Let's Take It Outside

So far, all the work to the house has been on the interior. Now that winter finally seems to be over, we decided it was way past time to address the exterior of the house.

We've got a lot of problems. We've documented the problems with the front porch, and it is near the top of the exterior to-do list. We have been assured that it isn't a structural threat to the house, but it is unusable in its current condition. Next, there is no outdoor entertaining space. We've decided to put in a patio instead of a deck, as it fits in better with the home's historical context. And, between the dog and Max, we really need to fence in the back yard. Add in the need for a complete landscaping overhaul and our (eventual) desire to remove the vinyl siding and restore the original clapboard siding, and out exterior to-do list is a bit overwhelming.

First up, however, is to address the back porch. Right now, it is enclosed and has been turned into a laundry room. When we moved in, we moved the washing machine and dryer upstairs, so the back porch doesn't serve much of a purpose. We've decided we want to turn it back into a screened-in porch, so that it serves a bit of an outdoor/entertaining purpose. We are very excited to get this going, as we think it will change the entire complexion of the homes exterior from the back elevation.

Here are the "before" pictures. First up, this is the back of the house:


The lower portion of the house on the right is what used to be (and what will once again be) the back porch. The taller portion on the right is an addition to the kitchen. As you can see, the entire exterior is covered in vinyl siding. We have no idea what we will find underneath that siding, especially on the enclosed porch. And, obviously, those rickety old steps must be replaced.

Next up, here's a picture from the inside of the house:


This door leads to the enclosed back porch. Right now, it is not an exterior-grade door. As part of the porch work, we are going to remove the door and window, and put in a french door. Our contractor says he can re-use the old trim for the french door, so it should retain its "original" look.

And here are pictures of the inside of the back porch:



As you can tell, it's not very attractive in there. You can see the old wood siding (what we hope we will find under the vinyl siding) and the remnants of the washer and dryer hook-ups. The exterior wall is covered in flimsy wood-paneling, with some kind of backer board underneath it. Hopefully the old porch posts will still be underneath there, and in salvageable condition. There is also (in the top picture) exposed plumbing and wiring that goes up to the second floor. Obviously, that stuff will have to be enclosed.

And that's the back porch in a nutshell. I will post updates as construction progresses.