Hi there, for kerb appeal and contemporary look I'd remove the box at the front and install full height glazing to the entrance and partially opening up the ceiling for a double height space. The glazing would follow the rake of the roof for visual impact and entrance door centralised. The toilet could be relocated below the stairs.

The trees alongside the front side boundary provide a clue for ditching the render in favour for a high quality timber cladding around the lounge window.

Hope this gives you some food for thought.

Best Regards

Max, Newcastle

mbsurveyanddesign@gmail.com

Thanks Max, some interesting ideas there.

We are restricted by the upstairs toilet, the stairs in the hall are going down to the bedrooms so moving the toilet under the stairs isnt an option and having the 2nd toilet on the ground floor is a must

Increasing the ceiling height in the hall is also restricted - there is a steel beam running the full width of the house with struts up to the roof purlins!

We were thinking along these lines but looks like a lot of expense for such a small area (2m x 2m):

Ok I can see where you're going with this, if it was me I'd go with a mono or dual pitched roof to mimic the main gable slope and have the door positioned on the principal elevation

Thanks Max, yes, we dont particularly like the flat roof (and neither do insurers)

Are you looking to do something more cosmetic rather than extending?

given that the main house and garage both have a pitched roof you should either do the same.

alternatively don't have an external porch

Hi Ash: yes, cosmetic. Although it would be possible to extend at the front without planning permission, I dont think it would be easy to justify the extra cost

Hi Jonathan: yes, a pitched roof was our initial thoughts too, but we cant work out how to make it look OK because of how the garage ridge joins the main roof. The main reason for keeping the porch is storage - it prevents the need to bring wet coats and muddy shoes into the house and cluttering up the hall

Having thought about it I think a plain rendered structure- higher than the gutters of the garage.
I would hide a roof behind a parapet wall so that the stripe of render looks like the stripe of render at the front window

Agree with Jonathan. Not sure how to get a pitched roof that works. Parapet might be the easiest option. You just need to make it look less like an add-on by your use of render or cladding. If you fancy going off piste why not consider concrete or black timber cladding or even green walls and roof? :-)

Thanks Jonathan, I like the parapet idea, that would also mean there was no need for the black guttering along the front edge of the porch.

Thanks Ash, maybe slate (grey) cladding with black aluminium window frames? The existing white render could be painted grey or clad in the same material. Actually, there are lots of cracks in the render so it might actually come off relatively easily (although its likely be be lightweight block underneath so would be damaged in the process).

The tree has got to go, this would open up the front and light would be much better. Then depending on budget and planning regs I would be looking at extending across the full width of the house, either opening up the lounge depending how far out you come with the extension.

Good luck

When in doubt take your cue from the original structure and minimise changes in material - in this case, follow the pitch/gradient of the existing roof structure. Looks like the garage and house roofs are both at the same relatively shallow pitch so look at recreating that on the porch. Make sure the porch roof extends comfortably beyond the porch walls to create deeper eaves, otherwise it could look quite 'mean'. Match the roof materials to the existing house and garage (they look the same tile). The remainder of the porch could be wholly timber but if you decide to have brick or stone, ensure it matches the house brick. (are my town planner roots showing? :) )

thanks Ducissa,

yes the garage and main roof are the same pitch. Finding matching bricks for other repairs to the house has proved problematic, they arent that common and front face is easily damaged so reclaimed yards rarely have any available. I guess a general red orange brick would be OK.

We took the existing 'plastic' porch down at the weekend and I think its now closer to how it was originally built; it looks better already :-)

The crazy-paving wall in all its glory!

What about the stone work? We like the idea of a feature wall but dont think that this one has been well done. Maybe cladding it in wood or rendering it (white) would work?

Does anyone have an opinion on whether the roof is safe as it is? I.e. without a pillar or post holding up the corner? At the moment it seems to be cantilevered rather a long way.

I would put a support in for the roof.
As far as stonework features I think that if you are considering crisp render and grey windows you are after a cleaner more contemporary look- this stone fights that look so I say work out the materials palette you want for the house, check it compliments the rest of the street and then stick to the plan.

