With the colder months slowly slipping away and the promise of summer on the horizon, UK citizens are likely looking forward to those days spent relaxing on our porches. However, if you’re anything like us and have rarely utilised your porch since last summer, you might think it could do with a bit of renovation before summer is in full swing.
Since porches have minimal usage outside of the summer unless you haven’t installed porch enclosures, they often fall victim to neglect in the winter months as we don’t think about using them again until the first signs of warmer weather appear. Most of the time, the damage is remediable with a thorough clean and a fresh coat of paint; however, the winter months can be harsh and occasionally, more significant injury can be done.
Caring for your porch not only makes it a more sociable space to spend time with friends or family members but also boosts the curb appeal of your property and makes the neighbourhood appear friendlier. Turn your porch into a place that you can’t wait to spend summer days in again with some of our renovation ideas below.
Repair Any Broken Floorboards
As we discussed in our introduction, winter weather is unpredictable and can bring snowstorms, torrential rain, and thunderstorms, all of which can cause accidental damage to your porch. So, it’s not surprising if your porch floorboards may have suffered some injury over the winter due to these weather conditions.
From sunken flooring, dry rot, broken floorboards and much more, there are many ways that winter weather can affect your porch flooring. Fortunately, summertime is the perfect season to carry out any repairs (should they be necessary) since the weather is excellent. Plus, the motivational image of relaxing on your porch afterwards should be enough to persuade you to get the job done.
Head to your local builder’s merchants to stock up on floorboards and ensure you have the tools or accessories needed to fit them. Ensure that you have the relevant supplies by shopping with specialists like Amastone. As well as supplying specialist products for the stone industry, their website is equipped with all the tools necessary for a woodwork project, including replacement drill bits and blades for ankle grinders. Consider visiting their website or reaching out to them directly for more information.
Clean Exterior Light Fixtures
Over time exterior light fixtures will inevitably accumulate dirt – and likely a few dead insects – so ensure that you give them a thorough cleaning this summer. Please do so by removing the fixture (or as much of it as possible!) from the wall and cleaning the surface and the inside of the panels with glass cleaner and a microfibre cloth.
Before taking the fixture off the wall, ensure that you have switched off the power to the light to avoid injury. During cleaning, try to avoid getting any electrical components wet. Once the light has dried off thoroughly, you can re-assemble it and put it back on the wall.
Add Decorative Plants
A little greenery can make a big difference. Whether you decide to add hanging baskets with long, flowing flowers or a cluster of colourful potted plants, greenery can completely refresh your porch area without breaking the bank.
Choose colourful plants so you can aim for as summery a vibe as possible. Also, avoid placing potted plants on your porch floor as this can increase the risk of rot to the flooring; instead, put them on risers to prevent this. Not to mention as well as being aesthetically pleasing plants provide a range of health benefits according to Healthline, such as purifying the air, boosting moods and much more.
Paint Your Front Door
Nothing makes a better first impression on guests than a freshly painted front door which is also an activity perfect for a summer day with low humidity. For optimal results, ensure that you start early in the day, as once you start painting, your door will be out of service until it’s dry.
Instead, aim to start painting in the morning as, by the time nightfall comes around, it will be dry. You’ll also want to avoid painting the door on its hinges no matter how time-efficient you think it might be; instead, take it off and remove any hardware or accessories before starting.
Set Up An Al Fresco Dining Area
Providing that your porch is spacious enough, you could consider implementing an outside dining area, which is especially pleasant during the summertime. Start by finding a table that is big enough to fit on your porch comfortably without hindering traffic on either side.
Then add padded chairs and decorate your table with wireless table lamps, lanterns, candles, or fairy lights. You might also want to consider purchasing some citronella candles or diffusers since NYTimes says it is a natural bug repellent, as the last thing you and your family want to do is swat insects all night.