DIY Network

Back Porch: Evaluating the Situation Back Porch: Evaluating the Situation From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-203

Bill and Angie Wilkinson have a great backyard, complete with a covered porch and a large pool (figure A). They also have three young sons, a backyard cluttered with toys -- and no safety barriers to keep the boys away from the pool (figure B) (figure C). To further complicate their situation, the view of the backyard from inside their home is obscured by a bench area on the porch.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

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Figure D

To their rescue comes the Grounds for Improvement team, Jackie Taylor and Dean Hill, with a plan to provide more security for the children when they play outside and to control the toy clutter (figure D) in the process. Their solution: screen in the porch and add a locking door to create a secure play area for the boys, along with building toy and pool storage boxes to control the backyard clutter.

The materials for the new porch cost approximately $1,175. By doing this work themselves, along with helpers, the Wilkinsons saved approximately $1,100.

Note: Porch materials will vary based on the size of the porch. The materials listed below are for a 250-square-foot space.

Tools
Miter saw
Circular saw
Corded driver
Hose
Tarps

Materials
1 Screen-Tight kit
6-10 cedar boards 2"x6"x12'
6- 10 cedar boards 2"x6"x8'
8-12 cedar boards 1"x6"x8'
32" screen door with hardware
Box 3" tan deck screws

Storage Boxes
3/4"x4"x8' pressure-treated plywood board
Fourteen 2"x4"x8' cedar board
Fourteen 1"x12"x8' cedar board
Twenty 2"x2"x8' cedar board
Box 2-1/2" tan deck screws
Twenty 6" brass piano hinges
Two 20"x60" patio cushions
Six 18"-square all-weather pillows

Equipment Screen
Two 4"x4"x8' cedar or pressure treated posts
4"x4" concrete post anchor
24" urn

Swing Supports
Three 6"x6"x10" cedar or pressure treated post
Four 8" lag bolt assemblies 3/16"

Plant List
2 flats chrysanthemums or other annuals
3 bags potting soil

Figure E

Bill and Angie enlisted the aid of friends from work and church to help with the backyard renovation. They began by clearing away all the porch and yard furniture and clutter, including the porch swing and built-in benches. Old casing work around the corner posts, which was partially cut away to accommodate the old benches, is also removed to make room for the new framing. Because of its natural weather- and insect-resistant characteristics, 1x6 cedar is used to replace the casing (figure E).

RESOURCES :

Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm

Porter-Cable Tools
Porter-Cable Corporation
Website: www.deltaportercable.com

Irwin Industrial Tool Company
Website: www.irwin.com

Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com

American Society of Landscape Architects

Delta Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com

Screen Tight Information

Screen-Tight's™ unique system is easily adapted to most screen porches. The base component attaches to wood framing with 1" wood or sheet rock screws. Make sure to put a screw in each slot. Fastener should be snug, but not so tight that the base strip bends. Put a screw no less than 4" from the end of each base component. The excess screen is cut and removed, allowing cap to snap into base. This completes the installation.

Screen Tight™
Website: www.screentight.com

Cedar lumber and plywood