Porch Ideas Network | Tips for Porch Lovers | Porch Experts and Resources

Porch Stories: Porches are special places for making memories.  And many of those memories are made on the front porch swing.  Shannon Lee wrote this true account of how she passed through the rituals of childhood with the front porch swing as her anchor and her mom as her sounding board.  We know you will enjoy the special memories that Shannon shares with us here. Thank you for listening! This story first appeared on the Build Direct Blog and we are pleased that Shannon narrated it for us to hear.  If you love porches, you will also love our website.  Please stop by and share your porch stories with us. Listen to all of our porch-centric podcasts.  

In the mobile home / manufactured home world, there are plentiful ways to make wonderful home improvements. Our guest, Tim Peele, President of the Mobile Home Parts Store, explains the most popular ways his customers improve their homes - both exterior and interior. Tim touches upon assorted ways that mobile and RV home owners add curb appeal and improve the original amenities of their homes - How skirting boosts the appeal of your home and helps keep critters out - The beauty of shutters and awnings - Using patio covers and custom roofing options to create a covered porch - Adding temporary or permanent space to your mobile home with a three season porch or sunroom - The #1 bathroom improvement that Tim is seeing his customers want - The #1 kitchen improvement that mobile homeowners would like to have - The difference in sizes for tubs and sinks between conventional homes and mobile homes - The many DIY tips offered on their website from replacing a door to measuring windows to repairing ceiling stains - and so many more For more details and pictures go here. Visit us at the Porch Ideas Network.        

Whether you have a covered open porch or a screened porch, you can easily and affordably turn it into a wonderful three season porch. Caison Craven with Eze Breeze Windows shares with us how these screened porch windows can easily turn your screened porch into a three season porch. And not only that, how these retractable porch windows keep out pollen, dirt, dust, rain and wind so that you can enjoy your porch more months of the year. - These vinyl screened porch windows are more affordable than glass windows which equates to an affordable three season porch. Maybe some of your budget can then be directed to comfortable furniture and rugs! - Windows can open up 75% compared to 50% for casement windows allowing you much more fresh air and wonderful breezes than ordinary windows. - The vinyl windows can be tinted so you can block out the strong rays of the sun and enjoy your porch that much ore. - If wind, dust, pollen or rain keep you from your porch, these windows take care of that problem.  So enjoy your porch even when the weather isn't the best.  Visit our podcast page to listen to dozens of shows for inspiring porch ideas. See pictures of the screened porch windows here.

We welcome Linda Lytle, Executive Director of Visit Madison,Inc. Linda shares why people love Madison so much and gives us a sampling of things to do there such as attending one of their many festivals, hiking at Clifty Falls State Park or watch the boat races at the Madison Regatta during the 4th of July festivities. Or do what we love: stroll the downtown streets and enjoy the amazing architecture, porches and friendly people who live there! Whether you live in Madison Indiana or are one of its 300,000 visitors, you realize it is a friendly community that welcomes visitors and loves its historic downtown area. This is a historic Hoosier community with 19th century buildings and homes where people live and work. The town is noted not only for its historic and scenic beauty but also for its many festivals, hiking and biking trails, arts and music culture and the friendly camaraderie. See more pictures of Madison Indiana.  

Madison, Indiana is one amazing porch town, located on the Ohio River smack dab between Cincinnati Ohio and Louisville Kentucky.  Dave and I interviewed Trevor Crafton, Executive Director of their Chamber of Commerce, to learn the background of this vibrant and welcoming small Midwest town. Madison IN is a very scenic riverfront town located on the Ohio river between Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH. It has been selected as one of the top 15 semifinalist communities in the America's Best Communities competition - the winner to be selected in 2017. The downtown  section is comprised of historic building and houses which have very charming porches and architecture.  Captivating in appearance, the historic colonial and shotgun homes are postcard worthy. The majority of Madison's downtown area has been designated the largest contiguous National Historic Landmark in the United States—133 blocks of the downtown area.  Larger than the historic districts in either Charleston SC or Savannah GA. A cultural arts and music center, its town people embrace festivals, visitors and 21st century technology.  The low cost of living, low unemployment rate, walkways and bike paths and nearby Hanover College are but a few of the reasons people enjoy living in Madison. Dave and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit there and we know you will enjoy this podcast we had with lifetime resident and Executive Director of the Chamber, Trevor Crafton. See pictures of Madison Indiana. Enjoy more of our podcasts.        

