Preparing a Century-Old Porch for the Next 100 Years!

We recently completed a challenging job for our clients Mary Ann and Wes, a Gen-x professional couple. They love the beautiful circa-1900 classic foursquare masonry home they have owned for the past dozen years. The home which is located in a historic neighborhood near the Military Ridge State Trail in Verona, WI, is a classic foursquare with a century-old porch that had been poorly maintained for years. The porch was showing its age and was ready for a replacement!

The roof above the front porch showed evidence of at least three previous roofing jobs in its 100-year life. The final one included installing an upper railing that was improperly nailed through the roofing membrane, which was a factor leading to the roof's failure. 

Time For A New Porch On This Classic Foursquare Home

The condition had deteriorated to the point where it became necessary to completely tear down the existing porch and rebuild it from the foundation. Mary Ann and Wes's 110-year-old American Foursquare was built using load-bearing masonry for the walls. The same style of masonry was used for the foundation of the porch.

Click Here To See Pictures Of The Completed Project

Once we began demolition, we discovered that the porch's foundation was built without any footings. It was just resting slightly below grade. The homeowners love their home, and our goal was to retain the masonry since it was an element of the original home and fit perfectly with the rest of the house. The process would require careful work!

New concrete footings were necessary to bring the structure up to code and ensure that our new porch would last for the next 100-years. We carefully dug around the porch masonry to position the new footings. This ensures that the porch will last for many years without tilting or dipping from side to side. To prevent any further water damage, we installed a TPO roof and a new railing system to ensure that there will be no further leaking. The home includes a door that leads out to the roof of the front porch. We installed the new railing to provide safety for the homeowners and bring the current structure up to date to meet current local building codes.

The Hybrid Porch: Modern Design Maintaining Historical Charm

Our goal for this project was to bring the porch up to modern standards of safety and functionality while maintaining the charm inherent in a 100-year-old classic foursquare home. As a result, our design is a bit of a hybrid, a modern adaptation of the original porch. It is safe, stable, and comfortable, and made to be used! 

A pair of ceiling fans provide circulation for those warm summer days. The original porch had paneled half walls between the columns. We created the same effect using modern low-maintenance LP SmartSiding and Permacast fiberglass columns. The new half walls provide a sense of enclosure and privacy when the homeowners are relaxing streetside. 

Classic Foursquare Charm That Meets Modern Building Codes

While our primary goal was to capture the historical charm of the original classic foursquare design, we worked diligently to bring the construction up to modern standards of safety and functionality. 

Both, the floor and roof deck were constructed with the proper pitch to shed water, ensuring the natural wood decking we used for the porch floor will last for decades without damage. The TPO roofing material is made for foot traffic and is durable enough to place furniture on it without damage. In fact, our clients added gas fire pits that are safely placed on both the lower front porch and the roof deck above! To prevent damage in the future, we carefully installed flashing and counter-flashing. This also tied the roof into the existing masonry as well as to the existing original wood floor. Our careful installation of flashing and sealants, along with a bit of troubleshooting was necessary to ensure the next 100-years of trouble-free life! We chose a classic white for the porch walls, railing, and ceiling to complete the look. The white offers a gentle contrast to the block masonry and gray porch floor. It ties in perfectly with the white trim on the main house. 

The end result is a highly functional, modern porch and roof deck with plenty of character that is made to be used! With a gas fire pit for those chilly days and a ceiling fan to keep cool during warm summer nights, this hybrid porch offers privacy down below and an open view of the neighborhood from above! The homeowners absolutely love their new porch and spacious deck, and it's beautifully prepared for another lifetime of enjoyment!

If you would like to learn more about this classic foursquare or are planning a remodeling project, give the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at (608) 846-5963. Their award-winning design team is ready to help you realize your creative vision and help you create the home your dreams. Call today and arrange a free consultation to discuss your upcoming project.