| Porch Project 2011 |
| For as long as I have owned this house, I have had one pet peeve concerning my wonderful screened-in porch. When the previous owners turned the open deck into an enclosed porch, they elected to put what they probably assumed were skylights in the roof. Unfortunately, what they installed were NOT skylights. They turned out to be solar oven windows. Since the porch is on the north side of the house, they provide no warmth or extra light in autumn or winter, and they are arranged so they pour light (and heat) into the porch during the summer. From the very first day I moved into the house, I realized that the skylights were a formula for inducing heat stroke. They do not open for ventilation, the roof leaks around the edges of one of the skylights, and the plastic bubbles are almost 30 years old, which is another way of saying that they are on the verge of failing. This summer, at long last, I am having the skylights ripped out and the holes in the roof filled in. Since the carpenters are going to be messing about with shingles, drip edge, and all that roofing paraphrenalia, I am also going to have them put a new roof on my storage shed. Once they are done, I will be making some repairs to the windowsills around the porch, and repainting the interior ceiling. Welcome to the Porch Project of 2011. |
Before:
| All images are thumbnails. Click on a picture for a larger version. |
View of the skylights. They point almost perfectly east and west, which dumps light and
heat into the porch both morning and late in the afternoon when it is warmest outside and
the porch needs shade the most. Outstanding design!!! </sarcasm>
heat into the porch both morning and late in the afternoon when it is warmest outside and
the porch needs shade the most. Outstanding design!!! </sarcasm>
Since I'm upstairs with a camera ...
This is my neighbor's pool. The red
line is the water level. The pool is
leaking. Who thinks this is going to
turn out well?
This is my neighbor's pool. The red
line is the water level. The pool is
leaking. Who thinks this is going to
turn out well?
Preparation:
Interior of the skylights as they have
appeared for more than 15 years.
That is white bed sheet in a screen
frame. It cuts down on the light and
heat coming into the porch.
appeared for more than 15 years.
That is white bed sheet in a screen
frame. It cuts down on the light and
heat coming into the porch.
Skylight without the sheet-screen.
This is the first step in clearing off the
porch to prepare for the carpenters.
This is the first step in clearing off the
porch to prepare for the carpenters.
I have removed all the furniture, and
taken down the screens. It took Pip
slightly under 19 nanoseconds to
figure out that she can enter and exit
the porch through the windows.
taken down the screens. It took Pip
slightly under 19 nanoseconds to
figure out that she can enter and exit
the porch through the windows.
Work Begins:
Shingles, tongue-in-groove planks (for
the interior of the porch), and all the
other goodies arrive.
the interior of the porch), and all the
other goodies arrive.
Work begins. The old roof starts to
come off the shed.
come off the shed.
The porch becomes a storage area for
the tongue-in-groove planks that will
patch the porch ceiling. This stuff
needs to stay fairly dry. They don't
want to work with water-logged planks.
the tongue-in-groove planks that will
patch the porch ceiling. This stuff
needs to stay fairly dry. They don't
want to work with water-logged planks.
Day 1: The forecast for this afternoon is horrendous, so Matt and Ben are going to concentrate on the quickest and least critical of the various tasks.
The shed roof. They don't want to strip the porch roof and remove the skylights just in time for heavy rain and hail. The forecast for tomorrow is better,
so they will start the porch tomorrow morning.
The shed roof. They don't want to strip the porch roof and remove the skylights just in time for heavy rain and hail. The forecast for tomorrow is better,
so they will start the porch tomorrow morning.
End of Day 1: The front of the shed is
done. All the prep work is done on the
back, and finishing the shed should go
quickly tomorrow morning.
done. All the prep work is done on the
back, and finishing the shed should go
quickly tomorrow morning.
... while Ben (out of the picture)
continues removing the old shingles.
continues removing the old shingles.
Matt works on installing the new drip
edge, ice-and-water shield, and 'felt'
(tarpaper) ...
edge, ice-and-water shield, and 'felt'
(tarpaper) ...
Day 2: Work begins promptly at 7:30am. By 9:00, the shed is finished, and the guys begin setting things up to begin work on the porch roof.
Matt finishes the shed while ...
... Ben sets things up to begin work on
the porch.
the porch.
Demolition begins.
Seems like kind of a big mess for such
a small job.
a small job.
