How to make a small porch to the house. We build a porch for a private house: several convenient ways. Common mistakes in the process of building a porch to the house
The house always begins with a porch, this is its main entrance, this is its calling card, one might say. And, at the same time, the final chord of construction. Point in the work done. In addition, it has a purely functional purpose - protecting the entrance from wind, rain, snow, so it must be beautiful, comfortable, and durable. Of course, the design should not conflict with the design of the whole house. A powerful red brick building will look strange at wooden house with carved shutters, for example. And here is a wooden object attached to brick house can serve as a perfect decoration. If the house is small, then the porch should not be made a kind of monument that outweighs the proportions of a private house. And most importantly: a house without this element has an unfinished look.
How to build a porch for a private house with your own hands
There are a lot of options for construction and materials. Choose the most suitable for you, prepare everything you need and get to work.
Wooden
It is easy to assemble the design of such a porch
The simplest wooden structure can be made by yourself, even if there are no special skills in construction. Let's choose a structure first.
There are three main types: simplified, built-in and attached porch. A simplified design is a platform and a canopy over the entrance. Consider the most common option: a platform, steps and a protective visor, which is located above the door.
Porch option with a small terrace
Even for such an easy and simple structure, we need. It will be quite easy, because for such wooden porch we can make a foundation from piles. We will impregnate the support bars with an antiseptic. Having calculated where the supports should be, we will dig holes under them to a depth of 80–90 cm. We immerse the supports into these holes strictly vertically, checking for level. At 30 cm, we fill the hole with crushed stone first, compact it tightly, then a layer of soil, and then concrete.
For the porch you need to make a foundation
After the cement is completely dry, you need to level all the supports in height, make cuts for spikes, sockets and other preparatory work.
Making steps
Now it's time to choose the bowstring on which the steps will be located. It is of two types: with embedded steps and with carved ledges. Since the second option is simpler, we will do it. Let's pick up a few thick edged boards for the bowstring and oblique angles. The length must be chosen in accordance with the number of steps. The rules here are simple: quantity:
Oblique angles are needed so that the steps have additional internal supports. On first edged board using a construction square, mark the profile of the stairs. We cut off the excess and use the first board as a template for preparing the rest of the details.
The bowstrings are attached to the lags with a tenon-groove connection, for which it is necessary to nail to the lags cross board with selected grooves, and cut spikes at the ends of obliques and bowstrings. After the bowstrings and oblique angles are fixed on the logs, it is necessary to install their lower ends on a fortified and leveled platform. Now the frame of the future staircase for the porch is ready. It's time to lay the floor and steps. Boards for the floor of the site should be tried to be laid as tightly as possible so that cracks do not appear when drying out. After the site is ready, it is necessary to install risers and treads, which are also connected according to the “thorn-groove” principle, like the riser with a bowstring: this will give the joints the very rigidity that is needed. Here, in fact, everything is ready.
If there are more than three steps in the porch staircase, it is worth making a railing.
Installation steps
Concrete
concrete porch
We count materials. The volume of concrete required for pouring depends on the width and height of the structure, as well as on the number of steps. If we make concrete on our own, then we must remember that for 1 cubic meter. m of concrete is 340 kg of concrete, 1.05 cubic meters. m of sand and 0.86 cubic meters. m of rubble. It is also necessary to calculate the necessary waterproofing and fittings. If the frame is reinforcing, then 2 bars of reinforcement go to each step.
The porch of their concrete base
We make the foundation for the future porch. At the place where we will arrange the object, it is necessary to dig a small pit with a depth of 30–40 centimeters. We fill a layer of gravel 10 cm to the bottom and carefully tamp it down, a layer of sand on top, and then moisten it so that the sand completely clogs all the gaps between the gravel.
We make a frame formwork. We will install plank formwork on the sides. You can use plywood or chipboard for formwork. The main thing is that the formwork should follow the shape of the steps. We strengthen the formwork with the help of pegs and spacers. The formwork must be leveled in height and level. We cut pieces of boards equal to the length and width of the risers and nail them to the formwork itself. The entire formwork must be treated from the inside with a lubricant so that the concrete does not stick to the tree. Roofing felt must be laid down to waterproof the concrete.
Step-by-step actions for the construction of a concrete staircase
Please note: the steps of the stairs must be made with a slight slope so that water flows freely from them.
We reinforce the formwork. This is necessary so that the concreted sections have a rigid structure. It is better not to spare reinforcement during the construction of a concrete structure. Approximately 150 meters of reinforcing bars will go to a medium-sized porch. In order to make a canopy and railings in the future, it is necessary to leave outlets from the corner or pipes on each side.
Strapping preparation
We concrete. The prepared concrete solution is placed in the formwork. You need to start from the bottom step, evenly distributing the solution and constantly tamping. In no case should you leave empty spaces. After the entire formwork is filled, we level the surface and now it is necessary for the structure to dry for about a week. After that, you can remove the formwork and start finishing this object.
Staircase with forged elements
Metal with forged elements
A metal staircase can decorate both a brick and a wooden house. Starting to build a metal porch, you should also first make a sketch. It makes it easier to calculate the amount required material and avoid mistakes when assembling parts.
A simple staircase with forging elements
Decide on the size of the stairs. It is necessary to calculate everything in such a way that two people can safely disperse on it, and the steps are convenient for descent and ascent.
- the width of the stairs must be at least 1 meter;
- the number of steps is odd;
- stairs - from 26˚ to 45˚;
- the height of the steps should be from 12 to 20 cm;
- the width of each step is not less than 25 cm;
- the overhang of one step over the other should be about 30 mm.
Just like under any other, you need to lay it under a metal porch.
The metal structure consists of three elements: the staircase itself, the railing to it and the visor, the stairs are usually made from channels.
Arrangement of the entrance to the house
Consider one of the options for the design of a metal staircase, which we will do on our own. Let's prepare two channels equal in length to the future stairs. We put them on the width of the future stairs, say, 1 meter apart. Now you need to mark and cut the corner to the size of the step, not forgetting to make an allowance for the weld. We weld one end along the office to the channel. Then we take the next cut piece of the corner and weld it along the office to the previous corner, then to the channel. So gradually weld all the corners.
