Reader Suggestions For My Front Porch Skirting
I so appreciate your input on yesterday’s post about how to get the look I want for the skirting on the front porch! My mind is now spinning with ideas, and at this point, I’m not quite sure which direction to go. Fortunately, I have a little more time to think about it because right now, it’s pouring down rain. While I’m sad that I’ll miss a day of working outside today, I’m also a little relieved that I don’t feel the pressure (pressure that I put on myself) to make a quick decision on this today.
I did take some time yesterday to try out my idea of using my hand grinder to cut off the fronts of the retaining wall blocks. It didn’t go well. I made my mark all the way around the block using a Sharpie marker, and then cut as deep as I could using the handheld grinder on all four sides. But even then, the cuts couldn’t reach all the way through the block. So then I tried to snap the front off the rest of the way using a prybar and a hammer, but it just chipped off significant portions of the front that I wanted to keep.
It’s possible that it would have gone better if I had a proper chisel for stone, but because I’m wanting to cut such a thin slice off of the front of each block, I think I’d probably still lose quite a few of them in the process. So this technique isn’t an option.
I do have a wet tile saw that will cut through concrete very easily with the proper blade. That’s what I used to cut the pavers for the studio side steps. The problem there is that the retaining wall blocks are too tall to fit under the blade on my saw.
I spent some time trying to come up with a way to fit the blocks under the blade, and I do think there’s a way to do it. I wouldn’t be able to use the rolling table that the block is sitting on in the picture above. That table is on wheels that roll on tracks and those wheels make the table sit up pretty far above the water basin below it. So if I can rig a way for the block to sit lower, just above water level, I would probably make it work. But it sure would be a lot of work to get all of them cut on that saw without the rolling table to make the job so much easier.
I read all of the comments about other options for cutting — hiring it out, getting a concrete blade for my circular saw, renting one of the large concrete saws, etc. But after giving it more thought, I think I’m going to abandon the idea of cutting the blocks altogether.
One idea that several people had was to create a mold (or probably several molds) using the retaining wall block, and then pouring my own concrete blocks (or front slices) using concrete. I actually love that idea, and I think it would be so much easier than cutting concrete blocks.
I’ve seen many videos of people making their own molds for various projects, but I came across one video that seemed like the way to go. This man makes silicone molds using silicone caulk and corn starch! That creates a moldable silicone with the consistency of Play-Doh.
Even if I don’t use that idea for this project, I want to create silicone molds now. 😀 He adds food coloring to his molds, but I don’t see a need to do that for my purpose. I would just need silicone caulk and corn starch. That’s it. While that looks really fun, I’m not sure about the time it would take. I would think I’d need at least five molds so that I’m not pouring one “brick” at a time. This idea is definitely a contender, but I need to give it more thought. Whether or not I use this idea for this project, you can be assured that there will be some silicone mold making in my future. This looks too fun and useful to pass up.
The other idea that I really like is to just paint the skirting on the concrete porch and then build an actual retaining wall planter bed around the porch. I really like this idea a lot. The challenge I run into with that is knowing where to start and stop that retaining wall.
Here’s another look at the landscape plan for the front of the house.
So if I just paint the front porch skirting and then do an actual retaining wall planting area, I’m guessing I would just follow the line of the walkway that is shown on the plan above, right? Because there’s not really enough room around the porch to have a raised area with a retaining wall plus a lower planting area between the retaining wall and the planned walkway. And then I guess I would continue the retaining wall on the other side of the house, i.e., the area in front of our bedroom door. So basically, the side of the walkway closest to the house going all the way around the front of the house would be a retaining wall. It wouldn’t have to be high. It would be maybe two blocks high, or three at the most if I consider that the first row would be partially below the current ground level.
I’m not sure if that makes sense, but I think I can picture it, and I think it would look great. But then I’d have to figure out how to tie in the steps in front of our bedroom with the retaining wall and the walkway.
