Porches are a great way to create a sense of community.

Whatever happened to the great American front porch? Used to be life happened on your front porch. They helped us to meet our neighbors, provided us with the perfect spot to pass the time and helped move more than a few relationships to the next level. Times have changed. To prove it, all you have to do is tour the homes in many new communities. In most cases you’ll see a small concrete slab offered up as a front porch. How inviting is that?

This could be a case of which came first. Is it that we don’t have the time to pass on front porches anymore or have porches become too small and boring to want to pass time on? Look at this front porch and the answer is obvious.

Give yourself room to swing.

If you’re building a new house or adding on a porch, do yourself a favor. The key is to design in enough space for a sitting area that allows you to move around without bumping into something. It doesn’t have to be huge, just big enough to make you feel comfortable instead of crowded. No one likes to spend time in a crowded space. The porch you see here is very spacious. The surface they chose was Outdoor Select treated decking. It is an affordable alternative to Tropical Hardwoods for large areas. And it gives you the benefits of durability and real-wood beauty.

If you have an existing porch that comes with its own size restrictions––not to worry. You can still make the most of the space you have by resurfacing with one of our Tropical Hardwoods or StoneDeck. The natural beauty of these materials is enough to transform the smallest place into something worth wasting time on.