Our guest, Lori Sawaya, from The Land of Color, is a color expert and color strategist. She understands both the art and science of color. Lori helps those of us who are color-impaired to understand how to make the most of color in your decorating especially the exterior of your home. She also clears up some misconceptions that most of us have about color - such as the meaning of neutrals and why, for example, the color red doesn't pop as much on brown as it does on white.   She also tells us about a new system that one of the big paint stores is offering in their stores to help consumers make better colors choices the first time. If you are like us, we bring home a color of paint for our walls only to be surprised at that the color has more yellow, green or pink in it that we didn't notice in the paint chip.  Lori talks about how we can alleviate that. But in the end, she says, that the ultimate test will always be to bring home a sample from the store and try it before we do the whole project.   This is educational and helps to clear up some of those mysteries we have about color in our world. And best of all how to apply it to the exterior of our homes and porches.  Yeah!

Our guest Moises Cruz, Principal Engineer for A-1 Engineering, talks to us about foundation performance for buildings, including porches and decks.  He helps to clear up some misconceptions about cracks in your foundation and also talks about the steps you need to take if you want to upgrade your open porch to an enclosed porch or addition to your home. You will learn: - Why homeowners should keep tabs of the condition of their homes and where the cracks are - Why a foundation crack does not necessarily mean something is wrong - The reasons that foundations crack - and it's not the foundation's fault! - When you should call a Structural Engineer to diagnose issues with your foundation - Several of the ways foundations are repaired - One of the best things you can do if you're going to upgrade your porch to an enclosed porch - Why the materials and quality of foundations for a porch are as important as the foundation for your home - How you can read important information about foundations that will make you a wiser homeowner - Why it's absolutely necessary to work closely with your local building department when adding on to your home   Visit us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a complete porch portal: amazing porch pictures, tutorials, DIYs and designs. Thank you!

Our guest, Shawnna Steele, of ReDesign HP, shares insider tips on modifying stock house plans.  If you are planning to build a home from an online house plan, Shawnna shares tips to make the process go easier.  What you will learn: - What is the driving force for many common home modifications? - Two reasons why starting out with a stock plan and then modifying it can be a better for you than working with a local architect - How many houses does a homeowner need to build to get the "perfect" house? Of course, that is subjective! - What should you focus upon when selecting a house plan - and you might be pretty surprised by this. - You should know a common and natural modification request that homeowners ask for - which is actually quite difficult to achieve - How search engines on stockplan websites can help you narrow down the type of houseplan that you want - A few fun yet functional modifications that you might want to consider - even for remodels Visit the Porch Ideas Network to hear all of our podcasts and our complete porch site for a bazillion porch ideas and pictures.

We had the honor of speaking with Guest Jarret Magbee, CEO and President Family Home Plans and Cool House Plans.  Today Jarret spoke with us about buying house plans online. He shared: - What you get when you purchase house building plans online - What modifications you can have made - What are the most popular home plan styles these days - What size homes people are looking for - Why it is good to have a contractor to assist you for meeting local requirements - He compared the price of purchasing a pre-designed house plan plus modification to getting your own designer or architect - Are McMansions still in vogue? - Learn about other fun project plans you can get for garden sheds, porches and trellises   - Get a bazillion porch ideas on our site!

We welcome Kevin Harris of AGS Stainless who talks about the wonderful options you now have with cable or glass railings for your porch or deck. Of course, interior applications are popular, too. Highlights include: - Why stainless steel is superior to aluminum when it comes to porch and deck railings - The various finishes that cable railings come in to match to your home's decor - The pros and cons of glass railings and when they are better suited than cable railings - Railing options to consider when it comes to pets or small children - A story (true one) about how to keep puppies safe from alligators - The ease of installation for the homeowner or the builder - How you can order stainless steel railings and have them shipped the very next day See more details on this podcast on our site. Also visit us for plenty of porch pictures and ideas.  

