I live in a area with similar aged homes.

I would guess that to do this and have it done to code might require ripping off the entire 2 story porch, have new foundation poured, and then reframing the entire area to have enough lateral stiffness in the corners. Insulation and HVAC as well as electrical and engineered load must all be considered.

Our home when we moved in had the existing screen porch behind the living room and kitchen area. (single story porch--Living room and Kitchen form an L)

I know when we were converting it to a single story four season room, it was fine per code to use its original foundation (it was poured concrete floor properly supported, not just a wooden porch floor). Added insulation in the walls and electric baseboard heater.

When we did an addition to add upstairs closets/office area off the MBR (MBR is over the living room and addition was over the now 4-season porch) we had to insulate the porch ceiling/new upstairs floor area. This required ripout of the porch bead board ceiling. We also had to tie the upper story load into the structure somehow. We ended up doing an overhang of about 2 feet, with a steel support pier into the ground and engineered wood truss tied into the kitchen side of the L. If we had not done the overhang, code would have required removing the windows on the 4 season porch on the corners to add torsional stiffness to the walls for high winds.

So I guess what I am saying is that you can't just slap up some drywall and flooring and shelves and be OK with this type of project. It will involve an architect and structural engineer.

The street appeal will really depend on how the extension is designed. It will be almost essential to involve a good architect or designer who has sympathy for older homes. This is especially important because you are probably not going to be able to match your brick, so the siding will have to be very carefully planned to complement the home.

You don't want to present a blank wall to the front, so detailing will be very important. I saw one house in a former neighborhood that had enclosed a former porch and used plantation-style exterior shutters to create the look of windows with the shutters closed. It looked wonderful. I know of another conversion where they installed a window with a black wall a few inches behind it -- from the street it looked like a room with the light off.

But the first step is to do what the previous poster said and find out if this is even possible without a rebuild of that wing. It looks like you have a first-floor room under the screen porch; you need to make sure the foundation is sufficient to take the weight of a second-floor room.

Thanks so much! Yes, we've had an engineer check the foundation and, because of the concrete and brick foundation it can support the weight without an overhang--though we will new a new rook for the area and siding.

Chibimimi your detailing ideas are inspired! Thank you that's just the sort of solution I was looking for!

Maybe keep a few windows? I've always liked this picture :)
{{gwi:1433878}}From Fairy tale cottage