| Blog series by Dick, & Barb Cain consisting of 7 parts so far |
Part 1: Building a porch with my own SketchUp plan
I’ve been really busy trying to learn SketchUp. My Son needs a new front porch on his home. I decided this would be a good way to learn SketchUp. His old concrete steps have been gradually leaning, & it makes the whole house seem crooked. He said if he sits on a step, he feels like he’s going to fall off. This was quite an experience for me, because I’ve used a T-square, & triangles for so long. This project took me an awfully long time, but I learn...
Part 2: Under construction finally!
Well, we got the permit, & finally started building it. The demolishing of the old porch didn’t take too long, because it was so poorly constructed, it was hanging by a thread. Whoever built it, they poured the slab over some clay in between the foundation walls, The clay had settled over time, so there was nothing holding up the slab. there were two 16” 2×2s just under the threshold, each with about 5 nails in each. There was nothing holding up the 6 foot length along t...
Part 3: Applying the skirting!
I’m kind of working backward, because you usually put the skirting on last, but I didn’t have the 2’ X 6” material for the railing balusters yet, so that’s why I went this route. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I didn’t want to rely on the bolts alone to hold up the deck, so I rabbeted a 4” x 4” to rap around the metal post. Photos by Barb! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...
Part 4: Balusters for railing!
I finally got the 2” X 6” for the balusters. Photos by Barb.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It took approximately 10 minutes to cut out a baluster, Then I rounded all of the corner with a 1/2” radius bit. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Piled up ready to apply. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~First one! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...
Part 5: Applying the top railing boards.
I used 2 X 6’s for the railing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Taking measurements to fit around the pipe. Photos By Barb. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Drilled for the pipe. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I lost control of the router here , but it still worked out fine. To be continued!
Part 6: Stair railings!
I ripped 2 X 6’s in half, & ran a 1/2” radius on all of the edges. I also routed a 1/2” deep groove by 1 1/2” wide, to fit the balusters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fitting railings to posts! Photos by Barb! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~First baluster ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Balusters all done, & taking a breather. ~~~...
Part 7: The finished product!
The porch is completed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I learned something new about the finishing of new treated lumber. They don’t recommend waiting 60 to 90 days for the boards to dry anymore. They say by staining right away, it slows the drying process, & prevents cracking, & checking. I relate that to sealing the ends of lumber to prevent checking. We used Olympic semi-transparent oil stain that is water cleanup, pretty ...
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Blog Series
- Building a porch. - 7 parts