Jami and Brian Boys did an amazing backyard transformation. We want to share their backyard design ideas with you. Jami and Brian walked us through their backyard landscaping plans as well as their budget and timeframe. Their project spanned about 7 months and they went from an old oversized deck to a yard with distinct living areas and a wonderful herb garden - all tied together with a gravel walkway. From our fun conversation with them, you will learn:   - How to reuse an old deck. - Discover inexpensive materials for constructing your backyard outdoor room - Use wasted space in your new backyard - Learn benefits of using gravel pads and walkways - Learn how they tied everything together in a cohesive setting - Learn how they prioritized the features they wanted Please visit Front Porch Ideas for a bazillion ideas for designing, building and decorating your porch.

Our special guest and professional artist, Leisa Collins, shares with us the story of how she became an architectural artist. She draws, then paints from photographs to create beautiful and unique custom house portraits for her customers. She has painted 35 different architectural styles for customers in 43 states. An entrepreneur who hails from New Zealand, Leisa has been an artist since a teenager. Why would someone want a portrait of their home? - Perhaps to celebrate and remember the home they grew up in - To serve as a memory of different homes where a family has lived - As a special gift to yourself to celebrate the pride you have in your home - As a gift to your parents to celebrate a special anniversary - As a closing gift from a Realtor to the new homeowners - And she can even create paintings of your home in all four seasons Leisa also paints other places that commemorate special occasions - Like the church where a couple was married - Or the place where they became engaged - Or the college you graduated from or the elementary school you attended - And landscapes, too. Like your favorite beach or mountain scene. Or the street you grew up on. Visit our site to see pictures of Leisa's beautiful artwork. And please visit Front Porch Ideas for zillions of porch ideas and photographs.

Our guest, Glenn Smith of Screen Houses Unlimited, talks you through the various types of screen enclosures you can get for your porch, deck or patio. From a soft top unit that has a vinyl roof and comes down in winter, to a hard top unit that is more of a permanent enclosure or a "walls only" unit if your deck or porch already has a roof. Glenn shares: - Which enclosure options are appropriate for you - The main reasons homeowners want to enclose their porches and decks - The ordering process - The DIY skills you need (you might be surprised) - What to expect when the kit is delivered - What you need to do to prepare your space - Whether you need to do more framing - The sizes available You will enjoy Glenn's easy and humorous style and his customer focus. See all our program notes and pictures here. Come visit Front Porch Ideas for ideas for designing, decorating and building your porch.

Our guest, Jeannie Timmons, realtor with Benchmark Realty, talks with us about the simple DIY strategy for boosting your home's curb appeal. Follow Jeannie's advice to boost your home's appeal and make it more compelling for potential buyers. Highlights of the podcast: - How long it takes for a prospective buyer to form an opinion of the outside of your home - Stories about how two homes were sold with the help of very low-cost but smart updates to the exterior - Jeannie's insider tips on how to refresh your home's curb appeal to make it super appealing to buyers: sweat equity + R, C and D - Why the front porch / stoop is one of the most important areas of the home to prospective buyers - The small things that Jeannie says are important to pay attention to For pictures and more info visit our site please. - Where Jeannie advises to keep colors neutral and where she encourages pops of color - The one kind of flowers that Jeannie encourages us not to have on our porches - The key areas where you should invest money if you plan to sell vs areas where you will get little payback - Jeannie's tips for getting the inside of your home ready and why less is more See all of our program notes and more pictures on our website. Please stop by our site for a bazillion front porch ideas

