ADDING A NEW PORCH

This is what our new porch looks like.

After we added an addition onto our house 

I had always wished that we had put a porch on it.

So after eight years

we did!

This is what it looked like before. 

There were flower gardens all around the pavers but they were

removed this summer in preparation for the porch. I neglected to get a before picture.

Here's another view of the back, before.

And another.

After all the pavers were removed

they laid out the forms and leveled the dirt.

Here's a look at them bringing in the concrete and leveling out the pad.

We had the concrete tinted so it would match the existing brick better.

It was interesting to watch them work.

This is the pad all smoothed out.

When it dries to a certain hardness they start the stamping process.

The gray powder they put over it will become the joints in the brick design.

They stamp as they go.

This is what the pad looks like after the stamping is complete.

They leave the gray powder on overnight and the next day

come back and hose it off.

This is after the gray powder is removed.

Notice the gray is just in the joints.

Now they add a heavy duty sealer that darkens the brick somewhat and

shows up all the little imperfections you have in brick.

You can see the difference here, with the sealer and without.

It looks so much like real brick instead of stamped concrete.

It's not a perfect match to the existing brick

but it's pretty close.

We enjoyed the pad for a few weeks before they started on the new porch.

So finally the porch addition was started.

This is the framing stage.

The roof had been added at this point.

The vinyl has been added.

But there's still electrical, gutters and

columns to add.

Here's a picture of the porch ceiling before vinyl was added.

Here's the after.

It's a beautiful light blue but it's hard to tell in this picture.

Finally the electrical was done.

We chose to put two ceiling fans.

Should stay nice and cool with our hot, humid summers.

And finally out beautiful columns were added.

Don't they look great.

They made quite a difference in the overall appearance of the porch.

As you can see it was finished in time to decorate for Christmas.

Here's a picture of the fire pit next to the porch.

As you can see we were using it before the porch was finished.

I'm sure we're going to enjoy many a marshmellow.

Here's a side view, all finished.

Notice little Maggie.

It turned out beautiful. 

Looks like it's always been there.

Can't wait for spring to decorate it

and start adding flowers and plants.

It makes for a great spot to sit and watch the chickens.

Hope you enjoyed the transformation.

How great is the love 

the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called

children of God...

1 John 3:1

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