Hi John,

Looks an interesting project, we are just finishing a project upgrading a similar style house house and porch! The whole house was covered with external insulation and render and now is poised to become a retrofit Passivhaus (EnerPHit) and is super cosy. The local conservation office was also very supportive. This style of porch could work well for you to.

this is what it did look like:

You could take the porch roof up to the profile of the main house which might require planning permission this would make the porch more of a bolder statement ,less 'bitty' and may allow you to add velux windows to-boot the ubiquitous white upvc windows could be replaced with a modern compromise as grey which stand out less ( but don't forget white upvc was that for a purpose to reflect harmful degrading sunlight )David Thorp RIBA ASBA

Hi Eco Design,

a very interesting project. I am at the point of deciding what to do with the porch as its a pre-requisite for re-tiling the roof after which I will insulating the whole house. I'm torn between external and internal insulation and was favouring internal because of the maintenance aspect of render (cleaning and repairing cracks) but more importantly cost - roughly speaking, how much does is cost to externally insulate and render a house (per sq meter)?

And do you work in Cheshire?

I like it with the open porch, now you have removed all the plastic. If it were me, I would just add a timber post (or maybe a circular steel post - very '60s) to support the roof, and then tidy everything up. Can you add any storage for shoes and coats inside?

The alternative is a much bigger project, I think, with a higher, pitched roof. Maybe you could be bold and add a monopitch tilted upwards away from the garage? Or you need to add onto the top of the garage roof to make a wider double-pitched roof that stretches over the porch as well.

I would also keep the crazy paving stone - it may not be to our current taste, but it has its own charm, and it is part of the style of the house - the whole garage seems to be built in it. Going contemporary can date very quickly if it doesn't sit well with the original building.

I've just uploaded a new project, a 1960s bungalow that we extended and renovated, including opening up the original porch! (Note that some of the paintwork is not yet finished on these pics)

In terms of insulation, are you wanting to go further than just filling the cavity wall? Cavity wall is cheap and effective, but won't get you anywhere near an eco-home, if that's what you're after.

John

Thanks John, interesting ideas.

Re the insulation, cavity wall insulation has been 'completed' by the previous owner although not very well - some walls dont have any insulation in them with most walls having some insulation but with limited coverage (typically about 70%). I was planning on adding 75mm of kingspan on the internal face of all the external walls particularly as all the existing plaster/plasterboard has been removed. I guess it would make sense to top up the existing cavity insulation once the walls are sealed with kingspan.

Adding 75mm Kingspan will make it much warmer, but do be careful to ensure there is a good vapour barrier, or you risk causing interstitial condensation.

Hi John,

We would always suggest external insulation rather than internal insulation, where you have the option, because as John Botham states there is a real risk of interstitial condensation, and potential mould and damage to the structure. If you do need to do it internally be careful not to add to much and ensure it is fitted carefully without gaps and with a good vapour barrier - especially around electric sockets etc. if you use a product such as Kingspan. It is also vital that you return the insulation in around the windows, this makes significant differences to overall performance and the risk of condensation and mould at this point, though this insulation can be thinner. We often recommend a breathable insulation such as Pavadentro when internal insulation is required, as this allows the moisture to come in and out of the wall. Careful detailing at internal wall junctions, floors and roof are also needed, along with good airtightness sealing, while you are doing it.

Putting a price on external insulation is difficult as it depends on many factors, such as needing to move down pipes, extending eaves etc, along with thickness and type of insulation. A good render, installed correctly should last many years without the need for any maintenance and can perform to a much higher standard than internal. You asked if we do work in Cheshire, yes, we cover quite a wide area we are working on projects from Mold in Wales to the Channel islands, give us a call if you would like to discuss further.

Regards

Alan

Hi John
Did you manage to change your porch?
We have a similar dilemma as to what we can do with the porch.
Hubby wants to have some kind of pitched roof rather than a flat roof, but not sure how it would look as the garage had a flat roof .

hi ShobY,

it's still to be completed but we've decided to keep the flat roof although it will be re-done to get the falls to work and to add flashing to prevent rain leaking into the garage.
Despite it sounding simple the cost is approx 10K hence we haven't done it yet!