It’s something we’d really like right now, isn’t it?
A firm foundation
The assurance that when we take a step forward, we’re not going to fall. That the earth around us isn’t going to cave in. That everything happening during these crazy days is eventually going to settle down.
I have no idea what that will look like.
I hope you’re hanging in there okay, friends. If you’ve lost someone to this unseen enemy, I’m so very sorry for your loss. If you’ve lost a job, I know these are hard days for a lot of people, but we’ll get through them—together. If you’re worried, you’re not alone; please take comfort in that.
During this unexpected stay-at-home time, my Renaissance Man and I are tackling our front porch. It’s a huge DIY project, and our bodies tell us daily that we’re not as young as we were when we renovated our last old house!
If you follow @smalltownvictorian on Instagram, you already know we’re well into this project. But I promised to take all of you readers along for the ride as we show this old house some love, so today seems like a really good day to talk about what happens when you take a step, and the floor beneath you is soft, spongy, questionable.
Let’s go back to last Summer, a few months after purchasing our big ol’ house in a small town . . .
We removed all of the rhododendrons and vines that were overtaking our porch. Then we re-planted the front flower beds. Once the brick foundation was exposed (why did they paint it?), we got a better look at the bases of the porch columns.
We saw we had to keep an eye on a few of them.
Hmmm… How long can we wait before we have to rebuild the porch?
Unfortunately, the answer turned out to be NOT VERY LONG!
Puddling water + wood = problems!
We removed the railings and flooring from one 16′ section of porch and assessed the damage from a rebuild done (incorrectly!) 40 years ago.
Then we decided to remove the vinyl siding from the porch. We were pretty certain the original wood clapboards were still there, and we had reason to believe they would be in at least “fair” condition.
What a nice surprise we got! The clapboards are in “very good” condition and cleaned up nicely. With very little paint loss, they’re perfectly fine to leave as they are until sometime in the future when we can remove the vinyl from the upper stories and paint the entire house.
Look at those pretty rounded corners—and the evidence of previous shutters!
Because the vinyl is a light grey (and the paint under the shady porch is white), there’s very little visible difference from the street. Yay!
Then came the “fun” part: removing the first (worst, most sinking) column . . .
. . . making repairs, stripping years of paint . . .
Bottom right pic shows the hollow column is constructed of wood staves joined to make the round shaft.
. . . creating a strong foundation, and setting Column #1 back in place. Stay tuned. There are a total of 9 columns and 2 half-columns/pilasters.
I was excited to discover the original blue-grey paint! And before I realized it, I was already considering a blue house. 💙
Column #2 brought its own set of challenges, not the least of which involved my handy husband re-laying old brick, but it’s back in place, too! Of course, we got the typical old house reminder that nothing is ever square!
This house was built in 1908 and had NO railing until sometime in the 1980s. I learned that from a woman who grew up in our house. If only she had photographs!
Once the supporting columns on the first section of porch were finished, it was time to go to our huge stash of reclaimed wood and start laying floor boards. Our first thought was to use the tongue-and-groove boards as they were designed, but some of them are pretty rough (they’ve been around a long time!), so we decided to remove the tongue and lay them with a little gap in between each one.
These boards were salvaged many years ago from the old Mt. Horeb school. It was built in the late 1800s and torn down in the early 1950s. The wood was sitting in the man’s barn for longer than I’ve been alive—and he died before ever doing anything with it. I don’t want that to be me!
The first 16′ section of flooring is laid (after sealing the sides, ends, and undersides to keep out moisture). Eventually the porch boards will be lightly sanded and sealed.
Big difference in the “before” planks and the “during” ones!
This is one of the half-columns/pilasters. Removing it both solved and created mysteries!
Mystery solved: The original house was painted off-white (followed by white).
Mystery created: Everything about this half-column/pilaster looks and “feels” older than the porch columns. Its overall construction is different, and the design of the lower plinth and torus (disc portion) is different. And yet the porch columns we replaced are also very old construction and had many, many layers of paint on them.
The cap (top) and plinth and torus (bottom) shown here are now stripped of paint and repaired.
Once the first section of floor joists was replaced, it was time to remove more railing. I love how welcoming this house looks without the banisters!
Here we go again!
Section #2 was a 10′ section in front of the door. It yielded two old jars—one with a nest in it!
Today we gear up again! It’s time to re-set that half-column/pilaster, reorganize our work space, and start on another section.
We’re going to tackle this long side porch next.
Wish us luck!
The ultimate foundation:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Psalm 127:1
I love seeing this project detail! My daughter and her husband bought an old house built in 1908. He’s a great project guy, and I can see this happening in their future. It’s amazing how you’ve salvaged not only all that wood pile but also the columns. So many people would just scrap the original wood as too damaged to want to repair. It’s going to look amazing. The work in progress already does. Good luck!
Wishing you luck! I think you are so brave! It’s going to be so beautiful!
Love,
Cindy
Fascinating! Your dynamic duo always amazes and impresses.♥
I’m so impressed with your skills, your energy, and your determination! What a beautiful job you are doing. Can’t wait to see the total finished product when you’re done!