Or maybe I’m overthinking it. But what I do know is that there’s not enough room between the front porch and the planned walkway for a retaining wall planting bed and a lower planting bed in front of it unless the retaining wall planting bed is only about one foot between the porch and the retaining wall.
*Sigh* I have no idea what I’m doing. Can you tell that landscape design just isn’t my thing? I know. It’s obvious. 😀 I’m having fun thinking through the options, but it also stresses me out. I’ll be kind of relieved once I can get back to my indoor projects where I feel much more secure and confident. 😀 But it is very fun for me to think through the ideas and see if I can envision what this might look like.
If it weren’t pouring down rain, I would go get some spray paint and try to mark out these ideas on the ground so that I can envision them better. Perhaps we’ll have better weather this weekend so that I can do that. I need to mark out the walkway on either side of the house and then see just how much space I have to work with for the planting beds. But overall, I do love the idea of using the retaining wall blocks to build actual planting beds! And that would make the porch project so much easier if I can just paint the skirting area and move on.
So those are the ideas that really caught my attention and got me thinking and planning and dreaming. What are your thoughts?
UPDATE: We had a break in the rain, so I went outside and took some measurements. Y’all, I was completely wrong. There’s plenty of room for a raised retaining wall bed with a lower planting area in front of it! I don’t know what I was thinking. There’s a full nine feet of space between the porch and where the planned walkway will go.
So then that brings me to this question. If I do the raised retaining wall planting bed, would it wrap around the side of the porch like this?
Or would I just keep it to the front of the porch like this?
And if I do one on that side of the front steps, I think I would need to continue it on the other side of the steps as well, right? Y’all know my obsessive need for symmetry, and this makes sense in my mind.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Sometimes Lowe’s And Home Depot show flower bed’s examples for their blocks.
This might help visualize.
This might be dumb, I’m just trying to think through some logistics of a raised bed there. Would the dirt be up against the skirting then? Is that okay to do? (Again, this might be dumb). I like it wrapped around the corner if you do move forward with this plan. And then your porch could be surrounded by flowers from the raised planting bed.
It’s solid concrete, so dirt being right up against it wouldn’t be a problem.
YES! You did what I was thinking in your last two pics. The bed would swoop around the side of both the porch and the closet bump out! I think it’s a really lovely idea and would add a lot to your landscaping in general…even if it didn’t also solve a problem for you.
Also, I don’t think you really HAVE to do the raised bed on the closet bump out though. I think it would look nice, but as long as it’s a planting bed I think the visual symmetry will be there. It might look unbalanced if it were left as grass, but especially with how deep your planned planting beds are, it won’t look lopsided in the slightest.
Let me say first of all, I don’t think it’s smart to say “I’ll just rig something up..” followed by “power saw.” That’s a recipe for disaster!!!
Perhaps because it’s my age or more likely I’m not good at construction on this level, but I’m in the hire it out camp.
Alternatively, could you apply a concrete material to the skirting then stamp a rough face design into the wet concrete? Similar to what cement contractors do when stamping patios/driveways, but in a vertical orientation. Not sure of how much who-ha this is but seems infinitely easier and safer than slicing blocks with a “rigged up power saw!!!
Good luck. I’m anxious to see the final decision.
Yes! Wrap the bed around the side on the right (facing the house) and continue the bed on the left (for symmetry).
That would be my choice, too! Both for making it look complete on the right and for symmetry
Agree
Are those blocks hollow? Even if they’re not ….
Could you just build them up close to the porch skirt, to the height of it, and put a trailing plant or succulent in each dip/hollow of the top ones, as a border to the porch? I would go round the porch, side as well and you could continue that round the rest of the front of the house?
I think a raised bed is unnecessary and a waste of time. Make your beds big enough to mound with tall plants in back etc. in no time the skirting will be completely obscured by plantings.
I agree with you. Just plant some evergreen type of smaller shrub (boxwoods do well for me in TX a little further north) and save all the energy and expense of building a raised bed. Then you can fill in in front with some perennials or deciduous plants for variety and interest.