Installation of the base of the metal staircase
Now you can connect the L-shaped elements to each other with an equal angle. Please note that the bottom of each step is connected by a corner with a shelf outward. You can fill the steps with any suitable material: wood, porcelain stoneware, chipboard, plywood. It is better to fix with self-tapping screws and silicone glue.
Entrance staircase with canopy or closed
For such a porch, the foundation is especially important. Of course, it is best if it is planned along with the whole house. But there are often times when it is attached to an existing house, in which case we call it an "extension".
Seating area near the entrance to the house
Closed entrance to the house
One way or another, the extension is a fundamental structure. Therefore, having calculated the parameters of the glazed porch area, we fill the foundation under it. Of course, the glazed extension is not for permanent residence with heavy furniture. Therefore, the foundation can be made pile. After the foundation is prepared, all the strappings are made, the concrete is completely dry, you can lay out the walls. We choose the material so that it does not contradict the design of the house. Of course, this is a frame building. The frame can be made from wooden beams, from a metal profile. Some owners, wanting to make the porch more capital, lay out such a porch of brick, timber. If we talk about frame construction, then it is certainly cheaper and much easier to install.
Frame extensions are of two types: frame-panel and frame-frame. In the first case, the panels are already ready, you just need not be too lazy to assemble them; in the second case, the fitting is done on the spot.
The main work has been done. Now we need to do the glazing and the door. For glazing we use - wooden or plastic. We order the door with glass and according to the verified dimensions. We choose the stairs from all possible options.
The glazed porch-veranda is very convenient because in summer you can sit and drink tea in bad weather, and in winter, when you enter the house, you don’t drag snow with you.
Porch construction scheme
The steps should be 30 cm long and 16 cm high, but do not forget that when making the first step, it is necessary to take into account the addition of sand and tiles. Because of this, the first stage is always slightly higher than the others.
Brickwork in the construction of the porch
Very often, cinder blocks remain after construction. They can be laid in the foundation: it will be stronger, and we will dispose of the remains of cinder concrete.
We lay out the porch platform from the brick. At the same time, we are laying the side wall, which can immediately be overlaid facing material- brick, for example. Gradually we form steps with the help of backing and face bricks. In the middle we lay out two rows of backing bricks, and lay out the outer part with a facing brick.
So, gradually form the rest of the steps. Do not forget to treat the brick with a special remedy for the appearance of salt stains. After the masonry is completed, we complete the construction or finishing bricks. For fastening we use special glue. We complete the construction of the visor device.
Video: building a brick porch
Arrange a small flower garden nearby, put a flowerpot or flowerpots with flowers. Add unusual cute little things to complete the look.
Rest in the country or in country house always associated with a lot of time on fresh air, and there are always a million reasons why you have to visit the house regularly. And at one moment you notice that the porch and stairs to the house are very inconvenient, and while there is time, you need to make or radically redo all the elements of the porch. It's better to make something new.
In most cases, the decision to rebuild the porch in the house comes spontaneously. As practice shows, such a simple porch as an extension for a house can be done in a few hours, in one breath.
A simple staircase design will suit us
Before taking the first steps in construction, it is necessary to clearly understand how to build a wooden porch step by step with your own hands. Simply put, the design of the building should already be in your head, you just need to find suitable material and correctly assemble all the elements.
For the simplest porch, which can only be made from improvised material, the sequence of work will be as follows:
- The first step is to measure the width of the stairs and choose the optimal step height that is comfortable for you and your family. Then it will be much more difficult to redo or make amendments;
- Choose the right material, always dry, it is better if it is a fresh dried sawlog, a bar or a board from old stocks that has not yet been used anywhere;
- We cut out two side bearing beams, called bowstrings or stringers, for more serious wooden buildings;
- On the next step you need to make a support and steps;
- We cut and fasten the railing, process protective coatings, this step is best done immediately, while wooden knots did not take moisture from the air. The wooden porch is ready.
Advice ! Simplicity does not mean primitive. If the porch is planned to be used for many years, then it is better to immediately make additional waterproofing from the ground.
Building a wooden porch is not as difficult as it seems.
The most successful option for a wooden porch has always been considered a double corner structure, in which, due to the angular arrangement of the steps, the exit from the house turns out to be a semicircle, as in the photo.
You can go down from such a ladder without even noticing the steps under your feet. This is convenient if a lot of people, including children, use the porch. But for summer cottages, you can make the stairs simpler, this is the key to the reliability of our construction.
Cut out the wooden base for the stairs to the house
The wooden frame for the porch can be made from pine timber or boards, at least 50 mm thick, at least 200 mm wide. Before making a wooden frame, we select the correct size of future beams. For an ordinary staircase 70-70 cm wide, two wooden blanks 100-130 cm long will suffice. Boards should not have defects, chips or cracks, be damaged by insects and fungus.
In order to quickly and efficiently make a wooden porch, in addition to a supply of lumber, we need some tools:
- Manual circular or chain saw with goniometer;
- Drill or screwdriver, nail puller and hammer 400 g in weight;
- Angle grinder with attachments for sanding a wooden surface;
- Carpenter's corner, tape measure, zhmenya self-tapping wood screws.
The first step is to cut the edges of both wooden blanks at an angle to the longitudinal surface of at least 45 degrees. You can make the angle larger, while the future wooden staircase will have a gentler slope, and vice versa, the smaller the angle, the higher the steepness. The angles on both blanks must be exactly the same, as in the photo.
Next, we need a massive wooden block, in the future we will make a support for the stairs out of it, but for now we need it to accurately determine the dimensions of future stringers. Supporting the workpieces with cut edges on wooden beams at home, but uncircumcised on a beam, we specify the angle of inclination of the stairs and the height of the stringers. We mark and cut the wooden blanks in the lower part so that they rest tightly and securely with the entire surface on the stand made of timber, as in the photo.
