There’s a definite nip in the air in the early mornings now, and we don’t know about you, but our wellies came out this weekend with the first downpour in a while! Added to that, it’s the Autumn Equinox this Wednesday so like us, your thoughts may be focusing on how to keep your home warm dry and cosy and keep the outside – well – out; whilst allowing family, visitors and pets to come and go freely.
This is where a porch can make a great addition to your home! Not only can they be a fantastic architectural feature that modernises the exterior of your home, but they can add a ‘decompression’ space so that you don’t step straight into your living room or hallway complete with water, mud, and leaves.
Added to this is the security element – the benefit of a second front door will make you feel safe as there are two barriers to get through to get into your home.
It’s important however, to ensure that the addition of a porch doesn’t take away from any of the natural light in your home and this is where frameless glass can be a great addition in your design plans. Whether you are enclosing an existing structure or creating a new enclosure from scratch, using glass can seamlessly blend old and new, meeting conservation requirements for listed buildings or enhancing the heritage of a building with a contemporary twist. On modern properties it can be used to turn a humble doorstep into a secure, dry place to hunt for your front door keys!
Possibly the best news of all though, is that these enhancements overall do not require planning permission (although it is always best to check first with your local authority), as they are considered permitted development provided, they meet the following criteria:
- the ground floor area (measured externally) would not exceed three square metres.
- no part would be more than three metres above ground level (height needs to be measured in the same way as for a house extension).
- no part of the porch would be within two metres of any boundary of the dwelling house and the highway.
Bear in mind however, that these rules apply to houses only and not to flats or maisonettes so if you own the latter, we recommend researching the guidelines before commencing any project.
At Precision Glass, we have many years’ experience in the specialist glazing field and use our expert knowledge to offer solutions that are not readily available anywhere else. We’re friendly and approachable and always happy to give free advice. With prices for a basic porch starting from £3500 + VAT, make us your first port of call!