This might be the best idea. Retaining beds are sure to fail at some point and it’s going to open its own can of worms in other areas as well. If she follows the landscaping plan you can see that it very clearly covers the base of her porch. She may need to make sure those plants are evergreen and extend them around the corner but Just finish painting it add the white trim board and possibly get just those shrubs in the ground. She can add the other stuff later. I think you’re overthinking this one Kristi.
Yes! I agree with you both! Keep it simple and use evergreen shrubs to cover the front of the porch. I had my white cinderblock foundation painted to match my siding last spring. With plantings the eyesore has disappeared.
I would just build flower beds wrapping around the porch all the way to the corner where the bench is and all the way to the bedroom door and on the other side, maybe 2.5-3′ deep from the house. i would edge them in 2-3 of the bricks and put the pavers on top like you did the steps and paint everything. Fill with garden soil and mulch and plant shrubs and annuals. I’m in NJ so way different zone but we have a bunch of box woods, hydrangea, hostas, bigonias & petunias. Hostas are great because they fill in the space nicely and after a few years you can split them and plant them else where.
The front and the end of the porch and the other side under the walk-in closet window for one lovely, balanced raised bed. Then investing in some hardy perennials this year and adding to the garden over the next few years will be great, but not too much work at one time.
I absolutely love the idea of the raised beds using the retaining wall blocks (especially wrapping around the corner, and balancing on both sides of the porch. It might sound silly, but I also really like it because it feels like something you can to in stages (first paint, then one bed, then another). Given your weather struggles and sometimes need to have multiple projects at the same time (which I totally relate to) it might be nice to have multiple smaller outdoor projects than one big one.
I would say yes, continue around the entire front of the house so it all looks and feels the same. Studio included. Symmetry. It would take awhile, but it could be done. What do you think about landscape logs? The color would match the floor of the porch and the side steps. It would be easier because of the length of the logs, which I think are 8′. You could stack them whatever height you wanted in the upper bed and a few logs less for the lower bed.
I don’t think I like landscape logs, but perhaps I’ve just never seen them used in a way that appeals to me. I’m sure my mind could be changed.
I really like the look of the black painted concrete with the white edge along the top of the porch. Make low raised beds on both sides of the porch, the right should wrap around the porch. For ease start with some low maintenance evergreen shrubs, you can always put filler plants in later.
I bought some column covers and I am contemplating using some of their sheets to cover my foundation. The company is called Deck Expressions and look at the column covers and the foundation covers. They have some beautiful items.
What a great website! I don’t see anything I want to use for my front porch project, but they do have items I’ve had in mind for a future project. I’m bookmarking it. Thank you!
Yesterday I was leaving my doctor’s appointment when I noticed their columns were wrapped with concrete squares, like landscape steps, but “glued” to the columns. The squares were about 8″ x 8″. I thought of you. These were only about an inch thick. You could buy these 1″ squares and concrete them to the porch covering all the stuff you are trying to cover up. You could still double tier your flowerbed into two beds on both sides of your porch. Use the squares to cover the porch and use the blocks to build the flowerbeds. Narrow beds are easier to get into to pull weeks. Trust me on this. In a previous yard we had 6-foot-wide bed by 90 feet. It was a monster.
You can get larger flat, rather thin steppingstones also. Give that some thought, then you aren’t cutting anything, yet the concrete look matches the steps going into the studio.
If you look at your landscaping plan, you’ll see that it has kind of a hedge with varying materials along the whole front inside of your house. As a gardener I would go for a hedge after you paint your foundation, black or gray. The hedge in front of my house has totally covered the foundation and it has grown up under the windows. I like the way your plan shows a taller bush in the corner near your bedroom entrance. You could put something symmetrical on each side of the door that is taller than the hedge. That could be your first layer of the landscaping and it could grow until you get to the rest.