How to properly fix the steps of the stairs
To make steps, we need to temporarily fix the skeleton of the future wooden porch with nails, so at the next stage of construction we nail both wooden blanks of stringers to the beam of the house, align them, and also grab the ends to the stand from the timber.
Advice ! We hammer in the nails so that the hat does not reach the wooden surface by 5-7 mm, this will allow them to be easily pulled out and replaced with self-tapping screws in the future.
Before moving on in the construction of the porch, we have the opportunity to once again clarify the most convenient size steps, height and width. If necessary, you can make a new wooden stand and change the width of the flight of stairs, as in the photo.
Steps can be made from the same wooden blank or board from which the side stringers were cut. Usually, to increase the strength and rigidity of the porch, it is recommended to use risers - wooden supporting elements on which the floorboards of the steps rest. But at the same time, the step itself will have to be made unnecessarily wide, for comfortable setting of the foot.
In addition, such a design is very well ventilated and cleaned of moisture and dirt, which are always in abundance in the country house, if risers are made in the structure, dirt and moisture will accumulate in the cracks.
In our construction, we do not use risers in the stairs, this will allow us to make wooden steps narrower and thicker. At the same time, comfort will not suffer at all.
Note! To fix the steps, we will not cut out the grooves, as is usually recommended by all the drawings and diagrams of a simple attached wooden porch.
This greatly reduces the strength of the stringers and forces them to be made much thicker than necessary for reasons of rigidity. wooden building porch.
To fix the steps, it is necessary to mark and cut out short vertical supports from the board, 20-25 mm thick, as in the photo.
We nail them to the side stringers and fix the wooden step blank, approximately, as in the photo.
We transfer the ladder to the installation site on the porch and check how correctly it was possible to make its main elements. In the absence of comments, we take out the nails one by one and replace them with self-tapping screws.
How to build a railing for a porch to a house
During the construction of the stairs, we did not grind workpieces, there was practically no special need for this. For porch railings, it is extremely important to have a smooth surface without the possibility of skidding or thorns in your hand. Therefore, after choosing a suitable size wooden block, it is necessary, first of all, to carefully polish its surface of both handrails and vertical racks, photo.
It is easier to make vertical racks for the porch if you first cut out one template-sized blank, adjust the angle of inclination to install the handrails, and then make all the other 7 pieces along it. This option will significantly speed up the process of manufacturing fences and railings for the porch.
We fasten the vertical racks immediately with self-tapping screws. The workpiece should be screwed to the stringers with at least three attachment points every 60-70 mm.
We will install handrails on top of the racks, which can be made from the same bar as the vertical supports themselves. It is clear that wooden surface, for which you have to take it with your hands, it is better to polish it with a felt circle with paste. At the same time, the handrails will acquire not only a smooth surface, but also a beautiful texture, as in the photo.
Oddly enough, one of the reasons why a wooden porch can lose its appeal is the poor quality of the surface treatment with protective compounds. Even varnish or drying oil will not protect the tree from swelling. Therefore, for protection, it is necessary to use a multi-layer coating based on pentaphthalic enamels or alkyd varnish.
Final word
The proposed design of the porch for the house is simple and reliable, and even a schoolboy who has a little practice in safe handling of power tools can do it with his own hands. If desired, the porch can be increased in size or supplemented with a concrete platform for the bottom support of the stairs. Traditionally, the porch and entrance are located on the sunny, well-lit side of the house, this will provide normal conditions for long-term use.
Probably everyone knows that the porch in any house must have functionality, as well as harmoniously fit into the exterior of the building itself, because it is it that is considered a calling card. There are many different options how best to implement the construction of a porch for a private house. All this directly depends on your taste, the chosen material and the general budget. With all this, we can easily say that building a strong and durable porch with your own hands is quite realistic.
The porch itself to the house consists of a completely open area, often with a staircase in front of the entrance to the inside of the house. It can be absolutely any shape, optionally with a canopy and even without, as well as made of different materials.
In principle, the entire structure of the porch to the house can be divided into three types:
1. Attached;
2. Built-in;
3. Simple.
How are they different?
Simple - this is a regular platform along with steps and always a canopy. During the assembly of this type of porch with your own hands, the most difficult thing is to fill the foundation, since it is necessary even for a simple wooden porch construction.
A do-it-yourself built-in porch is initially designed in conjunction with the house, so it is being built capitally.
The attached type does not have any external differences with the built-in type, the only thing is that it is slightly modified and slightly rebuilt. The advantage is that such a do-it-yourself porch can be easily attached with a slight alteration.
Remember! For any porch, a foundation is required, it is he who prevents the slightest deformation of the steps during seasonal temperature changes.
Building a foundation for all types of porch
The most important thing is that the main foundation of the porch to the house should be similar to the foundation of the house. If this is not the case, then during the sedimentation of the soil, winter frosts, your structure is simply deformed. It is also possible that during the settlement of the soil, your structure will move towards the house and then the foundation of the porch will suffer first of all, since it is less massive. To remedy this situation, minor repairs will not be enough and you will have to rebuild everything.
Since the glazed porch is not intended for habitation, and there is no huge furniture there, it is possible to use an ordinary concrete pad, which will be the foundation itself.
However, when choosing concrete, any brick (white, red) or facing stone, the foundation must be reinforced. The fact is that this design has a much greater load on the foundation itself than a wooden porch to the house.
To arrange the foundation for the porch with your own hands, you must begin directly with the markup. To begin with, determine a rectangular area of the desired size, the main thing is not to forget that the porch itself must fit in here. Then, piles should be driven into each corner of the rectangle and then, along the contour, begin to dig a pit. Its depth should be no less than the main foundation.
Advice! You don't need to lay the foundation very deep. Of course, the load during the displacement of the foundation will become a little less, but it is simply impossible to avoid them completely, with the slightest subsidence of the soil or sudden changes in temperature.
