November 22, 2014

Front Porch Floor

The porch has a floor!


We went with standard wood decking. Of all the options it was the most economical.

We discussed which direction to run the boards. Seems most decks run parallel to the house. By running them the way we did, we could simply buy the correct number of both ten and eight foot lengths. No extra cutting so it was a pretty quick job.

I especially like the way Dan finished the sides.


Common practice is to run a board across the front edge as a face board and that's it. Because of the unevenness of the brick foundation Dan wanted to make sure any mouse sized gaps were covered, hence the more unique look.

The next step will be to stain and seal it, but that will have to wait until the weather warms up, because winter finally caught up with us. Also Dan is anxious to get posts up to support the porch roof. Then we can install the new front door, which has been keeping in a spare room for the past several years. We are both looking forward to that because the old door is terribly drafty. That will require a little warmer weather too, so in the meantime we've been chopping wood, raking leaves, and working on phase two of the goat shed, Always something to do.

Next up, porch roof support posts.

23 comments:

Tom Stewart said...

Leigh,
I know that it has been a long time with no comments from me, But I'm glad to see that you and DAN are still working to make that dream happen!
I have posted a few times over the past few weeks (Please check out the post on "GARTH BROOKS"!) and I am trying to get back into the idea of getting something posted!
I have a suggestion for DAN. Could he write one of the DIY booklets on the Rain Water Collection system that he set up? Or maybe you could write it for him? I want to set up something like it and he seems to have a very good set-up.
Please come back!
TOM

Su Ba said...

What a very nice job! It looks quite nice. I would have run the boards the same way as you did but for a different reason. Psychologically they make the porch seem deeper when perpendicular to the house. And don't ask me why, but if I were sitting on a porch, I like the boards to run the same direction that I'm facing. Sounds silly and probably is seated from a porch way back in my childhood, but boards running crosswise in front of my chair make me leery of tripping when I stand up.

Mom at home said...

The detail makes the porch go from porch to pow! I think he will smile every time he looks at it all pretty.

Mama Pea said...

The new porch floor is lookin' GOOD! Now you can even walk out the (drafty) door if you want to!

Dan's brick work looks very good. Talk about turning trash to treasure. (And that's a compliment just in case it came across the wrong way!)

Chris said...

My that porch looks handsome. A lot of work went into that neat little area. Must feel great to get that next hurdle cleared. I'm sure Dan will breathe easier, once those posts go in.

Unknown said...

Im reading this with my own DIY man beside me in bed and he approves. I agree that the side detail does make the porch look more substantial and vermin proof. Great job Dan, as always. You wouldn't get rid of him for quids (as we say here).

Mike Yukon said...

The porch is look'n good! I'll bet both of you will sleep easier once the corner post is installed.:-)

Mark said...

Dan is doing such an excellent job! I'm always a bit envious of guys with strong carpentry skills, since I really don't fall into that category. I love seeing the progress as the work goes forward.

1st Man said...

WOW, that is one good looking porch floor. You know, now that you mention it, that's true, many porch floors are parallel to the house. At the farm, ours are like yours and it is 10 feet wide. Since you said that, my guess is the previous owners who on our porch did the same thing, bought 10 foot lengths to make it easy. That's cool! Of course ours isn't nearly as pretty as yours! ;-)

Nice job!!

Dani said...

One word - STUNNING!!

Frugal in Derbyshire said...

Will your weather remain dry until you can treat the wood? it looks really well with a great finishing touch.
Gill

Kris said...

All my decks have ONLY run perpendicular to the house, never parallel. That way standard 8 or 10 ft lengths were all that were required. Dan did a nice job on finishing. If the wood is treated, you'll need to let it weather for 9-12 mos until it can take paint/stain/protectorant. Visit my 'garden projects' page and the TWP tag - I use that stuff on all outdoor wood and love it.

Leigh said...

Tom, so good to hear from you! Great idea for one of the How-To books. Dan doesn't really care for computer work, but he's always willing to sit down and work with me as long as I do the typing, editing, etc. I'll add it to the list.

Sue Ba, thanks! Very interesting about the boards. No, I don't think it's silly because I've had similar situations where my depth perception or something was thrown off, even though I knew intellectually that it wasn't the case.

