I knew that the wood porch at the door to the addition (our main entrance that we use all the time) was in bad shape, but I assumed that it would last until the day that we tore the existing addition down. I was wrong. Two weeks ago, my wife put her foot through one of the 2×6 boards that was far more rotten than I ever expected. Fortunately she wasn’t seriously hurt, but here was yet another unplanned repair job, and an opportunity for more insight into the previous owner’s workmanship.
Watch your step
Rotten board
The boards are 2x6s which is a good. However, the ends were not treated after they were cut, which is bad. The rot had started at the end and spread more than a foot inward. Using end cut preservative would have prolonged the life of this board and it likely would have lasted a few more years.
A simple repair
The repair itself was simple. I merely removed the three main boards from this step (as a precaution) and installed new boards. It had been a while since I bought any lumber and I was shocked that an 8 foot long 2×6 now costs over $8 CDN with tax. The total cost of this quick repair was over $25.
Boards removed from the porch step.
I simply installed the boards with the excess length overhanging the edges of the frame and cut the ends with a reciprocating saw. A circular saw would have been easier to control and would have been more accurate, but this porch’s days are numbered, so I chose speed over workmanship.
You call this a foundation?
With the boards removed, I got a peek under the porch to see some of the previous owner’s handiwork. Needless to say, it wasn’t very impressive. The frame simply rests on half-buried bricks and is no doubt subject to substantial movement during the freeze-thaw cycles.
Frame resting on bricks.
Numbered days
With our finances now stable, we are able to start the ball rolling on the major renovations that this house so desperately needs. The property is going to be surveyed within the next couple of weeks, and we’ll get some plans drawn up. Depending on costs and construction schedules, the existing addition (along with this porch) should be history in a year or two.
