And I’m calling this project done. Time to celebrate. To recap why we decided to box in those columns:
- The carport already has four chunky, square columns, so the three original curvy columns made the house feel inconsistent.
- Squared, boxed columns are more authentic to a mid-century ranch aesthetic, which is the look we wanted to restore (many neighboring ranch homes already have them).
After getting this far in one afternoon, we were optimistic that the finishing touches would go quickly. How long could it take to finish one column, caulk the seams, and paint?
We hit a small detour before even opening the caulk gun. Once the three columns were boxed in, the de-scalloped header looked a bit too delicate next to the beefed-up posts. We grabbed three more 1×6 boards and layered them over the original 1×3 header, attaching them with wood glue, nails, and a few screws to give the header more presence. Here’s how it looked in progress:
That detour didn’t add too much time. What took the longest was caulking. There were a lot of seams, and we didn’t want moisture getting behind the wood. We used the same approach we used on our first house: primed wood, caulk, and paint to seal everything. That method held up well for five years, so we were careful to be thorough again.
When people ask what caulk we use, we recommend Dap window and door caulk in white, paintable finish—paintable is important so the caulk blends with the trim.
Once the caulk cured, it was time to paint. The boards were pre-primed, so we only needed to match the porch color. Fortunately, the previous owners had left a couple gallons of house paint, so we didn’t need to buy more. The can was labeled “Creamy Color,” which is about as vague a name as you can get, but it matched the porch well.
We considered repainting all of our trim from “creamy” to white, but that would be a much bigger job—there’s trim all around the house and parts of the back are two stories high—so we passed for now.
Sherry handled the cutting-in (she boldly painted the bottom of a column without taping it off) while I rolled the larger areas.
After one coat and a few touch-ups, we were finished. As noted earlier, there was rejoicing.
Now when we arrive home, the exterior feels more cohesive and more like us.
Concealing the ornate, traditional columns makes the exterior look crisper and updated, and it better matches the mid-century ranch style we were aiming for. The three curvy columns no longer clash with the four square posts in the carport. Hurrah.
Here’s a close-up of the slight detail at the junction where the 1×8 boards (front and back) meet the 1×6 boards on the sides. Note: there’s a simple sketch explaining why square columns use two 8-inch boards and two 6-inch boards in the earlier porch post referenced in our original project notes.
Budget-wise, our main expense was the primed lumber since we already had paint and caulk. The breakdown:
- Four 1×3 boards for the original thin header: $20.50
- Four 1×6 boards for the thicker header: $41.33
- Six 1×6 boards for the sides of the posts: $62.08
- Six 1×8 boards for the front and back of the posts: $74.12
- TOTAL: $198.03
If we’d known the 1x3s would be too small we could have skipped them, which would shave about $20 off the total. We could have chosen cheaper boards, but we prefer pine for its smoother, straighter surface and the convenience of skipping a priming step—this is the same material we used on our first house’s porch and it’s held up well over five years.
With this project finished, we’re ready for more outdoor work—thankfully spring has finally arrived in Richmond.
In the three springs since we moved in, curb appeal has improved a lot, and we’re excited to keep making progress.
What’s on your spring to-do list? Any big projects planned, or are you more interested in enjoying a lemonade and calling it a day?
PS: I almost titled this post “Porch-a de Rossi” because it was the only porch pun I could think of. Blame my excitement for the new season of Arrested Development.