Turning Our Deck Into A Porch

By

I’ve hinted at the big project that’s underway on the back of our house. Here’s the halfway update! I’m planning to share the finishing touches once it’s done, hopefully before it’s freezing outside.

We’re turning the back deck into a screened-in porch.

(Note the scary guard dog in many of these photos!) 

Here’s a look at the before

Before: a super tall, rickety deck. This deck was actually new in 2014 but the wood was already splintering, the railings a bit too loose for this mom’s liking, and the zig zag screw lines drove Thomas nuts. (Also I think this spring photo was the only time in history the backyard hill had green grass. That’s another big yard problem Thomas is still trying to fix!)

Why a screened-in porch?

To keep cozy furniture clean and dry

  • When I first moved into this house I put our nice couches on the deck. I would wake up in the morning after rain and find nails and gunk and leaves that had fallen off the roof all over them. They started to get stained, and of course the cushions were always sopping wet.
  • After putting in a patio in 2016 I moved the couch down there and keep the cushions inside.
  • Since moving the comfy seating off, we have used the deck for eating and grilling – that’s about it.

I know the joy of a roof overhead from my last house

If you recall back to my previous house, the porch we built off the back transformed the main level of the house. It was a three-season room, and we lived out there. We knew the deck inn this house could be so much more. And of course, Thomas (who is a builder) could do a lot of the work.

What we’re adding:

  • 3 new posts underneath to carry the roof load
  • 1 foot additional depth
  • A small grill deck to the side that won’t be covered so the grills can blow smoke up
  • A roof (!)
  • Composite flooring
  • Metal railings
  • Screens
  • Uplighting in the rafters
  • 2 sun shades
  • 2 fans
  • A heater (we think…)
  • A TV for watching football while grilling (you can guess whose wish list that was on!)
  • A round dining table
  • Our comfy seating, possibly with the addition of a corner piece

The roof line is 9′ tall to try to preserve the view from our main floor. When you stand at the front door, you can’t see the roof, which was important to me. We were also going to do skylights, but after the roof was filled in, we decided we had enough light and didn’t need them.

I’m dating our builder 😉

Thomas is managing the project through his company, Sun Structures, and had some help from his carpentry crew for a week when they were between bigger projects. Thomas is doing a lot of the detail carpentry himself, when he has time. It’s been so cool to see his company in action, and we’ve had fun communication as if I’m the homeowner and he’s the builder.

Ms. Younger,

I’ll have your estimate to you on Thursday. Could you please review so we can go over the contract by Friday?

Thanks, Thomas

While Thomas doing a ton of the work and managing the project himself is saving us a lot of money, it’s also taking longer than usual because he’s trying to fit work in the late afternoon and weekends. I have no idea when it will be done, but I’m really hoping in time for Thanksgiving! (Hint hint T!)

Doesn’t he look hot in his tool belt?!

Here’s how it looks today

Getting so much closer, but still a lot to do! (Roof shingles, shiplap upper wall, electrical, lots of trim work, flooring, railings, screens, paint.)

Other Home Projects

The post Turning Our Deck Into A Porch appeared first on Kath Eats Real Food.



from Kath Eats Real Food https://ift.tt/2IYQ86U

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post-Workout Coffee Protein Shake

By
Image
Once again, I’ve partnered with Brother  to show the versatility of the  Brother P-touch Label Maker , especially when it comes to fitness and gym equipment.  As always, thank you for supporting CNC! I receive quite a few questions from readers about what I eat before, during, and after workouts, so I decide to share those with you today. It changes a little bit from workout-to-workout, but I keep a general framework in mind. BEFORE (approximately 30 minutes): I typically eat a small snack made up of mostly simple carbs since they provide quick energy. Some favorites: Half of a banana or another piece of whole fruit, a protein bar, handful of raisins, or a rice cake with jam and sometimes nut butter (it just depends how hungry I am and the timing of my workout). DURING : I typically don’t consume anything during my workouts, unless they’re longer than 90 minutes, like if I’m training for a long distance race (i.e. half marathon). In that case, I’ll take an energy gel and water ev
Read more

Lyme Disease, Protein for Women, Acid Reflux while Fasting | THRR049

By
Image
What is Healthy Weight, Acid Reflux During Fasting, Long Term Antibiotic Use – Lyme Disease, Women Over 40, Controversy Over Meat Make your health an act of rebellion. Join The Healthy Rebellion Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS   Submit your questions for the podcast here   Show Notes: News topic du jour: Leading dietary determinants identified using machine learning techniques and a healthy diet score for changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in children: a longitudinal analysis Conclusion: Diets high in seafood, rice, and red meat other than pork and low in refined grains, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and wheat are leading healthy dietary factors for metabolic health in children. HDS is strongly predictive of CMR factors. 1. What is healthy weight? [10:27] Justin says: Greetings, On THRR045 Chris asked a question about fueling his gymnastics workouts and he mentioned his height and weight, 6’3” and 170 lbs. Robb commented that he (Chr
Read more

Evernote Review: Your Digital Organization Hub

By
Image
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop to organize your digital life, check out Evernote! Here’s my Evernote review and all the great features you can use to make your thoughts, notes, and files easy to find, sort, and save.  This post is sponsored by Evernote .  Raise your hand if your digital life feels cluttered. If we were in a room, almost everyone’s hand would go up, including mine!  With so much of our lives digitized these days, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with all the information we need to save and reference. And because computers, the internet, and living in email and calendars are relatively new to humans, we as a society are still learning good systems. If I asked you to organize a paper filing cabinet, you’d probably have a few good ideas on how to do that. But if I asked you to organize a computer hard drive, many of us get stumped on the sheer volume of files and the endless ways to sort.  The good news is there are apps that make this process more intuitiv
Read more