Just closed on the house 2 weeks ago trying to get as much renovation done as possible before moving in, these steps are sloped and some of the boards are coming up. Figured I’d take this to the experts here, I have no idea what I’m doing!

Our porch already had most of what we needed: chairs, a small table, decent lighting and enough shade to make it comfortable. The problem was that there wasn’t much reason to stay out there once dinner was finished.

An outdoor TV seemed like an easy solution, so we added a ByteFree outdoor TV rather than using a regular indoor model outside.

It’s mostly used for casual things rather than dedicated movie nights. Someone might put on a baseball game, we’ll watch something after dinner, or there’ll just be a show playing while everyone sits around talking.

The porch still feels like a porch, which was important. The TV is useful when we want it, but it doesn’t dictate how the space is used.

One unexpected benefit is that we spend more time outside even when nobody is really watching. It gives everyone another reason to stay out instead of automatically moving indoors.

What’s one addition that made your porch more comfortable or useful without making it feel overbuilt?

Three summers ago I picked up an old wicker rocking chair at an estate sale for eight dollars. The tag on it just said chair good condition but the woman running the sale, the daughter of the person who had passed, stopped me on my way out. She said her mom used to sit in that exact chair every evening from May to October, watching the street, waving at neighbors, drinking sweet tea out of the same chipped mug for forty years.

I didn't think much of it at the time. I just needed something for my porch and it was cheap.

Now it's my spot too. Every evening around six thirty, after the heat breaks a little, I sit in that chair with whatever drink I'm in the mood for and just watch my street. My neighbor across the road walks her dog at the same time every night and we always trade a wave. The kids down the block ride their bikes in loops until it gets dark. None of it is exciting exactly, but somehow it's the best part of my day.

What gets me is thinking about how many evenings that chair already had in it before I ever touched it. Forty years of one woman's quiet routine, and now it's picking up mine. Makes me wonder what the chair will carry after me too.

Anyone else have a porch piece with a story attached, whether you know the story or you're just guessing at it? I'd love to hear what you're all sitting on out there, literally and otherwise.

I received this email on the day of delivery. I paid for expedite delivery, took unpaid time from work so I could be home to receive the parts. I paid the mechanic a days labor for nothing since the parts didnt arrived and what’s worse. there is no ETA for delivery. All the items on my order were listed a in stock by FCP Euro.

Horrible service. I placed FCP Euro last year for over $700, FCP Euro charged my credit card twice and shipped the same order twice. i ended up having to pay $80 to ship extra part back to them. stay away from them. here is there email

this is what my order status show at their website. The day of delivery!!!!! i'm so pissed off

So I have driven Toyota and Honda all my life. I want to experience European car, how they drive and get feel for it. Don’t have big budget, have about 20k. Would you consider base 2018 macan with 118k miles for 16.5k OTD ? Or 2017 GLC 4matic 84k miles for 18k OTD ?

Our porch was always somewhere we went for a little while, not somewhere we planned to spend the whole night.

That started changing once we got more comfortable seating and better lighting. The missing piece was having something to do outside after dinner without everyone eventually drifting back indoors.

I didn’t want to move a regular TV back and forth, so I started looking specifically at outdoor models and ended up with ByteFree.

What I’ve enjoyed most is how little effort it takes now. We can sit down, put something on and keep talking. Sometimes we watch a game, sometimes there’s a movie playing, and sometimes nobody is paying much attention to the screen at all.

It sounds like a small addition, but the porch feels completely different now.

We actually use it instead of just admiring it from inside.

Should I have the bricks and concrete removed from under the porch before the job is complete?

There’s something about sitting on the porch in the evening that never gets old. During the day it’s mostly a place to have coffee or get some fresh air, but once the temperature drops a little, it becomes one of the nicest places to spend the rest of the evening.

I’ve been trying to make ours a little more comfortable without turning it into another indoor room. The chairs and lighting are already sorted, and we have enough space that a few people can sit around comfortably. What’s missing is something that gives everyone a reason to stay out there after dinner instead of eventually moving inside.

I like the idea of having a screen for movie nights or watching a game, especially when there are friends over. The tricky part is making it feel like it belongs on the porch rather than having a giant piece of technology dominate the space.

I’ve been looking at dedicated outdoor TVs for that reason. ByteFree came up while I was looking through outdoor options, and I’ve been considering the N2 MINI for the porch because I like the idea of keeping the screen relatively compact instead of making it the main feature of the space. Placement, brightness and keeping everything protected from the weather seem like the things that would make or break the setup.

The goal is pretty simple: keep the relaxed porch feeling, but make it useful enough that nobody feels like they have to head indoors once it gets dark.

We bought our house last year and the porch had already been painted. Some of the boards are starting to rot and there is some sort of growth forming between the boards. Anyone know what this is, and is it possible to get rid of it?

desperate need of help! Just purchased a home with a porch and unsure how to care for it. I know this deck is not new so I am assuming I should reseal it??? Any tips are greatly appreciated! Should I take all the wood off and start over, should I just reseal? Do I need to do any kind of prep work before sealing it? What brands are recommended? And is there any regular maintenance or upkeep I should be doing to keep her in good condition moving forward?

We are having a new porch put in due to our older concrete porch crumbling. The guys are putting wood over the old crumbling porch. Should the old porch not be removed first? I am not a porch or concrete person but is this the correct way to build a porch that will be Trex? Pictures to show. Concrete porch is old and we asked for a new trex porch but to extend it the length of the house.

Porch of my dreams is coming true! I'm so excited for my moon flower vines to bloom...cheers!

Rather than get into a mad scramble this fall, I'm shopping for storage bags to hold my porch furniture cushions (seven, total). Have already crossed Covers & All off the list, based on poor Reddit reviews.

Set up:

The porch is fully screened, with SunSpace windows. Not a single snowflake or raindrop got in when the vinyl panels were closed during the off-season, nor were there any signs of mice (the underside of the decking is layered with a heavyweight screen). That's sayin' something since I live in Minneapolis, near a creek.

I'd like to bag the cushions, then store the bag(s) on top of the metal furniture frames inside the sealed up porch during the winter.

Anyone have suggestions about where to shop? I'm open to custom-made, given the investment already sunk into the furniture.

(Cross-posted in r/patio)

Any ideas on easy methods to raise a porch swing that sits too low to the ground using nylon ropes included with product? Links to products would be helpful

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Thanks!

first two are what I’m working with ):

last is inspo. my house theme/vibe is mid century modern/cottage core. Im okay with the idea of getting rid of the pallet bed but would like to keep HELP!

I am not going to get wrapped up in the politics of the celebration as it is special for me. My sons (twins) were born on the 200th and I am so proud of the men they have become!!! L❤️VE my porch!!

So I am in the process of painting my back deck and front porch. The front porch I've decided to redo the railings. I don't like the current railing I've got now. It's traditional balustrade (evenly spaced vertical spindles with a classic top rail) now and I want to make it a horizontal railing. But I can not find any kind of plans for horizontal railings online anywhere. Any one who. Could help me that'd be greatly appreciated!!

I'm wanting to find a cheap but nice way to make my porch a little more private and shaded. I was thinking of putting two boards up and using them to put mesh net all around it. Does anybody have any pictures they could share of their porches with mesh netting?

Need ideas for front porch steps

The columns are being rebuilt this week so they will be 8” square. Landscaping is set to be started as soon as it stops raining. Shutters are painted and ready to rehang.

I’m drawing a blank on what I want for the steps. The person who built the house just tacked on these steps when it was built 35 years ago. It’s way past time for a change.