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MY WIFE AND I purchased a 1942 bungalow when we got married in 2013. It met many of our criteria: price, location, spacious backyard, access to greenways and more. But the place also had drawbacks—including the one described below.
The entryway to the house included a climb up seven steps to a stoop. The stoop was small, large enough for only one person to stand while opening the storm door. The only protection from the weather was an old canvas awning.
The precast concrete steps were structurally sound but had shifted. This was a known issue and obvious when we agreed to purchase the place. The last step up to the stoop was around 11 inches, while the others were around seven-and-a-half inches. Rust was consuming the iron handrail.
The longer we lived there, the more I thought we should remove the stoop, steps and railing, and add a front porch large enough to entertain friends. The porch would be open air, but with a roof and overhangs, have safe stairs, sturdy handrails and sufficient room to maneuver around our front door. My wife was not keen on the idea. She thought our uncovered back deck had plenty of space for entertaining. Still, we agreed to investigate cost and design ideas with a general contractor.
We knew the contractor from an earlier project. He responded with double-barrel unwelcome news. First, the estimated cost was sky-high, more than we expected. Second, he said that the porch would violate zoning setback requirements, meaning it would be too close to the property line.
Over time, we knew that we had to do something to address the steps. We spoke to a friend, one who’s also a contractor. He showed us his suggested design, which we liked. He thought he could do all the construction work himself and use me to assist as needed. His price was much more reasonable, but we still had to address the issue of the setback violation.
My wife and I applied for a zoning variance. This was an expensive process. It required a new survey of our property, plus the variance-hearing application fee was substantial. None of this was refundable if the application failed. We then had to present our plan to the city’s board of adjustment, explaining the design and benefits of the front porch, and justifying the setback change request. Our application was approved.
Preparation for the job required removal of the existing vinyl siding and the original clapboard siding underneath it. Construction, with all appropriate inspection permits, began soon after. I helped with unseen structural items, such as joist hangers and nails, plus structural connection screws. Another one of my jobs was to haul all refuse to the dump for disposal. I made numerous trips with a loaded-down Subaru Forester.
We replaced the old siding with cement-based siding. The selected porch decking and steps were composite material, with an eye to reduced future maintenance. We used horizontal black pipe for the guardrails and handrail pickets. I bought electrical tubing, then sanded and painted it, while the contractor worked on structural items. The contractor ran the electrical circuit and installed porch lights, then asked me to install the overhead fan. We received inspection approvals and began to enjoy our new porch.
The worst unexpected change was the need to replace the horizontal rim joists supporting the front door, which had rotted. Inspection permits were surprisingly expensive, but that was the only way to obtain foundation, structural, electrical and occupancy approvals. We decided to make a color change, but there was a problem: Paint doesn’t adhere to vinyl siding, and a lot of vinyl siding remained. We decided to replace all vinyl siding with cement-based siding. We also decided to install gutter guards around the house, so I no longer need to climb a ladder to clear leaves from the gutters every fall.
What did I learn from the project? Large home improvement projects invariably encounter issues, like rotten wood, hidden defects, inspection failures, and schedule or material supply problems. It’s important to recognize that this will happen, and be prepared to develop a workaround on the fly. Always check to make sure your contractor has liability insurance to protect himself and his employees. Otherwise, you may be at risk.
This was a pandemic project, but we immediately realized the benefits. Living in North Carolina, the porch is usable year-round. Even during the summer, the porch is a wonderful place to read or talk because there’s a natural breeze that’s aided by the overhead fan. We even installed my father-in-law’s childhood porch swing. Now, years after completion, people still stop to tell us how much they like the porch and how much better our home looks with the addition. And, best of all, my wife is a convert.
Jeff Bond moved to Raleigh in 1971 to attend North Carolina State University and never left. He retired in 2020 after 43 years in various engineering roles. Jeff’s the proud father of two sons and, in 2013, expanded his family with a new wife and two stepdaughters. Today, he’s “Grandpa” three times over. In retirement, Jeff works on home projects, volunteers, reads, gardens, and rides his bike or goes to the gym almost every day. Check out his previous articles.
