This Old House Home Repair - Front Porch

I've been working on what I call my "last 2%" - the last few dozen or so things on my to-do list for the house. The current project is my front porch. The paint on the columns, ceiling, and railings was peeling pretty horrendously, with some patches of wood showing through - even the primer had peeled away. Rather than wait through winter for additional crack and peel activity, I've opted to have that addressed with priority.

Luckily, I've found a fantastic contractor. I can't call this one a handyman because that's degrading to the level of skill and quality he provides. The first phase of the porch repair is complete; next steps are filling in the low spots, priming, and painting. He has already spent some time and effort into getting the porch into its current upgraded condition. Namely, filling cracks and holes with a primer-ready adhesive sealant. Except for the surface unevenness, it looks painted - but it's just at the almost-ready-to-prime step, so I'm sure the end product will be gleamingly beautiful. And for a bonus, he doesn't mind me being invasively curious - not so much that I would do the work myself (not possible to his degree of skill), but just enough so that I want to know why this sealant and not the other is the best choice. The best part: hearing him describe the things he likes about the house, from a construction point of view, and his admiration for All Things Old.



Front porch column joint to railing (with new seal).