Building a New Front Porch

[ELOCN]

My front porch needs to be replaced. Does anyone have any good ideas, of what to do or NOT do? I won't be doing it myself. My friend will be doing it, and he plans to hire the unemployed carpenter across the street to help him.
Has anyone heard of a wooden gate or wicket on a front porch? I have cats and I want to prevent dogs from coming on the front porch and scaring them.
Thank you very much.

[Alex]

Bathed in west sunset

Posts (4) were from wall where we cut out the south window

Varnished Poplar logs and Cedar T&G reclaimed Cedar floor

Poplar log stair and Cedar floor boards

Back south deck upper and lower -- both are well-used and enjoyed

Alex

[Common Tator]

A pretty railing is the finishing touch you need! Something like this.



You need to get some railing around the stair, especially around the poplar logs as they extend into walking space. It would be so easy to trip and fall over those. I don't know if you have homeowners insurance, but that is the kind of hazard they would want repaired or removed before issuing coverage.

[firegirl969]

If you have bugs like we do in south GA, you could make it a screened porch with a screened door and the bugs nor the dogs could get on it. Ours has wood at the bottom and screen on the top. We live on that porch!

[Common Tator]

I will NEVER EVER confess to being an accident prone clutz, so don't try to make me!

But I could easily see myself paying attention to someone on the driveway and taking a step toward them, getting my foot hung up on one of those poplar logs, and getting some impressive air time before doing a face plant right next to the welcome mat in the gravel.



I appreciate my teeth too much to want to leave them in Alex's driveway!

But that porch sure is purty!

[Backfourty,MI.]

ELOCN, the old neighborhood we used to live in before we moved to the country had alot of old houses, well most built around 1920 to 1930 & some of them had nice wooden gates at the top of the steps you had to open before going on the porch. Next door lady had one, reminded me of a barn door like on Mr. Ed's barn only not the top half.

I use a baby gate across the top of my steps on my new porch to keep the dogs on the porch when I'm not outside to watch what they are going to chase after.

My only suggestion is make sure it will be a big enough porch for you. I would rather have too big than too small.

[MissKitty]

Alex...we love you house!!!! We are doing ours in cedar....Are those planks on the front porch tongue and groove??...Did you do it or buy them???...Thanks...MissKitty and OG

[Alex]

OG and MissKitty, and others,

Those are two inch thick tongue and groove Cedar boards from a secondhand store in Vancouver. We were lucky and bought nearly a whole pickup load -- all they had, and they were just enough for the front deck and the broom closet and thermal heat recovery duct enclosure. And we didn't pay much -- would have to look up the price.

We took the nails out -- there weren't too many, fit them together, and used finishing nails from a little air nailer to attach, then we used a belt sander on them -- few progressively lighter sanding belts, then put on eight or ten coats of spar varnish -- light sanding by hand with wet paper between coats. All those power tools seem a bit like cheating, but they do the job quickly.

We don’t want rails on the lower decks. You know our deck isn't very high.

We did think about adding a simple log hand rail on one or both sides of the stair. Since it would be useful during the colder months. Because there can be ice or snow on the steps before we clear it off.

We wouldn’t want any of our family who are from CA, or delicate friends from CA to hurt themselves when they visit us – though we do have insurance, duct tape and bandages, and even lawyers as far north as we are.

Seriously, thanks for the advice and comments for us and for all of us deck lovers everywhere.

Like others wrote, I too sure think you have the right idea to make a porch of some type.

All the best,

Alex

BTW All our onions are gone – we bought ten-pounds at Saveon store the other day, we did give some away. So that means we need to plant around 500 this year instead of 300 like this year.

[hotzcatz]

I built a porch once and left the wrong size of space between the boards. I think I put a sixteen penny nail between the boards when nailing them. It was a great space for dog hair to collect. Now I either leave a larger space so the hair will fall through or use tongue and groove boards so there will be no space at all.

If you are going by building code, we have all sorts of requirements involving 36" high railings that you can't put a 4" sphere through anywhere if the porch floor is above 24" high. Also a maximum stair rise of 9" minimum stair tread of 10" and required handrails. Those are just some of the restrictions for our area, YMMV.

[Helena]

We have a gate we actually made from a wooden pallet. Looks good and keeps the dogs in and the cats happy. I love our front porch. Just something about sitting on a porch in the nice weather. Since we aren't bothered with bugs up north here we don't feel the need to screen it. A couple of rocking chairs and you are good to go. Good Luck !!

I screened in my porch, then put 36" of hardware cloth at the bottom to keep dogs, cats, and grandson from pushing through it. Then dressed up the bottom with lattice covering the hardware cloth. Used a screen door at first, soon switched to a storm door because of aforementioned grandson.

[haypoint]

I need more info.
If you are in an area that has snow and freezing earth, you may need to create a deep foundation, to match what the house has. If the house is a poured concrete slab, your pourch should match that. The earth around the house rises and drops depending on moisture and freezing, so you'll want the porch to move with it.

If you have a log home, I see some beautiful examples of log porches. If you have a Craftsman Style or ranch style or Victorian, you'll want the porch to look like it belongs to that style.

Once you have established the foundation, size and style, I can offer some suggestions on protecting your pet that fit with that design.

[Kmac15]

DH just finished the new den porch. It is 8X12 with a 30 inch railing (I can sit and still see over the railing) and 2x2 slats that are 3 1/2 inches off center with 2x6 across the top so flower pots can sit during the summer. I love it, 2 rockers and a bench fit with no problem.

I will get him to post pictures later.

[Common Tator]

Why do I get the feeling that if Alex looked out the window and saw me coming up the drive, he would yank his welcome mat into the house, bar the door and call his lawyer?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm?



So I just won't tell you what kind of car I drive!

[KatSpradley]

Alex-love the house...
Elocn- perhaps you can post some pics and we can give you some more ideas? I am a visual girl myself so having pictures helps. Just don't judge cause I am a girl cause this girl has come carpenter skills