Choosing the right porch roof style – The Porch Company

At The Porch Company, every job we do is completely unique to each home and to each owners tastes and preference. When it comes to determining the roof style for a porch, a couple factors come into play. Two of the most significant factors include the back-of-home configuration and the roof style(s) that exist on the home. In a two-story home, the second story window configuration will often limit the roof style options. If there are many second story windows, we dont want to obstruct those windows so we will use a roof style that accomplishes that objective. Another important factor determining what roof style for a new porch is the roof style(s) that exist on the home. The home may only have one roof line or it may likely have multiple roof lines. We will often compliment the existing roof styles of the home but not always. Its OK to mix and match rooflines.

To see a page from one of our favorite books that illustrates the different roof lines, click here. This book entitled A Visual Dictionary of Architecture is by Francis D. K. Ching.

Here is a collection of roof pictures to illustrate roof options for your Nashville-area screened porch.

The porch on the home below has a hip roof. A hip roof is our favorite. This roof style allows for overhang on all sides. Its more sheltering than the other roof styles. With the roof sloping in multiple directions, its more protective and sheltering from the rain.

The screened porch on the home below also has a hip roof. While the homes primary roof is a more steeply pitched hip roof, the porch roof does not need to be the same pitch. On this home, the roof pitch is the same as that of the gables on the dormers. By matching the pitch of the gables we were still consistent with the roof.

The detached porch below has a metal hip roof. Its OK to mix and match roofing materials as you see here. This roof pitch and style compliments the home and allows the owners to enjoy the sound of the rain while on their open porch.

The open front porch below has a combination roof. The primary roof is a hip roof. Over the door in the middle is a gable portion within the hip roof. The gable portion accentuates the homes entrance.

This restored Nashville farmhouse has an open gable roof with Gothic arches in the gable. You can see the roofline is continued from the house seamlessly to the attached porch to make it look original to the home.

The open porch on the home below has a gable roof. The gable area is the triangular area at the top. These can be open, closed, or a decorative feature can be used. Since the gable area is not structural, we did some decoration here. Youll also notice the blue beadboard ceiling which is popular in the south.

On the home below, the screened porch has a flat roof. Youll notice that the other rooflines are all hip roofs. In order not to obstruct or minimize the view from the upstairs windows, we used a flat roof. An alternative roof line would have been a shed roof which would have sloped downward toward the door making the roof lower than we would have liked. By going with the flat roof, the inside of the porch has volume and the view is not obstructed from the upstairs windows.

The home below has multiple existing roof lines including gable and hip. In order not to obstruct the upstairs window, we went with a flat roof. This allows for a high porch ceiling without obstructing the view from upstairs. Its important to note that a flat roof isnt completely flat. It has a nearly imperceptible slope that allows water to drain properly so water will not pool on the roof.

The home below has an open front porch with a flat roof. The front porch makes a huge statement welcoming people to the front door. The flat roof allows the upstairs window view to be unobstructed.

The porch below has a shed roof. A shed roof gently slopes downward from one side.

The open porch below has a combination shed/gable roof. The gable portion accentuates the entrance to the home.

If you are considering adding a porch to your Nashville-area home, give us a ring for a free consultation at 615.662.2886. We look forward to your call.

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Choosing the right porch roof style - The Porch Company