At Northville Porch and Deck, we have found that creating a new porch or deck space on your property is one of the ways to increase the value of your home and living space.  These decks will provide an outdoor experience while still at home and it will provide an area for people to relax outside, an area for entertaining, a place to have a meal, and a place for family activities.  Whether this new outdoor space will be used for a large outdoor gathering space or a quiet place to drink a coffee, we know that the type of construction of the area will place a great role in determining the long term performance of the space. 

We have found in years of building porches for our customers that the success of the project is highly dependent on the amount of planning that takes place before the project even begins.  Before we start buying materials, we will meet with you to determine how the space will be used.  We will also look at other things like the yard layout, the style of the home, how traffic flows around the area, and specific design features for the area.  This time is needed to ensure that the project will be planned and built to ensure that your are getting the proper improvement to your property.

After discussing the intent of the project, we will walk into the most foundational design system of the structure, which is the foundation type.  We will have to determine the type of footing needed for the porch.  This will be dependent on the soil types in the area.  We also have to account for Michigan's freeze thaw cycles.  This will determine the depth of the footing structure.  When the foundation is decided, we will move on to designing the framing system.  This system will be used to support the decking.

Today, homeowners can choose between an variety of decking materials for their porch.  Pressure treated lumber can withhold the rains and snow and it is also a material that is more affordable.  Composite decking is also on the market as an alternative.  The pricing is a little higher than the pressure treated lumber, but it has much lower maintenance requirements.  We will work with you to determine which material will work better for your home.

Another system that will need your attention are railings, stair, and access points.  These items will serve you for safety and appearance purposes.  While railing systems come with many type of looks, their primary roll is to provide safety at the edge of the project.  The stair design is another safety item that must be designed to safely provide a route form the bottom to the top of the porch.  There are also different types of stairs so you can choose how they will fit with the entire porch.

There are some special build in features that some homeowners choose for their porch.  These are decorative seating, private screens, built in seating, and custom layouts.  We have all of these alternative available and we will walk you through all of them to determine which ones will fit for your porch.

Porches and decks are very similar.   One will be constructed in the rear of the home and the other in the front of the home.  Wherever they are constructed, they will both be a place of shelter and protection for the user.  These spaces are used to create a welcoming outdoor area of the home during the summer.  We will ensure to provide appropriate design and construction features to ensure that these spaces will provide years of dependable service.

We have found that small details in the construction project can make a big difference in the outcome of the porch.  We understand that accurate measurements, not taking short cuts, proper workmanship, and using correct fastening measures will make the porch last longer.  This attention to detail in the construction process remains an essential part of our construction process.

It is our design to build you a deck or a porch that you will enjoy for years to come.  We also want this project to pass along with the house to either future homeowners or possibly your family.  We will ensure that this area will be available for hosting large parties, creating a quiet study place, or a place to sit and chat with your friends.  Give us a chance at Northville Decks and Porches to install your dream porch.