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livingreen2013

Front porch material

livingreen2013
11 years ago

Hi there! We were curious what any thoughts would be on front porch material? I love the cozy/classic feel of a front wood porch, but our builder is suggesting we do a concrete porch for easier maintenance and longevity. What have you seen or done? Our front porch spans 115 feet or so, and obviously we want to keep a budget of soe sort in mind too. Any thoughts or experiences would be great. Thanks!

Comments (4)

  • mydreamhome
    11 years ago

    Concrete, brick pavers, slate, tile, treated wood decking material & Ipe. If you're going to go for real wood, then I would spring for the Ipe--beautiful color, low maintenance, durable for many years to come. Another wood-look option is to do concrete with a wood plank stamp and dyed to the desired "wood" color. I've seen some really gorgeous stamped concrete where you have to get up close to see that its really concrete and not the real deal. The worry here, though is chipping--I would have them run the dye through the entire batch so there is a uniform color throughout the depth of the material and then do any color highlighting on top. There hundreds of different stamps out there--not just wood-plank looking ones--in just about any design you could imagine. Definitely something to think about as concrete is durable, easy to clean, quick to pour, and reasonably priced. Just plain old concrete with a brick border is lovely too. Brick pavers are beautiful too, if they go with the overall look of the house you're hoping to achieve. Slate is gorgeous and one of my favorites, but $$$$. Tile is my personal least favorite, but it is an option.

    Hope this helps!

  • Beth Parsons
    11 years ago

    We're in the same situation and can't decide what to do! We have a large covered front porch, too, and I *want* ipe but thanks to jacked up lumber and framing costs we have to pay close attention to the budget. Builder said that with the size of our porch, it'd be a wash with poured concrete vs. a composite materian like Trex but I know for sure I don't want plastic there! Likely won't decide until we get hard bids.

  • nini804
    11 years ago

    We have brick for the floor of our front and rear porch.

  • DreamHomeDreamer
    11 years ago

    I personally LOVE LOVE LOVE Ipe(Brazilian Walnut) but it is pricey. One option that I saw on pinterest lately is the stamped/stained concrete made to look like hardwood. Seems like something to look into for you since you are thinking about durability but love the look of wood. Pic attached.