12 Amazing Ideas to Skirt Your Porch in Style
Do you have an unfinished porch or deck with an unsightly crawl space underneath? Skirting is an excellent solution to conceal this area in style. With so many choices now available, you can select functional and visually appealing skirting to complement your home's exterior.
Key Benefits of Adding Porch Skirting
Installing skirting around your porch or deck perimeter offers several advantages:
- It improves visual appeal by hiding the open and unfinished foundation.
- It expands usable space for storage, lighting, or an enclosed dog run.
- Skirting adds privacy screening from neighbors.
- It helps deter animals and pests from getting underneath the structure.
Choosing Your Skirting Materials
You have lots of options when selecting porch skirting building materials:
- Wood planks offer a timeless, traditional look.
- Composite boards require minimal maintenance.
- Concrete skirting is extremely durable.
- Faux stone veneers closely replicate a natural stone wall.
- Metal panels like tin can provide a sleek, modern aesthetic.
- Fabric drop cloths serve as an inexpensive DIY skirting choice.
- Shrubs and tall plants are great natural screening elements.
Matching Your Home's Exterior
Aim for cohesive style between your deck skirting and house exterior finishes. For example, certain materials like stone, brick, and painted wood better complement traditional home designs. Contemporary houses tend to match better with metal panels and custom wood plank arrangements.
Going the DIY Route
Looking to skirt your deck on a budget? Luckily, many of the most affordable skirting applications are reasonably easy to tackle as DIY projects if you have basic carpentry skills.
Some of the most beginner-friendly materials to work with include:
- Wood planks/fencing boards
- Pre-made lattice panels
- Corrugated sheet metal
- Canvas tarps
Basic Installation Tips
Follow these general guidelines when installing DIY deck skirting:
- Clear and level the area around the deck perimeter.
- Attach a ledger board securely to the deck rim joists.
- Fasten your skirting material directly to the ledger board.
- Trim skirting to fit around posts and stairs.
Creative Ways to Integrate Storage
Take your skirting up a notch by integrating usable storage space underneath the deck. Simply frame out storage compartments, add doors for entry, and voila! Instant covered storage for outdoor furniture cushions, gardening tools, and more without taking up indoor space.
Be sure to use weatherproof deck boxes or plastic bins to protect items.
Unique Porch Skirting Concepts
Glass Panels
For a contemporary vibe, try incorporating glass panels in your skirting design. This maintains views of the landscape while concealing the crawl space.
Cable Rail Complement
If your deck has cable railings, choose skirting in a matching tone. For example, black metal panels beautifully complement black cable rails.
Privacy Screening
In close proximity to neighbors? Strategically placed skirting can act as an attractive privacy screen around your deck or porch.
Solar Panel Integration
Take green energy one step further by installing solar panels within your new skirting. This generates solar electricity while hiding the space below.
Enhancing Your Outdoor Living Space
Carefully designed skirting allows you to expand entertaining zones and make the most of your outdoor living area.
Added Protection
Strategically placed skirting shields part of the space below from sun, rain, and other elements--allowing you to utilize the area more often.
Ambiance and Mood
The right lighting and music can transform a skirted porch into a festive garden patio. Get creative with lanterns, fairy lights, and speakers.
Maintaining Your New Skirting
How you maintain your deck skirting depends on the materials used. For example, wood may require occasional staining. Synthetic composite skirting is virtually maintenance-free. Check periodically for damage from weather or animals attempting to gain access.
Improve drainage around the deck perimeter and consider sprinkling natural scent repellents under the deck to deter wild animals from trying to shelter there.
Adding Finishing Touches
Extra touches like lighting, greenery, and paint give your new skirting an extra punch of personality:
- Incorporate downlights or lanterns for a cozy glow effect at night.
- Plant colorful annuals in containers attached to skirting panels.
- Add aesthetic interest by painting or staining boards in a contrasting hue.
- Affix decorative exterior trim pieces for extra dimensional detail.
As you can see, numerous possibilities exist when it comes to creatively skirting your porch or deck. Take time to think through your goals, research inspiring ideas, and determine the best materials for your vision, budget and skill level.
By incorporating smart design concepts covered here, you'll achieve an outdoor oasis with upgraded aesthetic appeal, expanded functionality, and boosted property value to enjoy for years. Get ready to entertain in style!