Timber Frame Porch & Deck | Front Porch: American Tradition
The American Front Porch: A Cherished Tradition
The front porch was an cherished American tradition in the days when folks would sit back on the porch, read a book, wave, visit, drink lemonade, listen to the birds, enjoy the refreshing outdoors and watch an awesome sunset. The Cultural Significance of the American Front Porch is unique to this country's cultural and social life. The architectural roots in building styles of porches originate with many other cultures but in the history of America's social life the porch was used in the United States as a semi-public place to gather and spend time with family.
Precursor To The Porch
A porch is by definition a covered entrance to a building. The word porch derives its meaning from the Latin word portico. Italy had was they termed as a loggia which was a shaded area outside of an entryway. Many municipal buildings in Italy have a piazza which is open to anyone passing by to rest and enjoy. Greek and Roman classical architecture featured a portico which was a walkway having a roof that was supported by columns. A verandah was also a forerunner to the porch as a roof supported with columns that compassed the outside of a courtyard. The word "porch", "portico", "loggia", "terrace", "piazza", and "verandah" are used almost interchangeably. Many of these designs although slightly different became a part of American planning in architecture and played a role in America's typical front porch.
Decline of the Porch
In the Industrial Revolution there began to be a decline in porches, porticos, verandahs, terraces, and balconies. Cars were everywhere and people were traveling more in cars than on foot. Television became more accessible and wide spread and with the invention of air conditioning more people were staying inside. No longer did people want to sit out on the porch but they preferred being inside watching television after dinner. People began building homes without porches and the living room replaced the porch as a primary place to gather. A typical suburban home now had attached garages and talking with the neighbor was becoming an outdated notion.
Buildings were being built closer together, streets were widening, mainstream news media perpetuated a "culture of worry", people could walk straight from their house into the garage without even seeing or speaking to their neighbor. America was fast becoming a new culture, "prone to fear", guarded of their privacy, interacting mostly with trusted friends and family. Porches began to be used for such things as a storage area and a place to exhibit holiday decorum.
Porch Revival
Well planned communities have been springing up lately designed to naturally allow a sense of community. Some places are required to have front porches and sidewalks. Some find this old fashioned and yet refreshing. Front porches have become highly sought after features that add value to a home. Front and back porch or designated covered deck areas are again becoming a much sought after American way of life, as porches, verandahs and decks covered with a pergola or arbor are making a huge comeback as more people experience one of the best vacation spots are right in the back yard with a new deck, verandah, or porch. Sometimes they include an attached pergola or arbor.
Value of Heavy Timber Frame Porch and Deck
With the warmer season fast approaching, we look forward to opening up the windows, stepping out in the fresh air, relaxing in a a clean convenient place to celebrate life in the moment.
A natural timber frame deck or porch is a cost effective way to extend your home outdoors for years of value and endless hours of fun at home. Heavy timbers used in or over decks transforms a home into something awe inspiring. Heavier timbers also carry greater seismic loads and resistance to winds. Adding a deck is one top home improvements to to get the most from your investment for adding resell value to a home. Timber decking works well for changing levels and easy future modifications if desired. Western Timber Frame provides solutions for a simple and easy installation.
In the conception of an adding a deck or porch consider the future desired functions for the area. If the area is to be used primarily for outside dining, positioning it closer to the kitchen would be more convenient. Is the area to be used for frequent gatherings or barbecues? Maybe expanding it out or over with a separate designated gazebo area for seating and eating would be more functional. Decks with built in hot tubs and/or outdoor kitchens are growing in popularity. A built in swing, benches and/or privacy screens can also be a nice addition. Or perhaps an overhead pergola or arbor for shade provide a more comfortable place of solitude, to sit back and reflect at the end of the day.
The added outdoor structures expand the living area in ways previous generations could not have imagined or only dreamed of, outdoor televisions, full blown outdoor kitchens, living rooms and more. It seems the sky is the limit where Americans are again spending more time outdoors with family, friends and neighbors.
Extending The Home Outdoors: Still A Cherished American Tradition
In all parts of the country porches are playing a new significant role in the American family life. With a timber frame porch, deck, or verandah, you, too, can step outside after a meal, rock the baby to sleep, watch the kids play, enjoy the rain, experience a gorgeous sunset, have spontaneous conversation and solve the world's problems. The American porch is still a place to bond, connect, enjoy recreation, and relax as a traditional American.
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