Finishing a porch

10 months ago

We have an (increasingly rare) 1920's Los angeles coastal bungalow. The concrete porch was cracked and sinking, rendering the columns out of plumb so we had it redone (ten years ago). The porch always looked unfinished.

I was thinking of covering it with cedar tongue and groove. It would match the short bridge leading to it (it has weathered Ok considering it is completely expose and never finished). My problem is the threshold of the door/windows is only 1-1/2" high. I was thinking of putting strips of 1/2" underlayment (waterproofed with Thompsons) and then 5/8" T+G. That would leave only 1/2" or threshold. We never have water on the porch.

Or I could put the T+G directly on the concrete but don't know how I would fix it? Some waterproof adhesive?

Bad or good or good idea?

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Comments (5)

WestCoast Hopeful
10 months ago
I think it looks quite lovely and fine as is. I am confused abojt why you think it looks unfinished
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
The theshold is fine as it is . I think the new wood on the prorch will stick out like a sore thumb so why nost just a nice pretty rug up the pillars on both sides
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Kendrah
10 months ago
The porch looks fine to me. Maybe if we could see the entire front of the house we would be reacting to it the way you are, but from the bit we can see, I think it looks fine. Get a larger door mat and one, larger nice planter instead of the many small ones.

Though the wood planks may have weathered well, it doesn't mean they are attractive. They are not. I'd prefer to see concrete matching the porch instead. Or rectangular stepping stones quite close toegether with a tad bit of ground cover growing between. The current wood looks accidental and forgotten.
millworkman
10 months ago
You are not effectively putting wood over the concrete without raising it to high, leave it be or you will start a new issue with moisture and rot.
llilibel
Original Author
10 months ago
What you don't see in the photo I posted is that the lots slopes from the street back to our house. I dug out a "riverbed" and filled it with river rock and pebbles to drain water away from the house's foundation. In the photo it is filled with California poppies so you don't see it. I was going to replace the wood on the bridge and extend it over that one small concrete step. The wood would match the porch. Most old bungalows have wood porches the concretee one we replaced was not original. I wanted to make it look more original and "woodsy." Here's a photo of the bigger context.