Adding decks, porches or arbors to your home can add to the value of your home and increase your living space. When the whether is nice, having a place in your home to enjoy it is important. In today’s busy world, where leisure time is precious, people want the most out of their homes, and are bringing in comfort to all living spaces-inside and out.Omaha Remodeling can help!

Decks

Decks and patios are a popular additions to any home, extending living spaces outdoors. These areas often become the heart of the home, often literally with exterior fireplaces. Decks can be built from a variety of materials and on multiple levels. They can be covered for additional shade or left uncovered for more sun exposure.

Arbors and Pergolas

An arbor or pergola can add beauty and shade to your outside spaces. A pergola is a landscaping structure very similar to an arbor, but there are differences between the two. If we look at the subtleties, the following distinction may be drawn:

Garden arbors are simple, relatively small structures. Often, they are arched at the top.

Pergolas are larger structures. Sometimes given greater architectural treatment, they may exhibit brick, wood or composite columns and beautiful landscape structure lighting. Traditional pergola design harks back to grand masonry pergolas of the Italian Renaissance. But the term, “pergola” is used more loosely now, and includes wooden structures. Like garden arbors and latticework, pergolas are often used as support structures for foliage. The vines form a canopy over the pergola, affording shade in summer. But to afford complete shade, plus protection from rain, some people cover their pergolas, often with permanent roofs or retractable awnings.

In answering the question, What is a pergola? some experts would distinguish pergolas from arbors by noting that the columns of the former form something of a “colonnade.” For instance, Landscape Architect, Cynthia Cash writes, “The primary difference in an ‘arbor’ and a ‘pergola’ is that an arbor is a free-standing structure (also used to support vines), whereas a pergola is a long linear structure often over a garden pathway.”

Front Porches

A front porch for many of us growing up was our social neighborhood gathering place and in established neighborhoods it continues to be so. With the loss of most porches in newer suburbs, I find folks setting up lawn chairs in the driveway and inviting the neighbors to stop by. A porch is a social gathering place and can generally be easily added to most homes even with strict setback zoning. A good front porch often has a roof and covers the entry to the home and does not look like a deck in the front of the house. It is distinctly different as a front porch should be, and roofs offer protection from light summer rains. Amenities such as recessed lighting, ceiling fans, screens or even operable windows can help extend your outdoor living spaces to a more inviting, social front of your home.