Category: Repairing the Porch (Page 5 of 5)

(Are the alliterative titles getting tiresome? I almost do it automatically now. It’s kind of a Bradaptation thing. It’s endearing, right?)

Brent will be here on Wednesday evening, and the Project to re-deck my front porch will begin. I’ve already ordered the decking. The other component I want to be sure I have before he comes is columns.

I currently have 4×4 timbers holding up my porch roof. They are solid, but they aren’t very attractive. There are several buildings in my neighborhood that look like my house… probably from the same builder. The variety of porch columns my neighbors have is fascinating. It was also freeing – I can choose whatever I want.

I decided I would get round columns. I found some at Lowe’s that are made of fiberglass-reinforced polymer. They’re like super-hard plastic. They are rated for supporting 10,000 pounds each. Amazing! My porch currently has five columns, but it leaves a huge space to fill with unsupported railing. I decided to narrow the space and to make the railings more solid. That meant six columns instead of five.

Fortunately, Denis is in town this weekend. I got some help from him, and loaded up the truck with columns and brought them home. They are now waiting on the porch until Brent gets here.

The boxes containing bases and caps were sold separately.

I am replacing the decking on my front porch. Have I said that here at Bradaptation? I refinanced my mortgage, and took some extra money out to fix my back porch roof (which has already happened), and to re-deck my front porch (which hasn’t happened yet). As part of my construction costs, I’m flying my brother to Baltimore, and he’s going to help me. I”m so excited!

Yesterday I ordered the decking boards. I am going with PVC decking. It’s super-durable, and it looks really nice. The kind I ordered has multiple colors, so it looks more natural. This particular color is called “Black Walnut”. I think it looks really nice against the brick.

Samples were free. I looked at several brands and several colors.

It was a little scary ordering so much decking. It was a lot of money. I’m hoping I ordered enough and the right kinds of boards. Today is the last day of school, so I’ll have more energy and time to research and learn.

I went out again after coming home yesterday. That hardly ever happens, unless I’m feeling contractually bound or socially obligated. Last night I went out just for a book. On a Wednesday!

My front porch decking is faded and warped. I would like to replace the decking and have asked my brother Brent if I could fly him out here to help me. He said yes! Yesterday afternoon we exchanged emails about his arrival here, so I was inspired to go out to look at samples and get some research materials.

I’m thinking of using composite, but know very little about it. I don’t know much about decking at all, really. I got a book to keep by my bed. I’ll read it bit by bit before sleeping.

It was still light when I got home after seven.