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Fun read Jeff – and hello from Apex. I didn’t realize you could appeal and make a case for setback exceptions/zoning variance to zoning boards (#notetoself). Glad to hear it’s all worked out. Front porches, imho, can build community in unexpected, unplanned ways. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed a screen porch we added in 2016 to the back of our house but lots of good front porch anecdotes here.
We had our two story colonial spray painted by professionals and it is vinyl and it adheres just fine. Sherwin Williams top of the line paint also. Then most all the street also had their vinyl done the same way. It was done in 2018 Cleveland OH area but it was 4500 for 3200 sq ft with garage plus 100 per window trim if wanted it done. Only drawbacks are you need to select a color same tone or darker and vinyl moves with expansion and you can get some vertical strips which I touched up by brush. After that was done not many more strips. Also (not many) some aluminum sided houses were done. Houses look like newly sided.
Thanks for your providing your experience when painting vinyl siding. My experience was different, as the vinyl siding was already degrading and cracking. Replacement was the best option for us, and now we have a consistent look everywhere.
Great article, and your porch sounds awesome. I found myself wishing for a picture!
Dr. Lefty – I’ll try to post a link to a picture later today. Thanks for reading.
the best part of the article was installing gutter guard ………we had our roof replaced which I added a gutter guard which was one of my best investment……also we used a local Co not the national advertised Co which was much less expensive
The siding contractor was local. He had insurance, and I contracted through him for gutters, guards, and roof drip-edge installation, too. Thanks for you comment.
Jeff, thanks for a clear, interesting description of your project. When I did construction work, I enjoyed every aspect of the process—from planning to sweeping up. It’s nice to get absorbed in job with a clear, attainable goal and a definite end point. And a wife that says, “Wow!”
Edmund – especially when you can begin the enjoyment right away (or during construction). Thanks for commenting.
Jeff, sounds like a great project and I envy your skills. We recently did a complete kitchen makeover and my best contribution was staying out of the way (and writing checks).
We likewise originally had vinyl siding on our home, but a massive hailstorm a few years back tore it to shreds. We replaced all of it with HardiePlank (cement based), and are glad we did.
In my amateur opinion, the single most important thing with a big home improvement project is getting a skilled contractor you can trust. And one of the best ways to do that is to spend the necessary time having detailed conversations with their references. We did that with our kitchen project and it really paid off.
Andrew – that’s a really great point. References are important when you’re about to spend that much money. Sometimes your budget will limit the scope of your project.
Excellent article Jeff. We built a screened-in porch on the back of our PA home in 2019. We loved it, and I frequently asked myself why did we wait so long to do it. It became my favorite part of the home, and the part I miss the most. Our “new” home in Monmouth County was built in the 1930s. It seems quite well built, but I worry a bit about the electric service. In some ways it is likely better than today’s stick-built homes. The walls are 9 inches thick brick and 6 inch studs. Most of the interior was redone 6 years ago, but who knows what’s hiding inside those old walls. I have a niece and her husband in downtown Raleigh in a beautiful older home. They love it.
Rick – additional thoughts. Electrical service upgrades are entirely doable. It helps to have access from below (basement or crawl space) and above (attic) but strategic sheetrock holes can help a skilled electrician route new cabling. While you’re at it you can upgrade to 200 amp service if you don’t already have it.
Rick – I’m the same, wishing we built it earlier, but the zoning issue took quite a bit to resolve. At an earlier point in time we were told that we’d never obtain a building permit.
Nice project! Not only a practical and attractive addition to your home, but a way to express your creativity as well. The wife and I rebuilt our back deck a few years ago using composite, and we absolutely love it. We think it’s the best “room” in the house! Hope you get many more years of enjoyment from your work.
wtfwjtd – those composite materials are a way to participate in recycling! Thanks for commenting!
Great article Jeff. My 2 brother-in-laws and I have engaged in many projects from replacing water heaters to building houses and everything in-between. The skillset for the projects was not an issue, but as you state, liability should be addressed. We were young, dumb, invincible, and damn lucky no one was injured. I wonder what an extreme injury, such as paralysis or death would have cost us and our insurance company.
Dan – that’s a great point. Even doing a home construction project yourself doesn’t eliminate the possibility of injury.