If you decide to install a visor above the porch, then you will need to install supports, but the rectangle for the pit should be increased on all sides by another 20-30 cm, and the piles can be driven in after the porch is built.
In order to fulfill our plans, you will need to leave small rectangles of an unexcavated area (about 20x20, possibly 30x30 cm) at the points where the support will be installed a little later. Then it is necessary to drill wells at each site, install the support well, drive it in as much as possible and be sure to carefully fill it with concrete.
In this case, formwork is very suitable, although if the soil is stony, then in principle it is possible without it. To make it, you can use absolutely everything - chipboard, wood-laminated board and ordinary boards, which turned out to be superfluous after construction. The main thing to remember is that plywood (laminated board) and chipboard are quite hygroscopic, so during rains, lifting ground water, they will begin to spread quickly, which is why, after the concrete has hardened, it is recommended to remove the formwork.
In no case should you throw away the remaining trimmings of boards, which are conifers, because the lumber of this tree has only positive features: after being completely saturated with water, they become much stronger and retain their elasticity.
Advice! If there is a strong deformation in the soil, for example, if your house is located on a slope or on a mountain, then coniferous formwork works as a damper.
The most important and main element in the construction of the foundation of the porch with your own hands is waterproofing. In order to equip it, you need to lay the bottom in the pit with roofing material, and then the entire surface inside the formwork. Reinforcement is carried out using high quality bricks, on which it is necessary to lay a mesh and fix the grate with pre-prepared pieces of reinforcement.
Similarly to this principle, the pit is filled with several layers, which include bricks along with the grid, and then this structure is completely poured with concrete. To avoid the formation of voids, after each filled layer, it should be carefully tamped with a shovel.
Advice! In order to compact the concrete well, it is better to purchase an electric vibrocompactor, if you do not have one, then rent it.
Due to the fact that the concrete dries out for about a week, you will need to immediately level the surface of the foundation and be sure to cover it with roofing material with an overlap of about 50-60 cm from each edge, you can also take a regular building film. They will help protect the surface layer from any rain, as a large number of water can make it quite brittle in the future, and then your foundation will simply be damaged.
If the need arises, then you can cut off the top in the finished timber, then the piles will be at the same level. But try to calculate the height of the supports, taking into account front door, so the height difference should be about 5 cm. The logs are attached using self-tapping screws or dowels - it depends on the material of your wall.
Porch to the house with their own hands. Projects. A photo
Often, traditional materials are used for construction:
- wood;
- white, red brick;
- facing stone;
- metal;
- high-quality concrete.
Do-it-yourself wooden porch
How to make a wooden porch with your own hands? Today it is the most common building material. This is due to the fact that the tree is quite simple to manufacture and therefore building a porch from it with your own hands is quite easy and fast. To do this, it is enough just to have a circular saw available (you can use the most common one, but it must be with the smallest teeth - this will help a lot in cutting accuracy), a special construction square and skillful hands.
Larch has long been considered the ideal material, followed by spruce and other conifers. Each of them is very durable and quite easy to process. The most interesting thing is that at the end of the impregnation, the material that is made from them is practically in no way inferior to oak or some other species that are several times harder.
Important to remember! To work with solid elements, you will need a good skill, the right tools, and most importantly, specific knowledge in this area. For example, the quality of drying oak material can only be determined by an experienced carpenter.
First of all, you will need to make a kosour (kosour). Since it is not very practical to make a porch to wooden house with your own hands less than 120 cm wide, then you will need at least three beams. It is best if the distance between them is about half a meter, so it will be much easier for you.
This approach will help provide your porch with strength, and most importantly, the durability of a self-made structure, regardless of how often they use the stairs and with what weight load.
You need to know! The kosour is called the carrier beam, in which the teeth are cut, it is she who plays important role inside the support. It is advisable to lay the steps only on the horizontal edges of these same teeth.
The bowstring (it is also called an inclined beam) must necessarily be several times thicker than the kosour itself. They are connected with cross beams. At the end, the required number of braids is fixed between them.
You will definitely need a square to cut out the ribs and make even steps. The void between the teeth, even if it is 5-6 mm, will quickly provide the steps with a slight subsidence on one side and swelling on the other. Sudden changes in temperature will greatly increase the difference in the levels of the steps.
It is customary to make the width of the steps according to the size of the foot of an adult, but it is better to take it with a margin, it is about 40 cm somewhere. The height between each step (riser) does not need to be more than 20 cm.
It should be remembered that the number of steps must necessarily be odd and for this one additional edge should be provided. With four steps or more, you will need to make a railing for the porch to the house.
With a glazed porch and a securely covered staircase from moisture, you can do without an overhang of steps. However, if the staircase is outside, then an overhang is simply necessary, since thanks to it, water will drip onto the lower step, and not between them into the riser.
Advice! The finished staircase should be installed according to a special principle so that the plane of the steps is slightly inclined (about 1-2 cm). This will help the water run down instead of pooling and forming ice.
The design is installed directly on a pre-prepared site, which is the foundation. To make your porch to the house as strong as possible, you should install the stairs exactly in the place in the foundation where the lower beam was previously laid along with the stringers. Also, with the help of it, you can push a small depression if the concrete is not completely frozen. Thus, you will get a fairly strong stop.
For flooring in the upper platform, you can take the material that was used for the stairs. In this case, there is only one requirement: it is recommended to use the widest and longest boards that are available, and make the joints as accurate as possible. When the boards are as close as possible to each other, you can not be afraid of deformation, even if the whole tree begins to dry out over time.
It will take about 3 to 7 days of work to equip a wooden porch with your own hands. It all depends on the size of your site, on the stairs and of course on the skills of working directly with the tree, but a beginner can handle it all. The most important thing is to divide the work into stages and do everything one by one, adhering to the recommendations and instructions.
metal porch
How to make a metal porch? The porch, which is made of metal, has a very big plus - it is mounted in about a few hours, if you know how to use electric welding in your work. Besides, metal structure will cost several times cheaper if you do not buy forged elements. However, there are also disadvantages - you will have to assemble a standard porch with your own hands, and therefore it will not look very beautiful and original, unlike others. If you want to make a beautiful porch with your own hands, then you can buy forged products, but they will need to wait up to 4 weeks (it all depends on the volume of your order).