This is the moment when we discover
whether the previous carpenters did
anything wrong or cheaply.
whether the previous carpenters did
anything wrong or cheaply.
HEY!!! There's a hole in my roof!!
It is 1:30pm, and all the prep work prior to actually putting on the shingles has been completed. This includes patching the two holes,
installing a drip edge all the way around the roof line (including the gable end), installing an ice-and-water shield for the first three feet
(that's the dark strip with the white writing on it), and putting down 'felt' (the underlayment). As soon as lunch break is over, they will begin
installing the shingles. If all goes as planned, they will have that done in a few hours, after which they will start on the inside of the porch
installing a drip edge all the way around the roof line (including the gable end), installing an ice-and-water shield for the first three feet
(that's the dark strip with the white writing on it), and putting down 'felt' (the underlayment). As soon as lunch break is over, they will begin
installing the shingles. If all goes as planned, they will have that done in a few hours, after which they will start on the inside of the porch
When the guys quit for the day, I start work. My
project is the windowsills. They refuse to hold
paint and I've got some poorly constructed areas
that catch water and encourage rot. So I'm
sanding down through at least five coats of paint.
I will drill holes in rotting areas and inject epoxy to
stabilize the wood, then prime and repaint.
I got through about a third of the sanding this
evening. Let me just say that this makes an
enormous mess!!
project is the windowsills. They refuse to hold
paint and I've got some poorly constructed areas
that catch water and encourage rot. So I'm
sanding down through at least five coats of paint.
I will drill holes in rotting areas and inject epoxy to
stabilize the wood, then prime and repaint.
I got through about a third of the sanding this
evening. Let me just say that this makes an
enormous mess!!
After: No skylights. The porch roof is
actually the same color as the house
and shed. Any color difference is a
result of sun and shade.
actually the same color as the house
and shed. Any color difference is a
result of sun and shade.
Before: With skylights.
3:00pm -- Matt and Ben have to close
up shop at my place to go take care of
another job. Half of the roof is done.
up shop at my place to go take care of
another job. Half of the roof is done.
Day 3: Work begins promptly at 7:00am.
By 9:00am, the roof is finished.
They've done a first class job. I'm
delighted with the results.
They've done a first class job. I'm
delighted with the results.
Time to move on to the inside of the
porch. This is how it looked this
morning as I was drinking coffee.
porch. This is how it looked this
morning as I was drinking coffee.
The old tongue-in-groove starts to
come down. Rather than attempt to
patch the skylight holes, which will
leave seams and joints, they will be
installing new 10 foot lengths.
come down. Rather than attempt to
patch the skylight holes, which will
leave seams and joints, they will be
installing new 10 foot lengths.
One of the nicest things about having
these guys do the work is that they are
pre-painting the new planks. They will
go into place with one coat of primer
and one finish coat on them.
these guys do the work is that they are
pre-painting the new planks. They will
go into place with one coat of primer
and one finish coat on them.
The interior is stripped in under an
hour. Note the bright, clean plywood.
That means that after 25 years, there
have been no leaks and no moisture
problems.
hour. Note the bright, clean plywood.
That means that after 25 years, there
have been no leaks and no moisture
problems.
With two guys installing, and one guy
cutting the planks, the job goes fast.
First side is done.
cutting the planks, the job goes fast.
First side is done.
The last plank comes in. In the end, it
turned out to be damaged, so they had
to pull it back out and put in an
unpainted one. Five pieces of trim to
install, and they're done.
turned out to be damaged, so they had
to pull it back out and put in an
unpainted one. Five pieces of trim to
install, and they're done.
Finished!! All it needs now is paint
The contractors are finished. Now I get to sweat for a while. Today (Day 3/Thursday, July 28) I will continue sanding the windowsills. Until that is done, I
cannot start painting. It is just too messy. Once I am done sanding, I will clean the porch thoroughly, and then begin priming and painting. I will not
paint the ceiling until the screens are back in place, otherwise I wind up with bugs stuck in the paint.
cannot start painting. It is just too messy. Once I am done sanding, I will clean the porch thoroughly, and then begin priming and painting. I will not
paint the ceiling until the screens are back in place, otherwise I wind up with bugs stuck in the paint.
A better shot of the end result. It will
look better once that one plank is
painted.
look better once that one plank is
painted.
