House Style: Cottage

Project Type: Exterior Update/Curb Appeal

Location: Harvard/Yale, Salt Lake City, Utah

Originally Built in: 1943

OVERVIEW

This simple porch addition greatly improves the curb appeal of the home. The original design dumped snow and rain on the porch steps causing a hazard. The new front porch improves the home's looks, but also makes the entry more inviting to visitors.

THE STORY

Built in the 1940's, the home is located on a quiet residential street in the Harvard/Yale neighborhood. The client wanted to update the front façade and porch. The massing of the roof placed emphasis on the protruding living room, rather than on the entrance. Because the existing configuration made it disappear into the front façade, the roof and porch needed to be re-designed. Water showered onto the front steps and walk because of the shed roof over the front door making them slick and dangerous in the winter. The roof over the porch was also so low that it prevented the screen door from fully opening out onto the porch. There was a poor connection between the front porch and the driveway and the entire roof was dilapidated and non-descript. Also, feeling that it was out-of-date and unattractive the client was unhappy with the appearance of the vinyl siding.

THE SOLUTION

To solve the problem of the deemphasized entrance, the roof was reconfigured. The gable was widened to extend over the entryway and the existing shed roof was removed. The removal of the shed roof also allowed for an increased soffit height over the front door. This also allowed water to be redirected away from the front stairs and walk to keep them free from ice. The vinyl siding was removed and the entire house was re-sheathed in cementious fiber board, with white trim. The entire roof was also re-shingled, using an architectural grade shingle. The existing stairs were torn out and replaced with Trex stairs, a more skid-resistant safe surface. The final touch was to construct a trellis to highlight the front porch.