A good porch is a bit like a cardboard box or a snowstorm.
Think back to when you were a child. Remember how much fun it was to crawl into a cardboard box and look out on the world, sheltered and safe, yet able to watch everything in the big world?
Remember the last time it snowed—how the world got quieter and closed in.
Timber frame porches are the best kind of porches. Why? The vertical posts, horizontal beams, and diagonal knee braces picture frame the views.
There’s another reason: You feel safe and sheltered. Why? You can see (and touch) the big wood posts and beams that hold up the roof—the structure is visible—unlike with conventional construction where the 2×4’s are hidden behind plywood. Seeing what’s holding up the roof is certainly gratifying and perhaps even reassuring on an unconscious level.
A design tip: make the steps very wide (like 6’ or 8’ wide). After a hard day’s work outside, you’ll love sitting there a few minutes after removing your muddy boots and admiring the work you just did.
Alternate tip: make the steps very wide (like 6’ or 8’ wide). When it’s cold outside, but the sun is shining, sitting on your steps feeling the winter sun on your face is guaranteed to lift your mood.
Not exactly roughing it in one of our favorite Covered Porches
The “impossible” deck
The table (and sun) set for dinner with friends and family at Ashton & Fran Poole’s timber frame Sun Porch in Roaring Gap Club. Design by Madison Spencer Architects. Photo by Ashton Poole
A structural timber frame porch from reclaimed timber in a mountain home in Highlands, NC. Design by RMT Architects in Vail, CO.
A sheltered back porch on a home designed by Bob Mann, of A.T.T.I.C. Design in Banner Elk. Note the Poplar bark siding, beautiful lighting, and brick patio floor.
A bright red window provide provides a splash of color to the rock, Cedar timber, and Poplar bark siding on this mountain home in Linville, NC.
We love how this Linville, North Carolina home opens onto the timber frame porch–creating 3 spaces from 2.
This back porch, off the Master Bedroom of a mountain home in Linville, NC, is framed by four Cedar columns with curved brackets. We love the red doors and windows, as well as the curving roof lines and attention to detail by Don Duffy Architecture in Charlotte, NC.
No room on the site for a crane? We raised these timber frame scissor trusses the old fashioned way (by hand) for this renovation and addition in Linville, NC. Design by Bradley G. Dowdy, AIA Architect Inc.
Although they’re wonderful living spaces, covered porches can darken the adjacent interior spaces. These Velux skylights not only enliven the Porch space, but also permit light to reach the interior of this timber framed “fishing cabin” in Linville, NC.
Timber frame porches can help achieve the sense of bringing the outdoors inside, or in this case, the inside out! Douglas Fir timbers create a warm, inviting outdoor living space at Bob & Sandra Moss’ home in Elk River Club in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
Bill & Gena’s timber frame lake house overlooks the South Holston Lake from the Bristol, TN side and across to the Cherokee National Forest–where the Appalachian Trail crosses the ridge visible in the distance.
For years our client had admired a particular lake as he flew over, on frequent trips from Southern California. 13 years later, he and his wife purchased their lot on Lake James (a large reservoir in the mountains of Western North Carolina). Later that afternoon, the salesman left them the keys to the pontoon boat. Once out on the water, Matt realized it was the very same lake, and turned to Sherry to say “you’re not going to believe the story I’m about to tell you”. This wrap-around porch beautifully frames the view of the lake he had observed for years from the air.
Although Carolina Timberworks is a licensed General Contractor, we rarely build homes. Every once in a while we take on a building project, as was the case with this renovation in Hound Ears Club for Margaret & Jimbo Rouse. Most of the timber framing was outside (Douglas Fir timber framed covered porch and entry). Ironwood (Ipe) decking with a stunning view of the profile of Grandfather Mountain. Design & photography by Drew Sumrell of Woodborne Design.
Notice the ceiling of this covered porch in Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville, NC. Sometimes “wood on wood” can be a bit much–even for us! A great way to solve this issue it to provide strong contrast between the timbers (Douglas Fir) and the 2×6 tongue and groove ceiling decking, which in this case was stained a much lighter color. The result puts the emphasis on the timbers.
One of our early projects–a timber frame porch addition for a home in Minneapolis…North Carolina. Griff and Joanna found out about us when Joanna was getting a massage and Griff looked up and saw our sign at our first office in Banner Elk.
Greg, Mary Ann & Baxter Poole relaxing on a late summer’s evening on their Cedar timber frame covered deck in Blowing Rock, NC.
The owners of this home wanted to cover their existing deck in Grandfather Golf & Country Club with a timber frame roof in order create an outdoor living room. Deck remodeling in Linville…
Reclaimed wood Front Porch on a Party Barn in Ennice NC
Clean lines, natural sustainable materials, and a feeling that the house just carries on from the inside to the outside seamlessly. Design by Carlton Architecture Asheville, NC
A reclaimed wood wall is one of the best front porch ideas we’ve seen. Leaving the old weathered paint on the reclaimed siding is what makes it work. Reclaimed wood post and beams, locust decking, and two rocking chairs complete this inviting porch on the New River.
Reclaimed wood Covered Porch in Highlands NC
A striking 36-ft by 18-ft. four-season pavilion in Asheville, NC with a reclaimed wood ceiling. Profiled in the September 2015 issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine in a article called Glass in the Garden.
An outdoor living room we’d never want to leave
