Old House Porch Makeover

One major project we took on here recently was to do a much needed porch makeover. It had been painted a few years before we moved in but was in terrible condition and made the entire front of the house look very unwelcoming. Even though we tried to DIY this seemingly easy project, we ultimately decided to hire it out. So all I had to do was take pictures. As do it yourself-ers, sometimes that is a refreshing and welcomed change! See the before pictures here.

Last we saw the porch it had been sanded and was undergoing repair. Some of the original wood boards were rotted and had to be replaced. The restoration company we hired specializes in this kind of work, so they knew exactly what to do to fix things up.

Do you like the maroon trim on our house? I’d repaint it if I could, I mean maroon went out in the 90’s right? But it’s about the lowest on the priority list. If it’s even on that list. It might be on the do not ever take on list if it were up to Dan.

The wood sanded down really nicely and soon enough it was time for paint. We picked out a color by Benjamin Moore in the line that that company uses on outdoor porches and areas. We asked if sand could be added to the paint to make sure it was gritty enough and the floor wouldn’t be slippery.

After a layer of primer, on went the French Grey. The priming and painting process only took a day and the company even touched up the off white trim around the baseboards on the porch for us. This was great because they color matched the paint to the existing color on the house. Otherwise I would have no idea what color it was, so at least now we have a quart.

And here are the porch before and after photos. First, the overall floor, which went from two peeling layers of blue to a nice smooth and shiny grey. You can even actually see some of the outline of the wood that had been replaced some years ago.

Here is the right corner on the side of the door. This is where I sometimes put fall decorations and pumpkins. A definite improvement!

This is the other corner where we had a giant hole in the floor and got to see underneath our 113 year old house.

This is along the one side where the boards were rotted out. They were replaced and painted to match, since technically that board is the floor. You can see in these pics the wooden clap board siding. This front of our house is the only part that has wooden siding. The rest of it is siding, much to some people’s dismay, who like to see original wooden siding. Although it is more visually attractive, of course there is always the maintenance needed. We have one friend who removed and repainted all of his siding on his old house. Now THAT is an award winning DIY project.

And last, here are some overall shots of the main areas in front of the door. I couldn’t resist getting this old key doormat, it matches our old house perfectly!

See the rest of the porch projects below on the makeover to do list. We are getting closer. Maybe I’ll get plants out there by the time winter comes!

• Remove all the paint on the porch See more here
• Remove paint on the concrete stairs
• Repair broken wood See more here
• Repaint the porch and touch up any trim
• Stain the flower boxes?
• Get a rug See more here
• Repaint the chairs See more here
• Replace the cushions on the chairs
• Get a coffee table of some kind
• Add decorations like lanterns, pillows, plants and other accessories including outdoor lights

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the Fish Foam giveaway to win window cleaner!