Repair my Porch

• Centered the tops of the posts
• Tacked them in place
• Bought a second four-foot level

• Make sure the posts are plumb with a level

• Tack the bottoms in place on their plinths
• Determine a front edge line and trim the deck to it
• Put lattice around the bottom

The weather is good now, but there are so many things to do.

We always have so many things going on, I’m surprised this project gets any attention. But this last winter and summer we replaced the structure of the deck floor, installed a new deck floor, and supported the porch roof with treated posts.

• Center the tops of the posts and tack them in place
• Make sure the posts are plumb with a level
• Tack the bottoms in place on their plinths
• Determine a front edge line and trim the deck to it
• Put lattice around the bottom

The new deck is supported by treated posts painted in tar, wrapped in plastic, and sitting in pea-gravel on top of 18” diameter, 4” thick, concrete “cookies” that are 5’ underground.

Today, I became really unstuck and cut the last odd piece, screwed it in place, and cut and attached the four corner pieces.

• Ridge caps along the two diagonals
• Rivet the two pairs of corners together and trim them nicely
• Foam stuff in gaps
• Screw down parts after putting the foam in them
• Replace siding I removed

After that, I tackle the supports for the roof and the porch deck.

While I was working on the roof, my 11 year old son was propping up the current porch floor so we can cut out chunks to dig the new foundation holes in. He stacked up cribbing underneath, raised the porch with a lever, braced it, and put a long board across the cribbing to hold the porch up.

I put the ladder up and took it back down. Too many other priorities.

Last summer, I reattached my porch roof to my house, tightened it up, resheeted it, tar-papered it. I am nearly done with the sheetmetal work on it, but have been stuck. Yesterday I became unstuck and attached the sheet I cut last fall but couldn’t bring myself to screw down.

• One more sheet cut and attached on the west end
• Four corner pieces
• Foam stuff in gaps
• Replace siding I removed