We welcome several guests from Behr who helps us wade through the many painting and staining options for your porch or deck floor. An educational discussion for sure! Rick Bautista and Eric Lundquist help us to: Discover the two most important factors you must consider for achieving a beautiful porch floor Discover when to use transparent, semi-transparent, or solid paint products Learn tips for selecting the right color for your porch floor or deck Discover ways that you can restore your older porch or deck floors Discover how to make your paint or stain to last on concrete Learn the differences between dying and staining concrete See pictures and our full program notes here. Join us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a bazillion porch ideas. If you like this audio program, we welcome you to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Our guests, Leisa Collins and Bruce Goodman, are not only experts in the field of craftsman style homes, but they also love the simple, beautiful and neighborly lifestyle of the Arts and Craft era. In this podcast you will learn: Why the Arts and Craft home design is also a life style - one of simplicity, beauty, honesty, artistry and craftsmanship. Appreciate the importance of porches on Arts and Craft homes. A brief overview of the Arts and Craft Movement Learn specific characteristics of Arts and Craft porches. Hear about a few of the great artisans who played a great role in the Arts and Crafts Movement like William Morris and Gustav Stickley Learn what breakfast nooks have in common with Arts and Craft home designs Discover whole communities of Arts and Craft homes. Learn about Leisa's passion for capturing the beauty and architecture of Craftsman homes in her watercolor paintings. See pictures and our  full program notes here. Join us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a bazillion porch ideas. If you like this audio program, we welcome you to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Our guest, Zach Watson, of Embers Grill and Fireplace Store, gives tips for putting in a fireplace or outdoor appliances on your porch or deck. He covers such things as: - Learn what's more popular - gas or wood outdoor fireplaces? - Like real estate, it's all about location, location, location. - Learn an interesting consideration for installing a gas outdoor fireplace. - Learn about a neat alternative to the traditional outdoor fireplace. - Discover the relative cost of an outdoor fireplace. - Learn about layout designs for your outdoor kitchen. - Find ideas for outdoor appliances. See beautiful pictures of fireplaces and outdoor kitchens on our site. Join us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a bazillion porch ideas. If you like this audio program, we welcome you to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Dave gives some great ideas on how to make your small porch or portico larger.  Even if you cannot extend your porch due to roof issues, Dave gives you alternative ideas such as using a patio near your porch - which can be uncovered,  covered with a pergola or fully covered.  Dave talks about the challenges that prevent people from having a porch in the first place such as their home's archietcture, the placement of their 2nd story windows, their building codes and of course, the cost. We tell you about options you may have - more than you might think and give you some points to consider for these options. Then Dave gives you tips for moving forward with expanding your porch.   There are a number of ways you can have more outdoor space - not only to enjoy but also to add immense curb appeal to your home. A fun discussion! See pictures of patio porches and more show notes. Join us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a bazillion porch ideas. If you like this audio program, we welcome you to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. 

Our guest, Marc McAvoy, from Acurio Latticeworks speaks about his family company and how they eventually came to manufacture custom PVC panels for both indoor and outdoor applications. The panels come in various colors but the most popular colors are white and black. The panels also come in a wide variety of custom patterns, but Marc said that many people still prefer traditional patterns like checks and diamonds - primarily geometric. We spoke with Marc about how his panels are used for porch skirting, deck skirting and privacy panels for decks and porches. Also, Marc talked about how his panels are also designed for porch railings, too. He talks about indoor applications, too, such as decorative ceiling panels, privacy for windows, wainscoating and for restaurant decor and on Hollywood sets. We learned about the difference between the Acurio product and the lattice found at the big box stores. See pictues of Acurio's decorative panels on our site. Join us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a bazillion porch ideas. If you like this audio program, we welcome you to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Our guest, Steve Pfeffer, of PCA Products in Sevierville, TN, tells about his family company of 25 + years and the aluminum screen doors they manufacture. Steve speaks about their  screen doors being extremely durable and well built and not only that, but no sacrifice in design and appearance. We got to visit their facility where they custom make each door and got to see close-up the nice differences between these doors and the many you can find in big box stores. Their aluminum screen door addresses problems that most homeowners experience: screens coming loose, bugs coming under the door, fading and warping. According to Steve, the engineering behind their doors has overcome these obstacles. We found it especially neat to hear that if you push on the screen of a PCA door, not only does it not get loose, but it gets tighter. PCA's doors come in many styles - from double french doors to the classic country style and many other designs in between. See pictures of PCA's aluminum screened doors on our site. Join us at Front Porch Ideas and More for a bazillion porch ideas. If you like this audio program, we welcome you to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.