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Carpenter Gothic porch

373 Park had been a sad, unmaintained, multi-unit for all the years I have lived in the neighborhood.  A flipper bought it and with grants totaling over $100,000 from the city did a good job of bringing it back to a nice single family home.  It is now owned by a great couple with kids that love the home.  They have taken an active role in the neighborhood and our local school.

When a building and its apartments are not nice it attracts desperate people.    To break the cycle of nasty renters, you have to make the property very nice.  Here it is in 1981  before rehab:

Here it is 2008 when rehabbing was just starting

Here it is today.  A colorful paint job makes all the difference in the world.

Th side porch had rotten posts and a very plain, rotting balustrade.

Before reconstruction.

The posts were taken down and I brought them into my shop.  I cut the bottom 18 inches off and replaced them.  The wrap from the rail hid the joint. A large dowel up the center with a lot of epoxy keeps them aligned.

Here is a mock-up of a balustrade that I proposed:

Here is another mock up that I proposed that was chosen and I made. Notice how the wrap on the post will cover the cut mark. I replicated the wrap on the post exactly from an old piece that was left on the house.

Here is the finished porch.

We knew the verge board on the dormer was missing because we had an old picture.  I made a mock up and installed it as shown below to get approval from the Preservation Specialist.

She had me alter it slightly and I made new ones.

Here they are installed.  Very satisfying to put them back.

 

This house has a great Gothic front door

The skirting on the back deck was not done appropriately.  I was hired by the owners to alter it adding corner boards, a bottom frame and vertical members under each post so it appears that the posts are supported.  Very satisfying work. All of the wood is composite decking.  It cuts the same as wood, just smells differently.  I’m  probaly ging to get lung cancer from the fumes.  :  )

Here is the front porch balustrade and apron which I did not have a part in.