Front Porch


One of the main selling points of the house was the front porch. I've always dreamed of having a front porch to sit out and watch the rain.  The front porch also happened to be one of the most neglected parts of the house.  If the overhang of your porch does not extend far enough out from the floor of the porch, then the wood on the edge will start to rot.  

The first thing I did was create a gate because I have 2 dogs and live on a busy road, so I was very paranoid about the dogs running out into the street.  I also wanted to be able to sit out on the porch with the dogs without worrying about a leash. 


The next thing that needed to get repaired was the floor of the porch.  One night I looked out the window and saw a big Baltimore rat climbing into the hole in the porch, and the next day I needed to do something about it.  There was a subfloor under the boards, so I used a circular saw to just cut through the layer of boards, without cutting into the subfloor.  I then replaced the boards across and then used a ton of wood filler to fill in the gaps.  


The next thing I did was paint all of the wood on the porch (floor and railings) with Home Depot's Behr Deck Over paint in the color Slate.  However, I would not recommend this color for a floor because it gets dirty really easily.  The first day I painted the floor, the mailman came to deliver the mail and the foot prints were so prominent I instantly regretted it. However, after days of painting and waiting for the floor to dry, I was too tired to repaint in a different color.  Here is a photo of the porch today, and you can see how the dirt shows. 


Overall, the curb appeal was transformed and I received many compliments, especially from neighbors who were just as tired as looking at the house as I was.

As for decorations, I bought these awesome retractable plant hanging hooks to make watering plants easier.  I also have outdoor sheer curtains and a tension rod to hang them. 

Retractable Plant Hangers
Tension Rod
Curtain


Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links.

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