Thursday, February 2, 2012

Porch Renovation - Before and After



Hmmm.....no wonder the insurance inspector wants a railing!
The front porch of our project is typical of the other period houses in the neighborhood, but the wavy, sagging floor pointed to structural problems below (not to mention the trampoline like bounce in the corner!). It doesn't have that welcoming look that we want! Our initial plan was to re-deck over the existing framing with minimal repairs, but closer investigation revealed that the porch had no footings and that the framing was inadequate and potentially unsafe.


The porch is gone!

So the Waterhouse Builders crew erected temporary supports to hold up the roof,  in order to demo and rebuild the porch. The demo was accomplished in record time, and the rebuilding began in earnest.  First step after demo - digging footings, 42 inches deep in Maine!






Our initial plan was to use pressure treated wood, but as we thought it through, we realized that the porch forms the first impression for the whole house.  We decided to give it the look it deserved - mahogany decking for the surfaces and crisp painted cedar for key components.
Sustainable  Malaysian mahogany


















While the crew was hard at work outside, we started a paint shop in the basement....too cold for exterior painting in the winter (the touch up on existing trim will have to wait until spring)!




The result?  A pretty dramatic transformation.  And it doesn't just look good - it's structurally sound and will provide an outdoor gathering spot for generations to come.  Now we just need some warm weather to sit outside and enjoy it!





Our great crew - Waterhouse Builders

Shane Brennan, Henry Mayer & Mike Backman

Drew Mayer






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