| Three-Season Modular Porch: Adding the Roof and Wall Supports |
From "Weekend Handyman"
episode WKH-204 |
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Time: 16 hours over 2 days, not counting the prep work. Difficulty Rating: This project rates a 5 on the Weekend Handyman scale.
Materials: Compound miter saw
Power nailer
Plane
Sheet metal crimper
Power drill and driver
Chalkline and clamps
Table saw
Modular porch system Day Two - The roof panels (figure A) go in place next. They've been carefully engineered so the rear of each panel rests on the ledger board and the front will drop into the slot in the front. They weigh about 100 pounds each, but with careful planning and help, you can get them in place. Set one end down and lean the panel against the header. Have your helper go up the ladder and then cantilever the panel over the header. Have your helper hold it in place while you go up a taller ladder closer to the house. Both of you slide the panel towards the house until it rests on the ledger board.
- While your helper holds the panel on the ledge, you maneuver the front cleat into the notch in the header. This will keep the panel from sliding down. The panel needs to sit flush on the ledger board (figure B).
- Drive a couple of long screws through the panel to attach it to the ledger board. The rest of the panels go up the same way.
Expert Tip: The panels will stay in place, but to make sure put brass bolts through each panel and use a clamp to pull them together. - The gable end is done with tongue-and-groove siding (figure C). The kit comes with bundles of the siding that have been precut. They fit into rabbets in the rafter and header, and then a trim piece is screwed into place (figure D) over it to hold them in place.
- Put fascia board onto rafter tails to give the front a nice finished look.
- The fascia and header both have dados in them. For the soffit, just slide the short pieces of cedar (figure E) into the dado slots and slide the pieces all the way down the length of the porch.
- The door fits into the precut channels in the support posts. To get it in, you have to swing one post out of the way. A bead of silicone will help seal the threshold.
- The top of the door frame then slides up into the slot in the header.
- After the door is in, put the support post back and secure it in place.
- Set the first wall panel in. Each one gets its own precut threshold, sealed with a bead of caulk. The rest of the panels go in the same way (figure F).
Tip: Use a small piece of plywood to help set the panel in place. Expert Tip: The panels slide up into the slot in the header and set on the threshold. The key is to start in a corner because then you know the rest of the porch will be plumb. - To finish the roof, start by putting down a layer of ice shield.
- Put drip cap all around the edge of the roof. All the metal is attached with special copper nails (figure G).
Note: 16-ounce copper is the weight per square foot. Always wear gloves when handling copper as fingerprints will stain the medal. - The sheets or pans overlap at the edges. A crimping tool was used to tighten the seams (figure H).
- Along the top lay special flashing designed for this roof top. The flashing will fit under the siding.
RESOURCES :
Pre-engineered Modular Porch System (Vixen Hill)
Brand Name: 3 Season (Lean-to) Porch System
Model Number: 8' x 24'
Color: West Red Cedar
Miscellaneous Product Info:
- Porch is fabricated from select #1 or better kiln-dried western red cedar.
- All component parts are pre-assembled to the fullest extent possible, to preclude any on-site drilling, cutting, filling, nailing or sanding.
- Porch is supplied with all necessary hardware and complete instructions to provide for efficient on-site assembly.
Vixen Hill
69 Main St.
Elverson, PA 19520
Toll-free: 800-423-2766
Fax: 610-286-2099
Website: www.vixenhill.com
Family Handyman Decks, Patios and Porches
ISBN: 0762104287
Author: Reader's Digest
Order this title from Amazon.
Readers Digest
Pleasantville, NY 10570-0235
Building Porches and Decks (For Pros By Pros Series)
ISBN: 1561585394
Author: Fine Homebuilding Editor
Order this title from Amazon.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
Porches and Sunrooms: Your Guide to Planning and Remodeling (Better Homes and Gardens)
ISBN: 0696211017
Author: John Riha
Order this title from Amazon.
Meredith Books Corp.
Website: www.meredith.com
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