2023 porch part 3

In April 2023, decking layout began. M and I helped with this install in May when we took a staycation. It was incredibly fun to help on this and know that we played a small part in our big project. We did a hidden fastener installation with a Camo Marksman. After the crew did some troubleshooting, we learned to predrill the holes and then screw in. This system was pretty straight forward and keeps the Deck pure and easy to sand and refinish without worrying about top screws or plugs.

We discovered the center design was an unusual dimension and so one of our guys came up with another creative idea of “braiding” the boards in a solid strip. This is seriously so cool and we’re happy with how it turned out. These pieces were snugfit in and not screwed down.

The ceiling work and coffer install came together beautifully and just in time for our electrician to do some rough work, and get everything primed and protected from the weather.

2023 was extremely wet. We had rain storms all summer with significant flooding damage to the community. We were lucky the guys had made it this far when they did so they could work under some cover. The last important step was the roof work. Our roofer came in and laid down ice and water shield on the new roof, reroofed the small section around the widow’s walk, and shingled using GAF Timberline shingles. Up top, they used Gaco Flex over the rubber to create a longer lasting seal. This should help prolong the life of a rubber roof. We were able to get away with a shingle roof above the porch due to the pitch, but of course other roof areas on the house needed to be rubber because of the higher chance of sitting water. Lastly, they installed a custom metal trim around the porch.

We decided to go with boral on the column boxouts and stair risers because of its durable and waterproof qualities. The columns were mocked up, approved, cut up and assembled. The 3 season porch floor was insulated and received advantech floor boards and will have tongue and groove flooring put in above.

I don’t believe I’ve mentioned the height changes to the porch yet… When we bought this house there was one large step onto the porch and one large step into the house. In order to balance this out, we raised the height of the porch and added steps to the exterior, but this overall height difference did create some code issues. We were able to work with our building inspector who gave some level of historic grandfathering in, but we would need to raise the grade at the rounded porch a little and maintain the decorative railing to prevent fall hazards. In bringing up the grade, it would make our already uneven ground much harder to mow, so in some quick creative planning, we opted to move the foundation granite blocks from the old porch over to function as a short retaining wall to hold up the grade.

The team worked on the 3 season interior carpentry work until the windows finally arrived in July. The windows and doors were installed and things had started to look up. Unfortunately, our insurance providers continued to not see the grand picture and required we paint the exterior immediately… Despite not being done with construction yet…