Is a porch a good idea?

[Mr Fizzion]

I have an internal porch which takes some of the space away from the hall. There is a door from the porch to the outside and a door into the hall. Both doors are single glazed and I am now planning to have either one or both of them replaced by double glazed units.

If I have only the outer door replaced, I could dispense with the porch completely and have a larger hall. However, I am wondering if there is any use in having a porch at all.

What do you think? Would you keep the porch? What use is it?

TIA

Mr F.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I added an internal 'vestibule' door, and it cuts down dramatically the road noise as well as adding heat insulation. Personally, I find added porches rather naff looking.

As regards a vestibule door taking up space in the hall, what were you using that space for?

[Rusty]

Depends where you live. Ideal for taking wet boots off and not getting mud indoors if you live up a lane in the middle of the country. Otherwise it makes a good cloakroom for wet coats.

rusty

[Owain]

Wellies.

Parcels that don't fit through the letterbox.

If you have a visitor you dont' feel as obligated to invite them into the house if it's raining if you can stand talking to them in the porch.

You can take get home into the comparative warm and dry of the porch and take off wet/dirty clothing without tramping muck into the house.

You can close one door before opening the other, providing an air-lock reducing heat loss from the house.

You can have a cat-flap in the outer door so that puss can get into the warm and dry without letting all his/her little mates into the house.

Owain

[Dave Fawthrop]

| I have an internal porch which takes some of the space away from the | hall. There is a door from the porch to the outside and a door into | the hall. Both doors are single glazed and I am now planning to have | either one or both of them replaced by double glazed units. | | If I have only the outer door replaced, I could dispense with the | porch completely and have a larger hall. However, I am wondering if | there is any use in having a porch at all. | | What do you think? Would you keep the porch? What use is it?

Doors used to be draughty, so they had porches so they could have two doors, to reduce draughts. A single double glazed UPVC door is almost airtight, so the raison d'etre has gone.

[Rob Morley]

Also allows you to let callers out of the rain without letting them into the house.

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

..also a good place for the Postman to leave large parcels when you are out..

[Mary Fisher]

Skeps.

That's the best use. Stops draughts too.

Excellent idea! Not that we have a cat...

Mary

[Owain]

Granted, I'm sure :-)

I daresay the idea can be adapted to chickens. Or even Spouses :-)

Owain

[Mary Fisher]

The hens don't come to the front of the house (where the porch is) and I don't want to keep Spouse out :-)

Mary