Do not be upset if the budget is limited, because even a primitive metal staircase can be made very imposing and beautiful, the main thing for this is desire and imagination. For the lightest option, channels, corners and necessarily filling material are used. They can be: porcelain stoneware, wood or chipboard.
For an ordinary metal porch, two channels of the same length will definitely be needed. They are attached parallel to each other at a distance that is equal to the size of the steps. After that, mark the corners and cut them to the same length as the steps, but at the same time adding a few centimeters along the edges to apply the weld.
In the same way, small pieces are cut off from the corners and these two segments are welded with the letter “G” (the edge-frame must be cut). The number of such details should equal the number of steps on your porch. Then they are closely welded to the channel, and as a result you get a high-quality metal oblique. Similarly to this principle, another oblique angle is made using the second channel.
After all these actions, the resulting elements must be connected in pairs from the side where the corners are cut to fit the width of the future staircase. This creates the contour of the steps, and the corner under the riser should turn upside down (thus creating a side).
Your staircase is almost ready. Now it all depends on your taste. The wooden step attached in any way to the resulting frame will look most beautiful. Even if you do not have much experience in working with welding, it will generally take 2-3 hours to assemble such a porch with your own hands.
Concrete porch
How to make a concrete porch? This option it is considered a continuation of the laid foundation, but only with the reinforcement of all the steps. This is done so that after a couple of months chips do not form due to constant heavy loads. Due to the fact that it is customary to cover a concrete porch with a special facing tiles, gradually collapsing concrete immediately forms chips, and then cracks in the cladding itself.
On a pre-prepared foundation, you can assemble the formwork, which will be the bottom step. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the height of the step, due to the weight load, must necessarily be 2 cm more than the rest. Next, a similar procedure is carried out, as in the construction of a reinforced foundation for the porch. The only difference is that in this case there is no need to spare the reinforcement.
Advice! The resulting gap between the two foundations is recommended to be closed mineral wool. This method will create a good expansion joint.
Formwork for steps can be prepared in advance - this will save time. However, it is much more reliable and easier to pour concrete into each step in turn, and even better if, before pouring a new step, the solution of the previous one will have time to set.
In the end, it is necessary to level the already completely frozen structure, and then cover it with any tile intended for a metal porch or stone.
The time spent on work directly depends on the use of full formwork, as well as on the formation of each step in turn or all at once. On average, you will need a week to work if you do everything at once, or a week for each step for the concrete to completely set.
Porch made of brick or stone
How to make a porch out of brick or stone? This is probably the most difficult version of the porch. This is because it is much easier to work with a brick foundation where you don't need precision than it is to lay out the stone as evenly as possible.
Bricks should only be laid if there are several assistants who will thoroughly mix the concrete all this time. With a stone, everything is much more complicated, because the chipped edges cannot be matched perfectly to each other. In general, if there is at least some experience in this activity and at least two people to help, then this type of porch should be abandoned immediately, otherwise you will simply waste your time and all the material.
It will be much easier to make a concrete staircase, and then match it with a step material that will be of a similar size. After that, they should be laid in one layer on the "frame" of concrete, which is pre-aligned. This method has a huge advantage, since, having made a mistake, you can easily chip off the lining of the desired area and re-finish.
Visor construction
The visor is primarily the protection of the platform and steps from various natural precipitation, as well as the ability to independently decorate the porch with your own hands in the house or in the country, beautifully and in a short time. Often made from durable metal pipes, for the frame itself, coniferous trees or, in extreme cases, metal are used, but for sheathing they take any tree or plexiglass.
Canopies made of wood will need to be touched up at least 2 times a year or treated instead by special means, otherwise it will begin to gradually dry out, and then split longitudinally. When using plexiglass, it is better to make spans between them of about 0.7 m2. It is strongly not recommended to use glass, as it can easily crack in winter during snow or due to frame deformation.
The total area of \u200b\u200bthe visor must necessarily be half a meter larger than the porch itself, otherwise it will not be able to fulfill its main function - protection.
The simplest and most fast option is to make something similar to a metal ladder. Then the distance between each step can be made approximately 0.5 m. In this case, you will no longer need L-shaped elements and a channel, because the load on the visor itself will be many times less and only the corners in the outer frame will be enough. But filling with wood or porcelain stoneware can easily be replaced with any other material.
When pouring the foundation, during the formation of the foundation, piles are necessarily installed, and it is precisely on them that a visor should be laid. In addition, it will help in the future to completely glaze the veranda in just a couple of days, if there is a desire.
For coating, it is better to take a metal sheet along with tiles, but it will be much more effective and beautiful if you use plexiglass and polycarbonate.
Advice! To avoid the appearance of rust on a worn metal sheet, you can easily paint it with paint in several layers.
Be sure to make the visor pitched, and in the place where the lower edge will be, carefully weld a metal gutter with a slight slope. Fasten an ordinary chain at the very end, which will reach the ground and thus, water will not splash during rain. Due to the fact that water has excellent viscosity and easy fluidity, it will slowly flow down this chain. If you want to somehow get rid of the appearance of puddles near the porch, make drainage.
How to glaze a porch yourself
The most common option is closed porch. In this case, the concrete and stone foundation, together with the visor and the stairs, is very popular, while it is necessarily attached to piles.
With the help of corners, which must match the height of the piles in the visor, a frame is formed. They are well welded to the piles, and then double frames made of wood with glass are inserted.
Advice! A glass sheet can be absolutely any height, however, the width should not be more than 120 cm, because the windage of this glass is high and even a light wind can severely damage it.
