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stephanie_beaudette

Remodel front door deck with retaining wall challenge

2 years ago

Need some ideas for our new home front porch area. There is a retaining wall that prevents fully centering the stairs with the front door but I think we can modify this deck a bit for an improved front entry. Maybe carry deck along house wall toward window and widen the stairs. I'm not coming up with many ideas for this area. Thank you for any thoughts!


Comments (9)

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I think if you widen the stairs to go right to the retaining wall it would look much better so that the sdise rail lines up with the edge of the side light on the right then it will look like it was palnned that way then make the other hand rail line up with the left edge of that window

    Stephanie thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 2 years ago

    The current setup doesn't bother me but widening the porch could be nice -- just be sure you don't end up blocking your window.

    Stephanie thanked acm
  • 2 years ago

    I find nothing wrong with the existing either.

    Stephanie thanked millworkman
  • 2 years ago

    You can make the porch deeper and wider, with the steps centered on the window.

    Stephanie thanked ShadyWillowFarm
  • 2 years ago

    Unless you want a porch across the front and are going to use it, I think you can achieve much more by adding landscaping to the right. Even if you extend the porch it will look unfinished without landscaping so just cut to the landscaping. What's your zone? Maybe post a pic from farther back for the full view.

    I'm tagging my favorite, most reasonable landscape designer commenter, @Dig Doug's Designs for his thoughts.

    Stephanie thanked tozmo1
  • PRO
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Here are a few ideas:






    Stephanie thanked Dig Doug's Designs
  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Maybe I'm missing something but I would just enclose the deck and move the front door to the top of the existing stairs. Or position the door sideways directly under the center beam of the 2nd story peaked window.

    I would fill in the empty space to the left of the retaining wall below the deck with simple screening wood materials and create an access door at the left side of it (since it appears your utility meter is down there.)

    Excuse my finger painting, but in the sketch below a visitor would walk up the steps and be at the the front door. He or she would enter an enclosed porch, and you could have another lockable door where you current one is now. Many homes are like this. Under the porch you could have a simple shed like barrier with an access door in it



    or

    In this sketch a visitor walks up the steps to an open landing and turns to his or her left to face the front door. There could be a welcome sign and a porch light there to make it obvious to come up the stairs. You could put a window in the now enclosed "foyer"to make it more obvious that was the house interior. Under the porch you could have a shed like wall with an access door.



    If doing an actual "house-worthy" full enclosure that relocates the door is cost prohibitive, I am guessing it might be cost-comparable to other suggestions you are getting to turn the deck into a screened porch and add an unlocked screened door at the top of the steps. Again, many homes have their formal front door inside a screened front porch.

    Stephanie thanked mytwo cents
  • 2 years ago

    No one has suggested the OP turn the front deck into a screened in porch.

    Stephanie thanked ShadyWillowFarm
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