Untitled - Wood Tools

One drarnatic improvement you can make to a front
porch is to install new flooring. For this project, I wanted
to re-create the feel ofan old-fashioned porch. Ifyou
look at the Plrcto at left, I think you'Il agree this painted
flooring gives it that warm, inviting appeal of yesteryear.
A Solid Foundation - Aesthetics aside though,
the floor must be solid without any "give" when you
walk on it.That stabiliry comes from the footings and
franring beneath the porch (Illustration, below).
If you re '"vorking on an existing porch, you'll have the
perfect opportuniry to examine these structural elements
firsthand - after you tear offthe old flooring.To shore
Llp the frantework, you may have to replace rotting
boards, add bridging to take the "bounce" out of the
floor, or perhaps "sister" a new joist to one that's sagging.
Depending on the condition of the porch, you may
want to hire a contractor to do this work.That's also a
good idea if you're adding a new porch, as building the
structure of a porch can be a fairly complicated process.
Instolling the Flooring
That will free you up to concentrate on the most vrsually
appealing elemenrs of the porch - like the flooring.
On this porch, the flooring runs perpendicular to the
house (Illustration, below).ln a nod to the olden days
(and to ensure a rock-solid installation), I used tongueand-groove
flooring. But notjusr any old tongue-andgroove
flooring, mind you.
Fosten the first two boords
with #8 x 2" golv. deck screws
Rip gnioved
edge from first
boord
FTOOR ASSEMBTY
Tongue-ond-Groove _
Composifre Decking
Posl
(treoted 4x4 |
House Siding
Quorter-Round Trim
Floshing
Quorter-Round I
Composite Flooring
Holf-Round
Holf-Round
Trim
Porch Footing
Weolher-resislronl
scorf joint on skirt
(see poge 50)
Rim Joist
Cedor Skirt
Boord
40