If the void between the piles turned out to be more than one meter, then break them with pseudo-piles. To do this, at the top and bottom, to the end of the piles, a corner is welded with a step inward, and then between them - a double angle, which will form pseudo-piles. Similarly, you need to divide the height, which forms a horizontal beam from several double corners. This will significantly reduce the load on the glass, and the design itself will look light and beautiful.
The most common mistakes that are made during the construction of the porch
1. Building a porch with your own hands using low-quality concrete (below grade 200). This concrete itself is quite friable, which is why it will be difficult to complete the cladding, since other mixtures have much higher strength after complete drying. In this case, temperature changes can seriously damage the lining. The foundation itself, which will subsequently remain open, will begin to collapse in the summer, and brick steps will collapse even faster.
2. Lack of good waterproofing. If waterproofing is not done in a timely manner in the porch to the house, this will lead to a huge accumulation of moisture below, as a result of which, during frosts, the structure will begin to gradually collapse. The steps will suffer the most, since it is they who get wet in the very first place.
3. Leveling of steps and plastering was done only a few days after the completion of concreting. If there is a long break in time, then all layers will cease to hold without additional gaps in the structure itself, or at best they will, but very weakly. Do not forget that the place where the plaster adheres together with the screeds is considered the most vulnerable.
4. The foundation was erected without reinforcement in the base. If you do not have fittings, then the porch to the house will simply be divided into two separate parts at the slightest subsidence. This would be impossible to repair.
5. Do-it-yourself porch was attached to the foundation of the house itself without special expansion joints. You can securely attach the porch only if the house with the porch has a joint foundation. If this is not done, then a sedimentary crack will appear right at the border of the two foundations. To avoid this, seam facing brick or the tiles need to be placed on the same border, and the gaps must be filled silicone sealant and in any case not grout.
So, you do not need any specific skills for building a porch with your own hands. Each operation is considered basic in construction and therefore everything is within the power of even a beginner with skillful hands.
Porch to the house with their own hands. Video
The porch of a private house or country cottage is a kind of "face" of the structure. Attracting attention and serving as a reliable support, the design of the porch allows you not only to get inside the house, but also to spend your free time, comfortably sitting in the air.
Features and building codes
In essence, the porch is a kind of extension with steps to the building, with which you can enter the room or leave it. It is important enough to give a finished, neat look to a private or country house and also protects the building from snow and rain. Most often, the design parameters are thought out at the design stage, but one of its features is the possibility of an extension after the construction of the building itself.
Traditionally, the material that is used to build the dwelling itself is also used to build a porch or veranda. Therefore, a porch of wood should be built near a wooden house, and a brick porch for a brick house. However, most often even a brick house is built on wooden veranda with steps, as this material is cheaper and easier to work with.
Before starting construction, it is necessary not only to choose the design you like and make all the calculations, but also to familiarize yourself with the basic building codes.
- The area under the porch must be made sufficiently spacious, since it is recommended to choose the width of the structure so that two people can freely disperse on it (at least 1.5 m).
- The door should open freely outward, allowing people standing on the porch to avoid bumping into it. The platform itself can be attached to the wall of the facade or rest on separate pillars, the main thing is that it be 3-5 cm lower than the edge of the front door. This is quite important, since in the winter season the porch will rise and can block the entrance to the room.
- The width of the stairs, according to the regulations, should be at least 1 m, and the height of the step should not be less than 16 and more than 20 cm for comfortable descent and ascent. The most comfortable depth will be a step of 25-30 cm. The overall steepness (slope) of the flight of stairs depends on the size of the steps: the smaller it is, the more comfortable it is to climb. In order to prevent water from accumulating on the platform or steps during precipitation and not spoiling them, it is necessary either to leave small gaps between adjacent boards or bricks, or to install the platform and steps at a slight slope.
- It is best to put a separate foundation under the porch; there is no need to attach it to the already finished one under the house itself. It is recommended to build two types of foundation under the porch: flood or columnar. If possible, it is possible to build a frame system of reinforcing bars, which will increase the reliability and durability of the structure.
Types of structures
Depending on the type of construction, the porch can be:
- open;
- closed;
- on two sides;
- in the form of a vestibule, terraces and even gazebos.
The closed design has great protection from wind and precipitation. In summer, under it, you can hide from the scorching sun, and in winter, even the biggest snowfall will not notice the front door and does not block it. However, this design is not easy to install and quite expensive. The porch platform is completely covered by a canopy, there can be a canopy above the stairs, the sides are covered with railings to the height of the railing or completely. This design is perfect for any home with the right choice of design and materials.
An open small porch is much cheaper and easier to build. It has only a railing and a small canopy, which sometimes does not even cover the entire site. In the simplest case, the canopy and railing at the porch may also be absent, but if the extension is high enough, the absence of a fence is a certain danger. Most often, such simple attached structures are built around country houses, which in winter period are simply not used. A small foundation of such a porch is attached to outer wall, and the extension itself consists of only a couple of steps and a small platform at the door and is not able to protect from rain and snow.
The design of the vestibule is a small closed buffer zone, which allows you to reduce the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors. The tambour also reduces heat loss in winter and enhances the coolness inside the house in summer time of the year.
A porch with a staircase descending on two sides is erected in the case when the construction of an ordinary staircase is impossible due to the presence of outbuildings. The layout of such an entrance allows you to go down in the direction you need, and go up from any side without going around the porch. Before building it, it is better to consider other options, since the design is quite complex and expensive.
The terrace is often mistakenly referred to as a "veranda". Their main difference is that the veranda is located under the same roof with the main building and stands with it on the same foundation, and the terrace is being completed close to the house. Most often, a porch-terrace is an open structure with or without a large canopy. On the terrace you can place outdoor furniture or beautiful vases with flowers.
The porch-gazebo looks like an open veranda and is built, as a rule, from wood. Instead of a roof, a mesh frame can be placed above such a gazebo, which will be wrapped around wild grapes or rose hips in summer.
Sizes and shapes
The first thing you should pay attention to when designing a porch structure is its dimensions.
- They depend on the dimensions of the suburban building itself: for a small country house it is impractical to build a large covered terrace for two rooms, and a small one ladder it will look strange near a chic country mansion.
