Fixing a Rotted Deck and Columns on the Porch

Project: Basement Finishing and Family Space, Episode 5, Part 2



Back in Melrose, MA, Bob reviews the exterior work on the 1921 Dutch gambrel. The home's trim, built-out bays, and columns all need replacing. The crew starts by making a template of the trim profile and creating a special knife to cut all the boards for the job. The fascia, trim, porch deck, and porch ceiling are replaced with western red cedar, which is naturally rot and insect resistant. The new porch ceiling is installed with staggered joints for a beautiful finished appearance. Pulling up the old porch deck reveals rotted and insect-damaged joists that must be replaced with pressure-treated joists hung from galvanized hangers. The stucco columns have rotted away inside and are repaired with a brick-and-mortar base and a concrete fill poured in through a hole at the top of the column. A new, energy-efficient, fiberglass-skinned polyurethane-core front door is installed with a pressure-treated custom jamb. Inside, Bob looks at the new aluminum-clad wood windows that have been installed throughout the home. The tilt-in sash, low-e coated and crypton-filled glazing, and pine interior make for an elegant replacement window that blocks noise and unwanted air from entering the home.

Part 1: Replicating Old Window Moldings and Replacing House Trim and Boards
Part 2: Fixing a Rotted Deck and Columns on the Porch

Bob checks out the deck of the porch that had deteriorated to the point that it was a dangerous place for kids to play. The homeowner Ricardo and his brother Rolando Monzon did some demolition work and found rotted and insect-damaged joists. The wooden posts inside a stucco column had also rotted away. To fix this, a masonry base is constructed and the stucco column is filled with concrete through a hole cut in at the top. Steve Nott from Steve Nott and Son Carpentry works on the porch framing. Nott reviews some of the work he has done on the project, including replacing the ledger board and strengthening the porch support overall. With the deck frame set up, mason Kevin Latham shows the reconstruction of the stucco column.

Part 3: Replacing an Exterior Door and Windows

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