Comming Soon - New front porch!

[GoodOlBoy]

When my wife and I first moved into our doublewide I built a "temporary" front porch. An 8x8 that is not covered by anything but the good Lord's own sky to replace the junk stairs we were "given" by the company that sold us the home. That was five years ago. (Whew has it been that long?) SOOOOO now the time has come to make the "temporary" front porch a back porch by our sliding glass doors, and build a new front porch. I will begin and finish construction the week of July 21st of this year. It will be a 10' x 20' with a corrugated tin roof. Eventually we will add front lights, a ceiling fan, and probably screen it in. But for now we need a darned porch. One because we need a place out of the rain and scorching East Texas summer sun to get into the house, and two because said sun heats the front of my house to approx 1.3 billion degrees F each afternoon starting about 2:00pm CST and extending to about 6:30pm CST. This naturally causes the air conditioning to run like there's no tomorrow. We have already covered the bedroom windows on that side with "insta cling automobile tinting" which helped quite a bit, but the front door, and the living room windows still heat BADLY. The porch will cover all of this area and help with cooling costs.

Anyway as a "build your own" project I will attempt to post pictures as it is finished. This will be the fifth porch I have designed and built in my life (my great grandfather on my grandmothers side was a carpenter, a plumber, a welder, and an auto mechanic) and as always I will be doing this from what I figured on paper. No predesined, prefab nothing will be going into this. If anybody wants to discuss it feel free to post and I will reply.

Stats
10' (E to W measurement) x 20' (N to S measurement)
decking blocks (no concreting in because of fireants and termites in east Texas)
4x4 posts
2x6 subfloor (15 inch centers. Yes I know thats odd. trust me it works perfectly for subfloors where decking boards and not plywood is used) May still go 2x8 I don't know at this point
2x4 crossbracing of the posts beneath the subfloor (adds a TON of stability when you are not concreting in your posts)
1x6 decking
2x4 rafters and rails
1x4 across the rafters to nail the roof to.
corrugated tin for roof
Lattice work for skirting and between the rails and decking for privacy.
All preassure treated materials.
I also use metal "rafter brackets" to give the subfloor and ceiling more stability besides just "end nailing" them.


Normally I build these things useing 2x10 subflooring and use 2x6s for the decking. BUT My family has convinced me to do it this way since I am not goind to be parking a semi truck on it and since I am using the "stimulus" check for a good portion of the material cost.

I have 1 definant 2 maybe builder helpers who will arrive to assist in the project that I can count on not to screw up more than they fix, not to have a ton of accidents, and not to collapse on me from health problems.

Building Schedual looks like the following.

Saturday, July 12th - purchase materials for delivery Monday, July 14th This gives them an extra week to get me materials if they are out of something.

Monday, July 21st -
AM - move current front porch to rear of house via the "lift and walk" method begin initial setup of first 10'x10' section. Be finished with first section subfloor, decking, and hanging stairs by lunch (otherwise we can't get back into the house to eat can I motivate or can I motivate?)

PM - since the sun will be beating on the new front section we retreat to the rear of the house, level the old front porch and set it up to serve as a "temporary" back porch by the sliding glass doors in the rear of the house.

Tuesday, July 22nd -
AM - Start section 2 subfloor. Get subfloor up, level, and decking on before afternoon.
PM - wait until 7pm and start rafters for roof (this is when the porch is shaded in the afternoon)

Wednesday, July 23rd -
AM - finish roof, mount latticework around bottom and rails of porch.
PM - drink a couple dozen cold cokes while sitting on my new front porch.

Available tools at the moment. Cuttoff saw, electric chainsaw (for cutting 4x4s), skill saw, cordless screwdriver, hammer, nails, etc.

GoodOlBoy

[toxic111]

The 2x6's for your joists @ 10' span will be fine, yes the 15" centres is odd... I would be surprised it works out better than 16"o.c. since you will get an end every 4' (e.g. 4', 8', 12', etc.) unless you are going with 10' long decking, then that will work out perfect.

As for your rafters, on that same 10' span I would go 2x6 over 2x4 just to prevent any sagging (the 2x4's will sag over 10' just from thier own weight)

I also saw that you are planning on using a chainsaw for cutting the 4x4, I would jsut use the skilsaw for that, it will give you a much better cut, just square it off, and make your first cut, then flip it over to make the second cut.

Oh FYI, my experience & job is in construction & design, residential and commercial, over 20yrs worth.

The only other item is to make sure if you need a permit or not, most areas if you are building anything bigger than 10'x10' you will need one, it will save you a lot of grief later.

[Catfish]

I didn`t see the matterial for the shooting bench, can`t have a finished pourch without a shooting bench.

[GoodOlBoy]

I might consider using the 2x6s for the roof joists, as for a permit I am 10 miles from the closest city limits. And yes I am using 10' decking. The reason for using the chainsaw is because I usually don't cut the 4x4s until I am ready to nail down the 1x4s across the roof. Then I trim them flush. Whats your opinion on the 2x6s for the subflooring? It will be the first time I have used anything smaller than a 2x8.

I took a construction class in high school from one of the local construction guys (was worth credit so I figured what the heck) and I had already helped my relatives build just about everything around. One thing about our structures once they are built they stay built. No flimsy nothing with this bunch. (Some of my great grandfathers stuff is still standing and still solid and over fifty years old)

Shooting bench? I am a redneck I just shoot off the rail

GoodOlBoy

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah I am going to go with the 2x6's. I thought about it for what a couple minutes? I appreciate the advice. Still wondering about using 2x8s for the floor instead of 2x6s. I usually use treated 2x6s for the decking but the wife is concered with cost (here the 2x6s are cheaper than 5/8ths decking boards) With treated 2x6s for decking then I use 2x10s for the subfloor, but again cost.

