Alfresco, Porch, Verandah, Balcony, Deck, Patio, or Pergola — Which is which?
An outdoor living space is a great way to extend your living space to the outside of your home. An outdoor living space is breathable, and relaxing and can be a great place for entertaining. Outdoor living areas may include, a patio, deck, etc. to make your exteriors more enjoyable and stylish. While they can look the same, each one of them can be different from one another when it comes to their attributes.
Wanna know the difference between the different types of outdoor living areas? —- here’s a quick guide to the different outdoor living areas you might consider adding to your home.
What is An Alfresco?
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You may have heard it when dining outside, all the more that “alfresco” actually means “outdoors”. Alfresco is an outdoor extension to your house where you can dine out in the fresh air. An alfresco also uses your main roof extending out and serves as a shade to provide protection. In some instances, you can even add big sliding doors for your alfresco to protect your outdoor furniture from the elements when you’re not using them. Essentially an alfresco is an outdoor extension of your home that uses your existing roof and intends to improve the aesthetic value of your home.
What is a Porch?
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A porch can be described as an extension of the entryway of a home. It typically has enclosed walls, with columns in front of it. Though it is seen mostly in front of the house, porches can be put on the sides of the house too, and also don’t necessarily have to be covered. Porches also have open sides and offer an easy transition from the indoors to the outdoors. One key characteristic of porches is that they are usually wooden, and usually have railings and stairs with only a few leading to the open ground or the entrance of a home.
What is a Verandah?
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A verandah is a covered structure located at the ground level of a home. It’s a roofed area that sits at the front or the back of the house, but looks like a hallway that connects the back and front entrance of the house, and can be narrow at times. Still, it can be used as an informal seating area that can hold small parties or casual entertaining, and that can overlook the front of the house as well. Moreover, it can also have parapets with an open-air space —- can even be referred to as a large porch.
What is a Balcony?
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While balconies may seem to look like verandahs, the main difference between both is their location. As mentioned, verandahs are located at the ground level of a home, whereas a balcony is located on an elevated level of a home or building. More so, balconies do not necessarily have a roof above them and are open with railings on the side for protection. However, a balcony is usually a small structure at most, that juts out of the walls to give a birds-eye view of the ground-level surroundings. To make it simpler, imagine going to a hotel with a platform outside a sliding door —- that’s a balcony.
What is a Deck?
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A deck is an open-air area that can be used for entertaining a large group of people. However, unlike patios, decks are usually made of wood and are often elevated, with railings surrounding the deck for added protection. It can also be covered by a canopy or a pergola, providing you with more aesthetics than any other. In most cases, decks are usually situated behind the house and serve as a wide extension mostly to host parties or just create an open space where anyone can relax and entertain guests.
What is a Patio?
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A patio is considered as a courtyard to your home but is surrounded by walls. It can have big doors like an alfresco too, however, it is not part of the original blueprint of the house. Patios are relatively made to extend your home, with concrete or gravel for its flooring, but do not share the same roof with your main roof. Hence, a patio is like a paved courtyard area, left to be open with no roof covering it. More so, the word “patio” means “playground” in Spanish, all so open outdoors. Yet, now it’s used for casual dining and entertaining for adults rather than being used by kids as a play area.
What is a Pergola?
A pergola is an outdoor shaded garden statement you can use at any corner of your exteriors. It’s just another extension to your home, though not necessarily meaning for it to be constructed beside your home, but can serve as a gazebo or a canopy too. Historically, pergolas generally translate to something freestanding and ornamental, where plants (typically vines) can grow into. Thus, they can have different shapes to bring beauty and flexibility to your space, seeking beauty in nature as well. Nevertheless, the main difference between pergolas and canopies is their roof —- pergolas use only slatted roofs to still let the sun from shining, while canopies offer a very protective roof to accommodate their entire space. Hence, pergolas feature slatted roofs for better looks, providing great and charming versatility to a space.
While these living spaces might look just the same, they have differences in size and where they are located. Nevertheless, they are outdoor spaces that serve as an extension to your home, creating an added recreational area aside from your living rooms in your interiors; some may be big, some may be small, but it still offers the same function as one another.