Mom at home, I love those details too. They used to be the mark of craftsmanship in the days before everything was mass produced.

Mama Pea, it is wonderful to be able to walk out the front door again. :) The cats quickly figured out to go to the front door to ask to come in too. Funny how they know what part of the house we're in.

Chris, thanks! It feels like a huge hurdle cleared! And yes, he'll be relieved to get those support posts in. :)

Lynda, if Dan wasn't so willing to put his hand to whatever presents itself, we probably wouldn't have bought the place. There's no way we could have afforded to hire everything out. But he's a project guy at heart, always busy with something.

Mike, thanks! Yes about the porch posts. The other day it was worrisomely windy and we were wondering if it were possible for wind to pick the porch roof up off the supports. Not likely but it made us anxious to finish the job!

Mark, Dan doesn't consider himself as being very skilled in the carpentry area (no matter what I say!) He just likes working with his hands and enjoys the challenge of a new project. YouTube helps, LOL

1st Man, before we got started we looked at library books and YouTube videos on doing a porch floor. Mostly what we found was on building a deck and they all ran parallel to the house. I have no idea why. I know one reason the old porch floors ran perpendicular was to create a slope for rain runoff. Ours sloped something like 4 inches, which Dan thought was too much! The new one slopes less but still fits the look of the house, don't you think?

Dan, thanks!

Gill, fortunately the decking was pressure treated so there's no great rush to get it finished. After reading Kris's comment below, it's just as well!

Kris, I did not know that. Thank you! I've only just started looking at decking stains as a preliminary step, but haven't read specific instructions on applying it. I do know the boards were still wet to handle when we bought them and wondered if they could accept a stain. I will definitely visit your information. Thanks for the tip.

Farmer Barb said...

I would add a northern perspective: When the boards greet you with their ends, It is easier to sweep off the snow! The only concern with them coming at you on the entrance is warping due to sun exposure. The boards can curl up at the end making a tripping point at the step in. I can't see too well in my picture... is there a cap board on the cut ends? If a landing is at the cut ends where the screen door is, then you're set. It is a beautiful job! The side treatment makes it look like wood paneling. It looks like my dining room!

Absolutely beautiful and looks so strong. You must enjoy the sound of your footfalls on such a sturdy structure!

Leigh said...

Barb, good point! Not that we get much snow, but sweeping in general seems more logical with the boards running this way.

Yes, there is a cap board on the cut ends. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if there is any cupping or curling. Supposedly all lumber is kiln dried to something like 12%, but quality seems to be invariably set aside for cheaper product to make more money. It is sturdy at the moment!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Coming along! Looking good! Nancy

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Hello Leigh! Long time no comment here but I am on Thanksgiving break so putting aside my text books to catch up with my FAVORITE blogs. Love the porch and the finish work on the ends, Tell Dan JOB WELL DONE! Last years we traded lots of raw milk to a craftsman who did our new back porch, best barter we ever made. And now I'm off to catch up on some of your other posts. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,
The porch is coming together nicely. I love the work you both put into it. The weatherman has been stating to be prepared for warmer weather the end of this week. Hopefully, that weather will work it's way over to you so you can finish up the porch.

Mama Mess said...

It looks fantastic! I just love real wood....

Kev Alviti said...

Looks like you're making good progress. I've switched to winter jobs now. Like you say there's always something to do! Not sure what normal people do with all their time!

Simply Handmade Farmhouse said...

In time it will all come together. I like the direction of your boards. Running them that way. Gives your porch the farmhouse look. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving

Leigh said...

Nancy, thanks!

Donna, so good to hear from you! How is school? Your trade sounds brilliant!

Sandy, thanks! We finally got the porch posts yesterday but the rain has started up again. Dan's anxious to get them up and the supports out!

the Goodwife, thanks! Nothing can replace real wood. :)

Kev, thanks! Normal people, LOL. I thought we were the normal ones. :)

Teresa, good point about the boards and the look. That's one of the things we want to keep, a farmhouse look. Of course it has some more modern components, but we love the rustic country look. :)

Kev Alviti said...

Leigh , no chance. Normal people are boring!