We own a 1960s era one-story home in California. It’s 1200 square feet. We’re removing a 220 square-foot sunroom addition with a shoddy foundation. It runs the full depth of the house, from the front to the back.
We love smaller homes and are looking forward to this project. We’d also like to do something else to further reduce the square footage. We want to convert part of the interior space along the front wall to an enclosed porch. The foundation wouldn’t be altered, and the structural supports in the wall would be replaced with thick reclaimed lumber and left exposed.
We would then build a new wall for the front door and windows that lead into the main house. We like the idea of using what we already have and not adding an exterior structure. This keeps the footprint of our home small.
The porch would be full width. We are outside city limits. I know the county doesn’t have a problem with a demolition permit for the sunroom and reducing square footage, but what about creating the porch? Plenty of old homes were built this way, where the front porch sits over the home’s foundation instead of being attached as a separate add-on structure.
We haven’t contacted a contractor yet and are just now beginning to research this. I doubt there are many examples of someone doing this, so it’s hard finding any guidance. I’d welcome your thoughts on this. Thank you.
Replies
pictures please
I'd rather not post a photo of our home. The house is a rectangle and will be closer to perfectly square once the sunroom is removed. The front door needs to be moved two feet to the left so it'll be perfectly centered, and we'll have a window on either side.
It's a very basic structure, nothing architecturally redeeming. The roof pitch is a bit shallower than average for a house of this size. When you face the front of the house, the kitchen is on the left side of the door. The doorway that leads into the sunroom will become a kitchen window, with the sink centered underneath.
We're going to rearrange the floor plan once these bigger projects are done. It's a dream home for our simple needs and perfect as we head toward retirement.
Is there an active forum where I can get some responses to my questions? I've been on here before and noticed a very slow response time, if I get a response at all. Where is a good forum for home projects? Thanks.
Since you''re unwilling to share photos and have not mentioned a single dimension, it's a little hard to make sense of your project. If you want response share some information.
There are plenty of quick and thoughtful responses to reasonable questions by the folks on here (like mgmahan) but you've got to give adequate information. But don't expect much when you provide somewhat unclear descriptions of lots of moving parts that ask the reader to do a lot of mental work and then refuse to provide basic followup information.
"I know the county doesn’t have a problem with a demolition permit for the sunroom and reducing square footage, but what about creating the porch?"
To this question, you'll have to ask the county. I'm confident you need a permit to add an attached porch, regardless of the structure/foundation.
As far as general feedback on the idea, if that space fits your lifestyle, I see no reason to not continue condensing. That said, you'll only know you've gone too far when you've actually gone too far, and then it'll be >$100k to get back the space you "lost". Just keep that in mind when you plan.
I've lived in about 1000 sq ft plus a decent porch for several years, in various configurations. I've always prized an extra room, and 220 square feet (20x11, 7*30) is substantial--in fact, it's life changing for many couples/families.
Are you getting rid of the space because of the cost to remake the shoddy foundation, or because you actually want an open porch and the other design concepts you have in mind?
I don't detect that money is the determining factor in your proposal. Since you're going to retire here, then make it a space you'll be happy to spend a lot of hours at, both by yourself and with others.
The existing front exterior wall of the house likely holds up the roof. You will need to make sure the support you install for the porch is capable of handling the roof loads and carrying them to the foundation.
Another thing to keep in mind is the air sealing and insulation envelope of your new arrangement.
Thanks, Mike. These will be key factors in the project for sure, since the foundation wall will still carry significant load for the entire structure.
I am feeling pressured to share a photo of my home. As someone who has been stalked online and had that person show up at my home, I don't provide any personal details. I shouldn't have to explain myself. This should be respected.
In another forum, I posted the same content and got several kind responses, none demanding photos.
So nothing further is needed here. Cheers.
As you contemplate the porch columns, make sure the header above is capable of transferring the roof loads.
It does still rain in California, occasionally a lot. Your slab would be continuous between the interior and new exterior. When the porch gets wet, then it migrates to the interior.
This is not the best thought less concerning in a moderate climate where you won’t feel as much of a thermal bridge.
This is a really good point and one I hadn't considered. Thank you.