March 16, 2011

Back Porch Floor

After the new porch door was installed, Dan started to work on the porch floor. There were several problems with it; it was sloped, bowed and buckled. At the time this home was built (1920s), porch floors were sloped to accommodate run off from rain, but we wanted it level.

Note how they leveled the door

In the photo above, you can see how they dealt with the slope when they put in the kitchen door. They angled another piece of wood up under the threshold to level it.

Both our front and back porches were built with this slope. Actually the slope didn't bother me too much, but it bothered Dan. Plus it made it difficult to level the washer and dryer. To correct it, Dan made shims.

How Dan leveled the floor

These are angled the same as the slope in the floor.

1st level section installed

The OSB board was screwed to the shims and voilà! Level floor.

New floor. All level, (though the photo isn't). (Ignore tail)

The floor is not only level, but it feels more solid and sturdy as well. To finish it off, we decided to use vinyl sheet flooring.

Applying adhesive for vinyl sheet

Even though it was a "no glue" product, we used a vinyl flooring adhesive anyway.

Almost done!

Still to do:

  • install and paint moulding
  • plumbing
  • finish electrical

After that, we can move the washer and dryer back in.


As convenient as it is to have the washing machine so close to the clothes line, it'll be nice to not have to run the garden hose and extension cord out to the carport every time I want to do wash.

on

21 comments:

  1. LyndaMarch 16, 2011 at 12:15 AM

    Very nice pick for the floor, I love the look of slate. Our East Porch has a sloped poured cement floor with a drain! Our house was built in 1923. When my kids were little that was their play room..I hosed it down about once a month! Now I use it more like a green-house...love the drain and the windows!

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  2. TheresaMarch 16, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    You two made short work of that! Looks great and will certainly be a pleasure to not have the slope. Love the cat tail and the greenery leafing out around your place!

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  3. BenitaMarch 16, 2011 at 8:05 AM

    I love the flooring pattern you chose. And all that hard work to get that floor level. Dan deserves a round of applause for that.

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  4. LeighMarch 16, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    Lynda, how wonderful to have a cement floor with a drain. Do you have a basement or crawlspace? Or was the porch poured separately from the rest of the foundation. Great idea about using it for a greenhouse.

    Theresa, when Dan gets going, he gets productive! I hadn't thought about the greening out, but it's true, spring is here!

    Benita, thanks! I think the pattern will be a good one for hiding dirt. That's a pet peeve about our current kitchen floor; the solid color tiles show every crumb and speck of dirt.

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  5. DebbieBMarch 16, 2011 at 8:20 AM

    It will definitely be less work to carry a basket full of wet laundry out to the clothesline than to run the hose and extension cord! I know you'll be happy when you can check this project off your list.

    The floor is great! Is there anything Dan can't do???

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  6. Jane @ Hard Work HomesteadMarch 16, 2011 at 8:26 AM

    The floor looks really good. Cat approved and all :) I have no idea what a level floor looks like. You mean everything shouldn't have shims under it?

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  7. icebearMarch 16, 2011 at 8:45 AM

    My house is a 1906. I feel your pain. Nothing in here is even close to square, though its not so out of kilter that you notice it--until you want to do some improvements. The consolation is that the house has withstood wind and weather for over 100 years and is better built than most new construction these days. But still, it would be nice to not have to shim the heck out of everything! lol

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  8. NinaMarch 16, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    I'm rather partial to the picture of the tail.. It's helper kitty at his/her best! The simulated tile vinyl is great. The varigated colours will hide a multitude of little footy prints.

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  9. Woolly BitsMarch 16, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    the tail photo made me smile - I just watched a spinning dvd... and every now and then you'd notice the tail swishing through the film:)) I think cats have to inspect anything and everything.... good progress, I am sure you can use that space nicely. no outside "rooms" for us here, the climate is just not cut out for this.

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  10. AnonymousMarch 16, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    That looks so wonderful. Isn't it the way with renos - every job you do turns out to be one more.

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  11. Doyu ShoninMarch 16, 2011 at 11:24 AM

    Admiration. Tail included.

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  12. AnonymousMarch 16, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    "Ignore the tail"! LOL...I love watching your reno, I'm learning so much...interesting about the slope for the rain...very logical!

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  13. Sheryl at Providence NorthMarch 16, 2011 at 7:11 PM

    Beautiful floor! Lots of work! LOL! I have those same "tails" in all my pictures too!

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  14. LeighMarch 16, 2011 at 7:21 PM

    Debbie, that is so true. Both about the laundry and Dan, LOL

    Jane, definitely cat approved. :) I'd venture to say that most homes aren't level! What do you think?

    Icebear, good point about old homes. Actually not being square or level doesn't bother me. Dan on the other hand, can't stand it!

    Nina, it'll be so nice to have a floor that hides things like that! Very easy care too.

    Bettina, I think you're right about cats. They love to be in the middle of everything. Yes, I'll be glad to have this porch as a laundry room. It's cold in winter and hot in summer, but it's welcome just the same.

    Evelyn, that is so true. We're finally learning to just expect that, and count it a welcome surprise any time something gets accomplished quickly. :)

    Risa, what can I say. He thought I should be more interested in him than the floor. :)

    Rain, yes, it is logical to slope a porch floor like that. It's odd decks aren't built that way. I'm no builder, so I don't know the reason for that, it's just something to wonder about.

    Sheryl, thanks! Love those tails! (And what's attached to them. :)

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  15. bspinnerMarch 16, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    Dan sure is good!!! I laughed so hard when I saw the picture with the tail in it. Great job!!!

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  16. Mama PeaMarch 16, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    Aw, come on, you guys! Don't you know you're destroying all the character of your old house?! (Just kidding.) In our last house in Illinois, you just about had to get a running start to get into our bedroom . . . the floor had that much of a slope to it. 'Course, it made it easy to get out of it in the morning!

    Lookin' good as all your work does!

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  17. Renee NefeMarch 16, 2011 at 11:25 PM

    looks great and the cats approve...awesome! :D

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  18. LeighMarch 17, 2011 at 6:47 AM

    Barb, how dull life would be without tails! Seems I have either tails, noses, or paws into just about everything I do. :)

    Mama Pea, LOL, would love to have seen that!

    Renee, what we didn't realize when we picked out the colors, is that they match Katy's coloring perfectly! We have dilute torbi flooring.

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  19. luckybunnyMarch 18, 2011 at 6:43 PM

    I also really like the floor, it looks awesome! You guys are getting so much done, it's really coming along!

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  20. LeighMarch 18, 2011 at 11:50 PM

    Donna, thanks! Sometimes I only see what we haven't done, but the thing about blogging is that it gives us something to look back on to remind ourselves that we have done a lot!

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  21. RobinMarch 30, 2011 at 8:46 PM

    Ah, those shims fix a multitude of problems. I do believe that most of our second floor is going to have shimmed floors when we are finished. lol

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