Hiding Porch Beams in the Roof Structure
Make sure your porch beams are doing their job, without disrupting the desired look and feel of your design.
I’m designing a traditional porch for my house with columns, a support beam, and a hipped roof. I’d like to skip a column and leave a 14-ft.-wide opening in front of my patio doors. My problem is that if I do that, I need to use a bigger beam to carry the load, and it either ends up too low or I have to raise it up and the porch roof gets too flat. Is there a way to make it look right?
—Maggie Underwood, Somerset, Mass.
John Spier, a builder on Block Island, R.I., replies: One solution is to use a steel beam or flitch plate to support the longer span, but I would be inclined to solve this problem by using a wood beam and hiding it up inside the roof structure. Instead of making bird’s-mouth cuts and setting the rafters on top of the carrying beam, I make plumb cuts with seats and set the rafters against the beam with hangers, as shown in the illustration above.
If I’m installing joists for a flat ceiling, I use double hangers that will carry both the joists and the rafters. I build the overhang and eaves as a separate assembly and attach them to the outside of the beam. (I often use the same strategy to improve the appearance of shed dormers, by allowing them to have steeper pitches and less siding and trim above the windows.) Because big beams cost big money, I only use this method where longer spans are desirable—such as in front of your patio doors—and I use the standard, less-expensive framing method on the rest of the porch.
From Fine Homebuilding #315
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Hiding porch beams in the roof structure can be achieved through techniques like recessing beams, using false ceilings, cladding or camouflage, adding architectural features, and coordinating paint and finish. Ensure structural integrity and consult professionals for a seamless and aesthetically pleasing design.
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Concealing porch beams within the roof structure can enhance the aesthetics of your porch area. Various techniques such as recessing beams, employing false ceilings, cladding, or camouflage can achieve this. It's crucial to prioritize structural integrity and consult professionals to ensure a seamless and visually appealing design that also addresses any potential issues with weatherproofing.
If you want a traditional look this is the wrong way to go. Correct architecture must show a porch beam otherwise it will appear as if the porch post is supporting the porch ceiling. A big no-no although due to the lack of traditional architecture training for architects this error is all too frequently seen. That's why today's homes look as they do.