- Dimensions should not contradict building codes. If the house is built on uneven terrain, it is more convenient to build a porch with a high plinth, stairs and railings. To support a heavy canopy over a large porch, beautiful columns can be erected around the perimeter.
The shape of the porch may depend on the configuration of the street staircase and be:
- rectangular;
- angular;
- in the form of a trapezoid;
- radial: semicircular, oval, round;
- asymmetric.
There are no strict regulations in choosing the shape of the porch, it is selected in accordance with the design of the site and the house itself. Rectangular and square designs give a certain severity and weight. Round, on the contrary, soften general form structures. The design does not have to be a perfect circle, just outline a small circle and remove sharp corners.
An original solution would be a corner porch, which can be absolutely any shape. You can build a trapezoidal platform, triangular and even completely asymmetrical complex structure. The main thing is that the porch harmoniously complements a single design idea, and does not introduce dissonance.
Material selection
For the construction of a large monolithic structure, natural and fake diamond. Granite is durable and wear-resistant, but its price on the market building materials is quite high and is used in the construction of luxury real estate. For more economical options, sandstone is used, which is easy to process on your own and will fit perfectly into any design.
The finished stone porch can be faced with clinker tiles or porcelain stoneware.
On sale there are special sets that include three types of tiles:
- for facing steps;
- standard product of various sizes;
- corner for steps.
With all the elegance and beauty of stone structures, wood remains the most popular material for the construction of stairs and platforms. It is best to choose hardwoods such as oak or alder. A more economical option are boards made of linden and larch. Before installation, the wood must be treated with a special solution with an antiseptic, which protects the wood fibers from decay processes. To prevent wooden steps from being slippery, small grooves can be cut along the edges.
You can also build a structure of brick or metal profile, put a forged ladder.
Foundation
The best option foundation for wooden platform the porches are piles. This design is economical and easy to build on the site with your own hands in a short period of time. Besides columnar foundation allows you to make the porch high enough and install it on an uneven surface.
It is advisable to do strip and slab foundations if it is planned to build a large veranda or patio. The slab foundation is tied to the foundation of the house, which allows you to install the porch even on moving ground.
Manufacturing steps
Since the most popular option is the construction of a wooden porch, it would be advisable to consider all the stages of manufacturing using its example.
- Design. Before you start building something with your own hands, you need to think through and calculate everything. The design of the porch, the width and length of the platform and stairs are selected. The number of steps is calculated in such a way that a person steps onto the platform with the same foot with which he started climbing the stairs. It is desirable to provide for the presence of fences, a canopy and railings. It is not recommended to attach the structure to the building itself with a monolithic connection, as cracks may occur due to different shrinkage in the ground. Based on the selected parameters, a general design drawing is created, as well as small diagrams of individual fasteners and elements that you can take with you when buying materials or quickly view when performing construction work.
- Preparation of materials, construction of the foundation. It is necessary to purchase a beam for mounting support pillars with a section of 100x200 mm, boards of the selected material 30 mm thick, slats 50 mm thick for railings and fences. Additionally, antiseptics for wood processing and cement are purchased to secure the supporting pillars.
Of the tools, you may need various fasteners (screws, nails), a shovel, a saw. For measurements, it is most convenient to use a construction tape measure and level, fasten parts with a screwdriver or hammer.
Unlike a strip or slab foundation, a pile foundation does not require large financial and time investments. The bars must first be treated with an antiseptic and allowed to dry completely. Then mark the installation sites of the support and dig holes 70-80 cm deep in places. Sand and gravel should be laid at the bottom of such pits to increase the stability of the foundation pillars.
The piles are lowered into the pit and leveled, only after that it is possible to fill them with concrete mortar. After complete drying, the supports that are adjacent to the wall of the house can be screwed to it using self-tapping screws. This will add strength to the resulting structure.
- Manufacturing of stringers, fastening steps. The kosour (or bowstring) of the stairs is the side element that holds the steps. All stairs have such an element in their design and differ only in the way the steps are fastened: with mortise, sliding and attached corners. To mark the notches on the stringer, it is necessary to make a small template, one side of which corresponds to the size of the horizontal part of the step (tread), and the second to the vertical part (riser). The bowstring is cut with a saw along the marked lines, at the place of its connection with the ground, a concrete support platform is formed.
- Construction assembly. After the final drying of the concrete on the support platform, you can proceed directly to the installation of the entire structure. Finished stringers are attached to the supports with the upper edge and to the lags of the supporting platform with the lower ones, either by sawing or using the tongue-and-groove method. Then the wooden floor of the site is mounted, the boards are tightly fitted and connected with nails or self-tapping screws. It is important to leave a few lye so that water does not accumulate on the porch during rain.
- Laying steps, installing railings and canopies. Laying starts from the bottom, the steps are fastened using the tongue and groove method and are additionally fixed with small self-tapping screws. The riser is attached first, and the tread is already fixed on it. Lastly, railings and a canopy are mounted, if planned.
What to paint?
The finished wooden porch can be processed different ways to keep or improve it appearance. With the help of wax, you can protect the wood fibers from moisture and dirt, which negatively affects its strength. A carved wooden porch can be varnished, which will not only protect the material, but also make the numerous edges and cuts play in the sun, revealing the master's idea. However, the most in a simple way finishes wooden structures located on the street, is painting.
The porch is a very important building not only for a country house, but also for a summer residence. After all, it is the entrance group that shows the attitude of the owner to his house, his taste, and also protects the building from bad weather. Therefore, it is important for the porch to choose the right quality materials and build it according to technology.
The main nuances of the construction of the porch
The first thing to do before the construction process is to determine the architectural style of the future structure, materials and their consumption. All data obtained is entered into the drawing of the porch country house. You must also have a photo of the finished structure.
It is worth remembering that a wooden porch is best suited for a wooden house, and an entrance group made of the appropriate material for a concrete and brick house. It is best for the entrance group of the house to select the material from which the house itself is built or to combine materials so that it looks appropriate.
