What’s the difference between a balcony and verandah?

What is the difference between a verandah and a deck? There are so many terms thrown about. When is a verandah a deck? What is the difference between a patio and a porch? Are balconies and verandahs the same thing? Here is a break down of what is what in the outdoor living spaces of your home and garden. And the great thing is that Galea Home Maintenance Services have the carpentry know how to build and/or repair all of them!

Patio

“an area outside a house with a solid floor but no roof, used in good weather for relaxing, eating, etc.”
The Cambridge Dictionary

A patio is usually a paved or decked outdoor area adjoining a house, generally used for dining or recreation. The term comes from Spanish where its meaning is different (inner courtyard). Common materials employed when building a patio include concrete, stone, bricks but also tiles or cobbles. Patios are often decorated with plants and outdoor furniture.

Balcony

“an area with a wall or bars around it that is joined to the outside wall of a building on an upper level:”
The Cambridge Dictionary

A balcony is a platform on the outside of a building, enclosed by walls or balustrades, supported by columns or console brackets. The platform is projecting from the wall of a building, usually above the ground floor. Balconies are typically small and are not used as social spaces or for entertainment purposes.

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Verandah

Veranda or verandah? Both are correct. A veranda is a roofed platform along the outside of a house. It’s level with the ground floor and often extends across both the front and the sides of the structure. It can be partially enclosed by a railing.

Verandah

Porch

A porch is a covered shelter projecting in front of the entrance of a house or building. The structure is external to the walls of the building but it may be enclosed in certain types of frames including walls, columns or screens, extending from the main structure.

Porch

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Deck

A deck is a flat, usually roofless platform adjoining a house. Decks are typically made of lumber and are elevated from the ground. It can include spaces for BBQing, dining as well as seating. Decks are generally enclosed by a railing. In some cases, decks can also be covered by a canopy or pergola.

Decks

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Pergola

And what is a pergola – other than a funny word when you say it often enough?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a pergola is

“a structure in a garden that climbing plants can grow over and that people can walk through”

A pergola is an outdoor structure consisting of columns that support a roofing grid of beams and rafters. This roofing grid may be left open or covered so as to create an area sheltered from the elements. Pergolas may be freestanding or attached to a house.