Create A Year-Round Porch Space

Are you in love with front porches and covered patios as much as we are? Do you wish you could lounge there all year? Well you can! All you need are a few additions to optimize your porch space. For a year-round porch or patio, you’ll need to prepare for temperature changes and take lighting, comfort and your style into account. Check out our helpful tips so you can have it made in the shade on your porch, rain or shine.

Heating and Cooling

When it starts warming up outside, create a breeze by having ceiling fans installed in your porch or patio’s roof. If you have exterior outlets, you can also use them to plug in a portable fan in the summer, and a heat lamp or outdoor heater in the winter.

Some people also hang weatherproof porch blinds or curtains. These can help shade your porch from the sun, block rain or wind and add some privacy. And if the mornings are getting a little chilly, you can always keep a storage bench stocked with some throw blankets for you or guests.

Furniture

If you want to maximize your outdoor living space, adding seating and furniture is essential for turning your porch or patio into a great place for entertaining and lounging. There are so many options you can chose to create your own porch style: rocking chairs, porch swings, Adirondack seats, hammocks, iron wrought patio tables, rattan or wicker sets and more. However, when choosing the materials of your patio furniture, you’ll want to consider more than just the look. How durable, weather resistant and comfortable the material is should also factor into your decision.

Stay comfortable by adding cushions to your chairs and having a table or bench nearby to place drinks or plates. After all, half the fun of owning a porch is being able to relax with a full glass in hand.

Lighting

The porch party doesn’t have to end just because the sun’s setting! Installing exterior lighting or decorating with outdoor string lights are good ways to keep enjoying your outdoor living space once it starts to get dark.

You can even program lights with a timer or use smart home technology so you can control when the lights turn on and off. Make your lighting choices based on your goals and needs, like the time of day you usually use your space or your specific decor style.

Plants and Decor

Make all that fresh air even fresher with plant life. Adding potted and hanging plants to your porch and landscaping around it not only adds style but may also improve the air quality. Plus, having your own garden oasis to sit in will help chase those indoor blues away, without having to make a trip to the park. One of our quick tips: Using perennials will help reduce the amount of time you have to spend planting each year.

And don’t shy away from decorating, especially for holidays or different seasons! Sticking to neutral or easy-to-build-from color palettes and decor is an easy way to transition your everyday porch style into a festive one. Changing out a wreath and adding a couple of touches like a sign or an accent color that relate to the time of year are some simple tips to deck out your outdoors.

Adding a Porch or Patio to Your Manufactured or Modular Home

If you are looking for a manufactured or modular home with a porch, covered patio or deck, we recommended choosing a Clayton Built® home that has one included in the floor plan or as a customization option so the home builder can design the home and patio for proper support and installation. HUD Code installation standards for manufactured homes require that any attachments like a porch or patio not add weight to the home’s structure, unless that attachment is already incorporated into the home builder’s approved design and installation instructions.

This means that if you add a porch, covered patio or deck, it must be designed and constructed as a “self-supporting” or “freestanding” structure and can’t rely on your manufactured home’s structure for support. For this and other safety and regulatory reasons, you should always consult with a professional if you want to add on to your manufactured home.

So now that you know how to hang out year-round on your porch or patio, do you know what type of space you like? Take our quiz to find out which porch style fits you best. Or look through our collection of our favorite homes with front porches made just for you!