Anyway any advice is greatly appreciated.

I called lowes earlier as corrugated tin was the only thing I didn't have a price for. 12' sheets of corrugated tin (2.5' wide) are just over $20 a piece. Thats around $240 for the cost of the tin roof alone

GoodOlBoy

[Jack]

Looks like a plan, GOB.
The one thing I might do different is to put a layer of foam insulation under the tin roof. I know it's a screened in area, and not heated, but the insulation will deaden the noise of rain, hail, etc on that roof- a lot!

[toxic111]

Sorry GOB I was out all day...

As for going to the 2x8's instead of the 2x6's for the joists, that would be much better, less bounce, especially with only using 1x6's for the decking.

Other than that everything sounds not bad.

Only questions is what you plan is for the beam to support your roof. I am not sure what your spans between posts will be, or I would give you my recommendation.

As for the permit, better check with your county to make sure (around here if I am on the Saskatchewan side I don't need one (in some rual areas only) on the Alberta side I do need one.

Better safe than sorry anyway.

Fire away with any other questions.

[Lilred]

I agree w/ the 2x6's for rafters and at min. 2x8 for your ledge.
A hint about your tin....check around at the gauge and 2ft vs 3ft. You'll be surprised at the differences in price. You might be better off going to a lumberyard for your tin, but make sure they have enough to do your project.
There is a difference in manufacturin processes too!!
Some companies you might see are Diverisifed, Orange Steel, or McElroy. They are all reputable companies with decent products.

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah as for tin I am kinda stuck with lowes, everybody else (including the old standby lumberyards I normally use) are either low on it, or their stock is older than me an rusted to boot.

Support for the roof will be treated 4x4s. One every five feet around the edge of the porch. The subflooring will have an additional three in the middle of it that are cut flush with the bottom of the decking so you don't see it.

I am so far back in the woods that the only time my county agent ever sees my house is when they drive by during deer season.

GoodOlBoy

[fabsroman]

GOB,

Glad to see that you are staying put. Personally, I would be scared to use 2x6's for the floor joists, but that is just me. Also, as far as the worry about money is concerned, it is always better on a construction job to spend it up front and do the job right than to skimp and have to deal with a mess later, especially when it comes to floor joists. Replacing decking isn't too terrible, but replacing the joists after the decking is on and the roof is up isn't going to be fun.

As far as the permit goes, if one is required I would suggest getting it. However, I have seen plenty of projects done without permits. Actually, it is utterly amazing and these were all in the city. It is a judgment call on your part.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Around these parts, you only need a permit for a porch roof if a neighbor complains you don't have one....found that out..zone officer said he passed my place every day and didn't give a hoot but after a zealous neighbor called him, he had to stop..could of made me remove the roof but just let me pay the $5 for permit....
Nothing was mentioned as to how you are to attatch the roof to the house....how much snow you get?....I used lag bolts one every foot to attatch 2x6 to side of house but snow got so heavy once right where the 2 10' 2x6 met in middle, is where mine let go.....dumped whole thing .....I should of put a post against the house right under the split ...na....never see that anywhere...just too much snow I guess... I am moving out of town to the woods again....yeee ha...only 6 acres but next to the state game lands and that 150 acre farm I tried to get Fabs to buy a while ago...will fence it in again and put a few horses in there...(something that makes its own gas)...but the view from the porch...yea..miles..we already own the place and now need to sell this one...house market sucks now..yikes....is hard keeping up with 2 places now..good luck with your porch...and many happy tmes on it.

[fabsroman]

Skeeter,

Don't you think for a minute that I forgot about that 150 acres that could be timbered every 30 years. Trust me, I think about it plenty. After my wife and I move out of this townhouse and get situated with a single family home, a farm will be the next thing on my list. However, I think I'll be looking at the Eastern Shore of Maryland, or maybe even western Maryland. PA is just too far to drive, especially now with gas being what it is.

[PaulS]

rule of thumb for the lumber needed for any given span is height times height times width. (nominal)
2x4 = 2x4x4 = 32" span (3')
2x6 = 2x6x6 = 72" span (6')
2x8 = 2x8x8 = 128" span (10' 8")
2x10 = 2x10x10 = 200" span (16' 8")
It is just a rule of thumb and at the extremes it is faulty but from 2x6 to 2x12 it is close.
________
Honda Vfr1200F

[GoodOlBoy]

Alrighty so the folling are the changes made after discovering I was only saving about $100 by going the 1X route.

Subfloor
preassure treated 2x8x10 s (20" centers. Yes yes I know its as odd as the 15s but I have used this configuration before and the porch was nearly indestructable)
preassure treated 4x4x10 posts (will also have the roof mounted to them)

Decking and step surface
preassure treated 2x6x10 s

roof
preassure treated 2x6x10 rafters
preassure treated 1x4x10 s across the rafters to nail Tin to.

Rails
preassure treated 2x4s

For much of the rafter and subfloor hanging hardware I will be using SIMPSON Strong-Tie Double Shear Hangers for added support.

GoodOlBoy

[GoodOlBoy]

Oh by the way with the above configuration I am looking at a cost of around $1300 for the porch. Will probably be a bit more after delivery.

GoodOlBoy