage and easier maintenance.
For three-season rooms and sunrooms, you could also go for glass windows. These provide weather protection, as well as pest protection, improved temperature regulation, and can be opened for additional air flow when desired.
Ceiling & Roofs: Tying the Room Together
Ceilings and roofs are particularly important when it comes to porch design. And this is because professional porch contractors understand that successful projects require attention to structural details to protect homeowners.
Patrick Sluss's construction engineering background means every Archadeck of Akron project accounts for proper load calculations, appropriate foundations, and roof structures designed for the snowstorms that periodically plague Ohio in the long winter months.
This engineering approach is particularly important for larger enclosed spaces like three-season rooms and sunrooms, where roof loads and structural requirements can be surprisingly complex. The difference between contractors who understand these requirements and those who don't often becomes apparent years later when structural issues develop resulting in leak damage.
As important as structural integrity is, you also have plenty of choices to make when it comes to ceilings too. That’s because ceiling treatments can dramatically impact your space's character and functionality. Wood options include beadboard, tongue-and-groove, and shiplap—each of which can create warm, finished appearances that make porches feel like true outdoor rooms.
As an alternative, there is also vinyl, which is long-lasting and low-maintenance, and known to resist moisture and temperature changes better than wood. For spaces that will see heavy use or where maintenance access is difficult, vinyl is a smart long-term choice.
You’ll also want to consider whether you want a flat ceiling to match your home's interior spaces or a cathedral ceiling that gives your room a more dramatic presence while allowing for interesting architectural details such as exposed beams. Either way, you can add ceiling fans for comfort in the warmer months, and integrated lighting systems so your new space continues to function beautifully in the evening.
Understanding Porch Cost & Long-Term Value
Porch cost varies significantly based on size, materials, and complexity.
And to that end, basic open-air porches with simple finishes are the most budget-friendly option. On the other end of the spectrum, you have fully enclosed sunrooms with premium finishes that are a larger investment in your home.
Our custom designs process helps homeowners understand these trade-offs and make choices that fit both their vision and budget.
The key is to find the sweet spot that fits both your immediate budget and your long-term goals and a great place to start is with our complimentary design guide. But when in doubt, we strongly recommend choosing quality materials and professional outdoor living builders. It’s the best way to ensure you protect uour investment for years of enjoyment.
As you continue your search for “porch builders near me,” make sure you look for contractors who provide comprehensive protection for your investment. This is important, and it’s why we at Archadeck of Akron back every project with our industry-leading warranty coverage and 100% build completion guarantee.
Let’s Build Something Beautiful, Together
We bring a construction engineering background to every project, which means when you work with us, you can be sure your porch design won't just be beautiful—it’ll be structurally sound and built to last.
If that sounds appealing to you, then you can call Patrick Sluss, our local Archadeck franchisee and master design consultant, for a no-obligation, complimentary design consultation.
You can connect with Patrick and his team of deck experts by calling 330-537-6412, or by clicking this link right here.