There are a number of principles that experienced builders are advised to follow:
- Ideally, the porch is built at the same time as the house to avoid unforeseen distortions and shrinkage problems.
- The number of steps is always odd. This is necessary for the comfort of moving up the stairs.
- The width of the porch must be calculated depending on the type of front door. A single-leaf requires a porch of at least 1.5 m, and a double-leaf requires at least 2 m.
- The depth of the porch platform should be 1 m more than the door leaf. A smaller platform may cause an accidental fall when standing on it and opening the door at the same time.
- Stairs with more than three steps must be provided with railings.
In any case, the porch can be divided into several types, which are presented below in the photo:
- Open - a structure that does not have a canopy. In those areas where frequent rainfall is best not to build, as it is subject to rapid wear.
- Closed - a porch under a canopy with walls, is a separate room of the house, which can be adapted for a summer kitchen or a place of rest.
- Covered - a structure with a canopy, but without walls.
Materials for the country porch
As a rule, a dacha is a wooden structure, not too large in size, so the porch for it is most often built from wood. It is best to make a structure from durable woods such as pine, larch, spruce or oak. In addition to strength, these materials are highly resistant to precipitation and durability.
Important! Boards should be with a humidity level of 15-18%.
The platform is installed at least 5 cm below the front door. This is done to prevent the door from jamming when the material swells, as well as for fire safety purposes.
If there is a financial opportunity and desire, then you can make a concrete porch in the country. Such a design, if it is made strictly according to technology, can serve for a long time.
It is made from cement grade 400, as the most high-quality and suitable material option for this type of work. It’s also not worth saving on formwork, since low-quality, old boards may simply not withstand the weight of the porch. To finish such a porch, use natural stone, porcelain stoneware or tiles, as well as others. Decoration Materials. An example of such a structure is shown in the photo:
If the budget is very limited, then you can make an entrance group of bricks, as in the photo. This material is relatively inexpensive, but not very durable, as it begins to crumble under atmospheric exposure. In no case should used material be used for the construction of a structure, since its integrity has already been violated, although this is sometimes not visible from the outside. It is possible to clad a brick porch in the same way as a concrete porch with tiles or porcelain stoneware with a rough structure, in order to avoid slipping, as well as other materials.
Often cottages and houses are supplied with a metal porch. This is the most durable material. Metal processing consists only in coating it with an anti-corrosion agent, which will prevent the appearance of rust and sprinkling of the material. Production can be made from profile pipe or an equilateral corner, which will significantly reduce the cost of construction. Another advantage of such a structure is the ability to make a pile foundation for it, which will also not greatly affect the budget. The main mistake in the construction of such a structure is a metal canopy. It is better if polycarbonate serves as the material for the roof, since metal causes a very loud sound in the rain.
Country porch design
It would seem, how can you decorate the porch in the country? There are a huge number of options and style directions that can be implemented on your site.
If the entrance group is wooden, then its main decoration, of course, will be the carving and the use of large rounded logs in the construction. It is better not to use paint, but to emphasize naturalness with varnish. Such materials are the most harmonious.
You can make a European porch - a small and neat design, decorated with wrought iron elements and an abundance of flowers. You can combine colors and play with contrast. It will be interesting to look at dark doors with light railings, as in the photo.
Those who love lightness and unobtrusiveness can be advised to arrange a porch in the country during french style using glass door and lattice decorated with flowers. Usually a path paved with durable material leads to the house.
Minimalists can be advised a classic design without unnecessary details in a strict design.
Often the porch is combined with a terrace in order to have an additional resting place. It is also recommended to conduct lighting on it. The simplest option would be a light bulb under a canopy, and more sophisticated - lampposts next to the stairs.
Do-it-yourself porch construction technology for a summer residence
The first step is a clear design and layout. After the work on taking measurements and creating a project for the future structure is completed, you can begin to lay the foundation.
Foundation laying and site creation
Depending on the material, the foundation may be different. It is quite possible to install a metal porch on piles, but concrete, wooden and brick ones are not.
Consider the algorithm for building a foundation for these types of porches. Heavy construction requires the creation of a tape or monolithic base. Its depth should not be less than the depth of the foundation of the house.
- A pit is pulled out according to the size of the future structure
- A gravel-sand cushion 20 cm thick is poured at the bottom and compacted.
- Concrete prepared in the following ratio is poured into the formwork: 1 part of cement: 2 parts of crushed stone: 2 parts of sand. Water is added to a minimum so that the concrete is non-liquid.
- The poured concrete is leveled.
- After the foundation is completely dry (about 7 days), waterproofing is done with roofing felt or other material.
In the case of the construction of a concrete structure, formwork is laid in the form of steps and a reinforcing mesh. Next, the material is poured in layers, thereby obtaining even steps.
In order to make a wooden porch, they do it a little differently:
- Dig a trench around the perimeter of the porch.
- A reinforcing mesh is installed in it and load-bearing beams, previously treated with an antiseptic, are dug in.
- Filled with concrete.
- After a week, the length of the pillars is leveled, and horizontal logs are installed with their attachment to the wall of the house.
- A draft floor is laid, which is necessarily treated with a waterproofing or other material to prevent decay.
Construction of steps and railings
For a concrete porch, steps, as mentioned above, are poured with concrete in layers and polished to a flat surface.
In order to make the steps of a wooden porch, you will have to spend a little more time and effort. It is necessary to take rather thick boards of about 5 cm or more and mount steps from them.
On the sides, stringers are laid, which are pre-marked at the places where the steps are attached. Laying steps starts from the bottom, first the riser is attached, then the step. According to this algorithm, work continues to the very top. The last step the porch platform is laid from the appropriate material. The scheme is shown in the photo.
For a concrete porch, the railings are installed while the mortar is still wet so that they are securely fastened or bolted onto the dry steps.
Wooden railings are fastened with dowels or self-tapping screws. In the first case, glue is additionally used.