Since I was making a horrendous mess
anyway, I decided to sand and repaint
the floor.
anyway, I decided to sand and repaint
the floor.
Day 4/Friday: I thought it would be
inconsiderate to start making a racket
at 7:30, so I started the day by priming
the areas that I sanded last night.
inconsiderate to start making a racket
at 7:30, so I started the day by priming
the areas that I sanded last night.
After 8 hours of work, everything is
sanded, including the floor; and the
porch has been cleaned. Weather
permitting, I can begin painting in the
morning.
sanded, including the floor; and the
porch has been cleaned. Weather
permitting, I can begin painting in the
morning.
| If reincarnation exists, I want to come back as Pip. This is how she spent the day. |
Day 5/Saturday: Caulking. This is
purely aesthetic. I have this thing
about gaps behind trim boards. Left
side is prior to caulking; right side has
been caulked.
purely aesthetic. I have this thing
about gaps behind trim boards. Left
side is prior to caulking; right side has
been caulked.
12:30 -- Lunch break! All the priming
is finished. After lunch I'll begin putting
the rain gutters back up while the
primer dries.
is finished. After lunch I'll begin putting
the rain gutters back up while the
primer dries.
Saturday afternoon: Paint, paint, paint, paint, paint, paint, paint, paint. After all that painting, I did not complete anything that shows up in a
picture. I should be able to finish the windowsills tomorrow morning, and get the screens back up in the afternoon. One rain gutter is back
in place and has been painted. I also started painting the ceiling. The difference between painted and unpainted white boards really
doesn't show up in a photograph. Despite that, it's going to look phenomenal when it's finished. The guys did an outstanding job of getting
the boards fitted together tightly. I'm excited.
picture. I should be able to finish the windowsills tomorrow morning, and get the screens back up in the afternoon. One rain gutter is back
in place and has been painted. I also started painting the ceiling. The difference between painted and unpainted white boards really
doesn't show up in a photograph. Despite that, it's going to look phenomenal when it's finished. The guys did an outstanding job of getting
the boards fitted together tightly. I'm excited.
Sunday: Work continues. Screens
are back up ... save one. I damaged
one window, and spent the afternoon
rebuilding it. A piece of plexiglass is in
place temporarily, allowing me to
de-bug the porch.
are back up ... save one. I damaged
one window, and spent the afternoon
rebuilding it. A piece of plexiglass is in
place temporarily, allowing me to
de-bug the porch.
Monday: Preparing for a ceiling
painting marathon. Drop cloths are
mandatory because I am a spattery
painter at the best of times.
painting marathon. Drop cloths are
mandatory because I am a spattery
painter at the best of times.
Spent the morning struggling with that
one window. It didn't fit. It was too
large in one corner by 1/16". But it's
finally in, and the gutters are back up
and painted. I also hit a first for this
job ... I got to put tools away today!!
one window. It didn't fit. It was too
large in one corner by 1/16". But it's
finally in, and the gutters are back up
and painted. I also hit a first for this
job ... I got to put tools away today!!
Tuesday: One last coat of paint for
the ceiling. At this point, it becomes
difficult to see what has been painted
and what hasn't. Sticky notes help
keep track.
the ceiling. At this point, it becomes
difficult to see what has been painted
and what hasn't. Sticky notes help
keep track.
Ceiling and the trim are finished. It is
time to tackle the floor.
time to tackle the floor.
When I do the floor, I paint myself back
through the doorway to the
diningroom. I am down to the last
square of floor!!!
through the doorway to the
diningroom. I am down to the last
square of floor!!!
Before: The ceiling as it appeared
before this saga began.
before this saga began.
After: The same chunk of ceiling from
a different angle. Not that much of a
change aesthetically, but a huge
change in terms of less heat and fewer
leaks.
a different angle. Not that much of a
change aesthetically, but a huge
change in terms of less heat and fewer
leaks.
All done. The end result.
The carpet is temporary. I am testing
how an oriental-type carpet will look.
Next summer I replace it with a different
color and design.
how an oriental-type carpet will look.
Next summer I replace it with a different
color and design.
Another angle.
No, I don't want my picture taken. Stop
pointing that camera at me or I'll shred
this ugly carpet. Let me out. I'm
leaving. Goodbye.
pointing that camera at me or I'll shred
this ugly carpet. Let me out. I'm
leaving. Goodbye.