I’m slowly however certainly getting this entrance porch makeover nearer to a stopping level in order that I can take a break from working on this central Texas warmth and concentrate on an indoor undertaking for the remainder of the summer season. However I received’t cease till I’ve reached my objective of getting the entrance porch completed.
The excellent news is that I’m completed with the restore work on the columns, and so they now have a recent coat of white paint on them. The unhealthy information is that I nonetheless haven’t completed the fascia boards across the porch above the brand new skirting. BUT I WILL!! I promise, I’ll. And I promise that I’m not placing it off simply to annoy y’all. 😀 I’m simply doing tasks as I really feel impressed to do them in order that I can maintain the momentum going, and I felt impressed to do the a lot simpler job of repairing and repainting these columns. I’m having bother getting that final rotted skirting board off, so forcing myself to try this would trigger me to lose motivation and momentum. However I promise, I’ll get it carried out earlier than I wrap up these outside tasks and head inside for the remainder of the summer season.
Anyway, right here’s what the columns appeared like after I confirmed you the progress a few days in the past…
I had eliminated numerous the rotted and spongy areas across the bases of these columns after which used wooden hardener to agency up wooden across the holes that have been left. Then I used Bondo Wooden Filler to fill within the holes and Plastic Wooden exterior wooden filler on any small cracks. As soon as all of that was dry, I sanded them easy with my sander, gave them a coat of Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer, and completed off with two coats of Sherwin Williams Length paint in Additional White (i.e., the colour proper out of the can), sanding with 220-grit sandpaper between coats.

I’m actually excited concerning the progress, and I’m so relieved that it labored out for me to restore the prevailing columns quite than fully redo them at the moment. Fully redoing them would have been an enormous undertaking, and I should still find yourself having to try this sooner or later. However I believe I’ve no less than purchased myself just a few extra years earlier than I’ll should go that route. And these very nicely might final indefinitely if I give them a recent coat of paint annually to maintain the wooden secure from rain.
I’ve just a few extra paint touchups I wish to do, after which I’ll end up the fascia boards (let’s hope I can work out the right way to get that facet board off), after which I’ll put new tape lights up, put up the brand new lights by the door, stain the porch boards, and name it quits for now. Actually, I’d like to maintain going as a result of I’ve totally loved working outdoors and making progress on these outside tasks, however because the temperature rises, I can really feel myself getting slower and slower with the progress. However I’ll be concerned to get again outdoors and work on extra outside tasks as quickly as I’m completed with the storage room and the temperature begins to come back again down within the fall. After all, I’ll additionally wish to get began on the sunroom, so we’ll see the way it goes as I attempt to juggle these two targets.
So whereas the entrance porch continues to be unfinished, and I nonetheless have just a few tasks that I wish to end up, I wish to remind y’all simply how far this entrance porch has come. I do know a lot of you could have been with me from the start, for the reason that day we moved into this home. However despite the fact that I’m the one who’s carried out the work, and I’ve seen the entire thing from starting to current, I nonetheless discover myself shocked after I come throughout photos of how this entrance porch space began out after we purchased the home. That’s precisely how I felt a few days in the past after I was scrolling by means of these previous photos.
As a reminder, right here’s how the entrance porch appeared the day we purchased the home…

I’ll always remember the primary time my mother noticed our home and walked by means of it for the primary time. She was genuinely involved. She knew that I’d be doing most of this on my own since Matt couldn’t assist me in any respect, and with equal elements worry, horror, and concern in her eyes and her voice, she requested me, “Kristi, are you positive about this? Are you positive you are able to do this?”
And with confidence that got here not from expertise, however from naivete and ignorance, I mentioned, “I’m positive! I do know I can do that!” I truly wasn’t positive that I might do it. I wasn’t positive in any respect that I might pull it off. However I used to be positive that I needed to attempt.
And now have a look at her. She’s nonetheless not completed, however my goodness, she’s come a great distance for the reason that day I used to be handed the keys and he or she turned ours.


As quickly as I get the remainder of these tasks completed on the entrance porch and get all of my instruments put away, I’ll take some new photographs from the road and present you extra comparability photos of the way it appeared then vs. the way it seems to be now. And as soon as the autumn climate will get right here, I’m hoping I can truly get no less than slightly little bit of landscaping carried out. Now that the porch skirting is completed, I’m feeling actually motivated to get some planting beds in and get some vegetation within the floor. And I’m nonetheless conserving a watch out for the proper water characteristic to place in entrance of the breakfast room home windows. I’ve made numerous progress, however there’s nonetheless a lot to do!
Extra About Our Home Exterior & Yard













