We last left the side porch … well, not existing. Demolition: complete. Site: clean and level. Building materials: staged. House: begging for a new porch to rise from the ground.
That required more digging—six holes, one for each support post. After the demo, Eric probably felt like he’d had enough digging, but, soon the holes appeared. Well, it felt “soon” to me … I was inside, surely doing something … important. My bad back sure gets me out of a lot of work.
Into both center holes Eric dropped one of the slabs he dug up (the corner holes already had thicker slabs in them, left over from the original porch). Onto each slab he placed a section of tubing to hold the cement. As if he had other things to think about, he failed to take pictures of this step.
Next, Eric set the 6×6 corner posts in the tubes. I may have helped straighten a post or two at this point. Then he braced the posts with 2x4s to hold the them vertical while he mixed and poured the cement into each hole. What?? Still no photos? Where was the freakin’ photographer? It’s so hard to get good help these days!
By the time the photographer showed up, this is what he found: corner and center posts installed, cement footings poured and cured, perimeter framing attached, and the surrounding dirt all smoothed out! This photo captures several days and evenings of work.
But wait—where’d all the extra slabs go? Just a few days previous, Eric had wondered what he would do with that planter full of dirt (I suggested top dressing our entire lawn). But as he filled the post holes and sloped the ground away from the foundation, he realized he was running short of dirt! That’s where the slabs went—back underground. I wonder … did they enjoy their time topside, or do they like it better down in the dark?
I meant to get a photo of the slabs in their new graves, but I got distracted in the house. For some reason, Eric didn’t want to dig them back up again for a photo op, but he was kind enough to brush back the dirt to expose a corner. Yup, they’re down there.
Then it was time to tidy things up a bit. Weed block fabric went down, followed by 7/8 minus drain rock. I just want to give myself credit for helping with this part. It was the least I could do.
All pretty now. The spiders who move in under this porch will have a much nicer living space.
Unfortunately, with the first day of autumn came the rain, and progress stopped for several days. The good news is that the overflowing gutters dumped water to the side of the porch … and the water drained away from the foundation.
Eventually the joists appeared in their hangers (as if by magic). It’s starting to look like it might be a porch when it grows up!
Peggy Sue was our first porch sitter, even though the boards were only loose scraps. She thought it was an awesome vantage point.
This porch is hella stout. Next summer we’ll be able to host a party for all our friends, load them onto the porch for a commemorative photo, and the porch will not fall in. We will not appear on the eleven o’clock news.
Just wait till we finish it for you, Peggy Sue. You’ll love it.
Our Bungalow's 2nd Century 