I promise that I’m not deliberately making an attempt to frustrate anybody, however I do know I’m going to anyway. I made progress on the entrance porch makeover, however I nonetheless haven’t tackled the one venture that I do know we’re all probably the most inquisitive about and anxious to see — the fake stone facade on the skirting. Once I began working yesterday, I made a decision that I would like just a little extra time to analysis the precise merchandise and course of I need to use to connect these stones. I don’t need to rush into it, make a mistake, and have these stones fail and fall off in a yr. So I did take time to try this yesterday, and I believe I’ve the method down. I’ve made an inventory of all the things I’ll want, so I hope to make it by Dwelling Depot at present to choose up all the provides in order that I can begin on it tomorrow.
With the remaining time I had left yesterday, I made a decision to deal with the porch boards. A couple of weeks in the past, I had severely thought-about fully redoing this porch and swapping them out for a composite materials like Trex. However for now, I’ve determined to sand and paint them. The actual fact is that whereas these boards have been wanting actually tough and fairly ugly in the meanwhile, they’re cedar. And cedar is a reasonably powerful, weather-resistant wooden.
And whereas it doesn’t price as a lot as a product like Trex, it wasn’t low-cost. What made the porch look so unhealthy isn’t that the boards have been rotting and falling aside. It’s that the final end I used was carrying off and searching very patchy and worn.
Even the areas on the sides, the place it seems to be absolutely the worst, was simply the earlier stain carrying off. the boards themselves are nonetheless in nice situation.
So, seeing that I’ve so many different tasks that I need to do, and so many different issues I need to spend my cash on, I made a decision that tearing up a superbly good cedar porch and changing it with Trex actually isn’t the very best use of my money and time. As an alternative, I took a few hours to sand the boards down utilizing 80-grit sanding discs on my handheld rotary sander.
As soon as that previous stain was sanded off, the boards seemed nice.
In actual fact, they seemed so good that I had a second the place I struggled with the thought of portray them.
However after going again over the professionals and cons of portray vs. re-staining the boards, I’ve determined to maintain with my authentic concept of portray them. I do love the pure wooden look of the boards. I really like the wooden grain and the knots that give it that pure wooden look. And when it’s painted, I’ll lose all of that. The porch will likely be one strong, darkish brown shade.
However I additionally know that if I re-stain it, I’ll be again out right here in a yr or two re-sanding and re-staining/sealing this entrance porch once more. After which I’ll need to repeat that once more, and once more, and once more, yearly or two, if I need to preserve it wanting good. I’d like one thing that’s a lot decrease upkeep, and I’ve excessive hopes that the Behr Porch & Patio Paint will give me a for much longer lasting end.
Whereas I used to be engaged on this and going up and down the steps, I noticed that if I’m going to color the porch, I’ll additionally want to color the stained wooden portion of the handrails. And whereas I used to be inspecting the handrails, I observed that I’ve a unfastened handrail.
The put up is safe, however this one space the place the handrail attaches to the put up isn’t safe. It shifts about 1/4-inch each time I seize it. Since this can be a security difficulty, this can have to be repaired sooner slightly than later.
And as I used to be going over the steps that might be required to ensure that me to restore this (which might require me to take the handrail aside and change the white piece of wooden that the stained piece is hooked up to), I made a decision that I’ll as effectively take this chance to swap out these actual wooden items (simply the white items on high and backside) with PVC boards. In spite of everything, that’s my long-term purpose. I need all the wooden that isn’t cedar and that rots quite a bit quicker than cedar to be swapped out for PVC boards that may by no means rot. In order that venture must be added to my record. And since an unstable handrail is a security difficulty, it must be completed now.
And since I’ll be redoing that with PVC boards, I believed that perhaps I ought to go forward and change these rotting boards on the columns with PVC boards as effectively.
Sure, I might restore them and paint them for now, however why preserve kicking this will down the highway after I realize it must be completed. The wooden on all three columns is rotting, and since I’m in “entrance porch makeover” mode proper now, I’ll as effectively go forward and change these. It might lengthen the time I would like on these tasks by two or three days, however at the very least will probably be completed for good, and I gained’t need to waste time repairing this proper now solely to have to return again to this venture sooner or later.
Plus, it’ll look a lot nicer if it’s all completed correctly, and it’s all completed on the identical time.
In order that’s what I’m planning on doing. That signifies that these actually do have to be completed earlier than I prime and paint the porch. As soon as the porch is painted, I’ll need to give it the complete two to 4 weeks to remedy with very minimal use. So as soon as it’s painted, I gained’t need to be standing on, utilizing energy instruments and ladders on it, and many others. However at the very least the porch is now sanded and able to be primed and painted after I get to that time.
Tomorrow, I’ll be beginning on the skirting. As soon as that’s completed, I’ll restore the handrails and swap out these white boards with PVC boards. Whereas I’ve the handrails indifferent from the columns, I’ll go forward and change the rotted wooden on the columns with PVC boards after which reattach the handrails. After which as soon as that’s completed, I’ll be able to prime and paint the porch. And as soon as that’s completed, the porch makeover will likely be completed! I gained’t have something hanging over my head that I would like to return again and redo within the fall or subsequent yr. It’ll all be completed. No extra wooden that may rot, and no extra porch boards that may have to be re-stained subsequent yr. That’s the purpose, at the very least.
Extra About Our Home Exterior & Yard
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can be taught extra about me right here.
