Since my last post was on the hip roof I thought this might be a good time
to add a couple of thoughts about the portal,
or porch as it is known in the non-spanish speaking world.
(Please note that this post is a rewrite of the post:
The Portal from 2/22/10.)
As far as to where to locate a portal the east side of the house is often best,
at least in warmer climates, as it will catch some morning sun
and be shaded from the harsh western sun,
allowing for sitting comfortably in the hot summer evenings.
This house faces east so it also protects entering and leaving through the front door
and creates a proper entry when approaching the house.
I prefer a long, relatively narrow portal, in this case about five feet wide
and the brick terrace extends out beyond both the posts
and the drip line of the roof as you can see in the photo above.
I put simple skylights over the windows and doors
to keep from making the house to dark
and in this case because I used corrugated metal roofing
I worked in the corrugated translucent fiberglass panels.
A basic design consideration is that you may be limited in width
by how much your sloped roof drops
and still have enough head room under the header over the posts.
It is a juggling act between the width of the portal, the slope of the roof,
and the height under the headers; do the math first.
Since our house was adobe the portal gives added protection
for the walls from the rain and snow.
Last but not least I added masonry pedestals under each post
to protect them from moisture damage.
To show some more ideas here are some more examples.
Above is in Hillsboro, New Mexico
and you can see more of Hillsboro in the posts:
or go to LABELS on the right side bar and click on
Building In Hillsboro And Kingston New Mexico.
This cozy portal is another style altogether and can be found in Alamos, Sonora.
For more on Alamos go to LABELS on the right side bar
and click on Builders In Alamos Sonora
or Building In Alamos Sonora.
Yet another whole different style is also in Alamos.
For more on portals see the posts:
or you can go to the LABELS on the right side bar for
Portals.