Replacement of Lean To Porch with a Pitched Roof Enclosed Oak Porch

Geoff originally contacted us via email, in early July, as he had a lean to, glazed porch that he wanted to replace. The existing porch was on the back of his Harrogate village home. The original porch was softwood, and painted white. He said that the roof was past it’s best, but he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to replace it with.

Joanne contacted him by phone, and they had a chat about his options.

As can be seen on the photos at the bottom of this article, the porch was built against the house walls to the back and right hand side, so it is understandable that the original porch was built as a lean to.

Geoff had wondered about a glazed roof, to let more light in, and had also thought about a hipped roof to replace the lean to aspect.

Joanne arranged an initial drawing of a glazed oak porch with a pitched roof which Geoff liked the idea of. She had drawn the enclosed oak porch with a central door, across the front elevation. However, as Geoff’s main door into the house from inside the porch was set to the right-hand side of the existing porch, he felt that immediately opposite was the best place to site it on the front of the porch. This way, it left a good amount of space within the left-hand side of the porch.

An amended drawing was arranged, together with 2 options for the glazed truss. One had a king post, and 2 glazed units, and the other had no king post and therefore, just one triangular glazed unit.

Geoff preferred the full glazed unit as this would let in the most light in. Although this is a porch, Geoff uses the space as a sitting area to catch the sun in the morning, where he can sit and admire his garden. Oscar, his golden retriever, also likes to use the space to relax too!

Once a design had been agreed, Geoff arranged to meet Jack Stout, a builder who would re-build the porch walls, install the enclosed oak porch, and roof it. For a glazed, insulated porch like this, a cavity wall is required, so the single skin existing wall needed updating.

Once Jack had been to site, and talked over the requirements with Geoff, a final drawing was arranged with tweaked measurements. Joanne provided a quotation for the enclosed oak porch, and a new door and frame, and Jack supplied a quotation for the building works.

Geoff arranged to call into the showroom to meet Joanne and to have a look at the glazed oak building on display. She introduced him to David, the Oak By Design joiner who would be making the door and frame. He showed Geoff a few oak doors that were being made, or were awaiting collection, and Geoff liked one of the handles that was on one of the doors.

He chose a From The Anvil Avon espagnolette handle in black. The height of the door was to be just over 2.2metres tall, so it was agreed that it would have 4 black, 3D adjustable hinges to accommodate the weight etc.

He also agreed on the Osmo Polyx UV oil in 420

Geoff was happy with everything and paid his deposit in early September. Geoff is a very practical man, and although he was happy to let Jack do the main building, he still wanted some involvement! He took down the existing porch, and made good the internal stone work where the original porch had been fixed to the house wall.

Jack then built the new walls, towards the end of the month, and final measurements were taken on 11th October. The finished wall height was 580mm. The depth of the porch 1570mm deep and 2470mm wide.

Jack and Geoff confirmed the revised drawing Joanne supplied and the manufacturing team set to on the production of the enclosed oak porch, oak door and frame.

A couple of weeks later the porch was ready and delivery was arranged for the end of the month.

Jack and his team installed the porch, and Geoff installed a traditional, red, built-in post box to the right of the porch.

Originally, Geoff had a wooden floor in the porch which he had intended to re-use within the porch, but although they had it covered over whilst the work was being done, he decided to change this to a stone floor. A keen walker, this is more practical for coming home with wet shoes, boots, coats and dog etc…

Geoff even repurposed some of the oak dowel that we send out for the installation. He cut them down, oiled them and then fit them into the internal stonework to form some lovely oak coat hooks.

Once the enclosed oak porch ceiling was plastered, we arranged for kiln dried oak timbers to be sent out to affix to the underside of the softwood rafters of the roof. This give the impression of oak rafters, and are a great way to add more character to an insulated porch or room. These can be seen on the photo below.

Jack arranged to have the existing oak door, that leads from the porch into the kitchen, altered. There was an existing cat flap in the door, and as Geoff doesn't have a cat, it irritated him, but there was nothing wrong with the door. The door was altered to include a full height glazed unit. This can be seen on the photos below.