22/09/2023

Milli News

Wonderful Home Design

Opening Up a Front Porch

Opening Up a Front Porch

When the house at the end of the cul-de-sac hasn’t adjusted in 28 years, it’s time for some entrance porch rehab.

This home belongs to Jeff and Eliese McAllister. The couple, recognised as Lolli and Pop to their grandchildren, want to update the entrance porch on “Camp Lollipop” so their grandchildren can take pleasure in their entrance garden as significantly as their little ones did when escalating up.

The porch is blocked off by tall shrubs and is also slender for the couple to easily sit and watch their grandchildren enjoy.

And which is in which we can assistance!


The Tasks

“Open concept” is not just for interiors! We’re opening up this entrance porch.

Opening Up the Front Porch

Taking away the shrubs and handrails blocking Jeff and Eliese’s entrance-yard check out is our to start with major work.

We have to force-wash the household to produce a thoroughly clean slate to start our function. Jeff and I take out shrubs, with the aid of the couple’s grandsons, when Chelsea and Eliese tackle the handrails. 

This is what happens when your wood isn’t addressed ahead of portray or staining it.

Mainly because the wood handrails are not taken care of, they are rotting away. So, knocking them out with a sledgehammer is the most effective way to open up up the porch — and, possibly, launch some tension together the way.

Following eliminating the handrails, we utilize putty and sand the columns so it is like they had been under no circumstances there, to start out with.


Repairing siding is not just a beauty fix it can prevent greater challenges later on if the factors enter your property.

Fixing the Shutters and Dormers

This curb attraction makeover involves additional than opening up the entrance porch. We have noticed some complications that necessary fast fixes!

Very first, we maintenance the ground floor’s ruined shutters. Then, we get up on the roof to restore siding on the dormers. Of the 12 shutters on the entrance of this dwelling, just a person set has a little wood rot. So, Jeff doesn’t want to swap them all.

Considering the fact that none of these items ended up regular lumber sizes, we experienced to cut them down on the table saw. Chelsea employed the old items as a pattern to cut new parts from the fiber cement content.

A Woodcraft WoodRiver Basic Function Carbide Tipped Observed Blade arrives in handy when you will need to make custom made cuts.

Fortuitously, we had a new Woodcraft WoodRiver Basic Intent Carbide Tipped Noticed Blade. Matching the angles on the base piece was a minimal trickier, but as soon as we primed the wood and put the items in area, it labored pretty effectively!


This entrance porch is coming along, but it could use far more character. We will paint the porch to add some.

Portray the Front Porch

After all the repairs were being finished, we put a contemporary coat of paint on the siding, trim and front porch ceiling. The environmentally friendly shutters clashed with the purple-tinted wood door, so we painted them grey to tone it down.

The painted sample provides a pop of color to this front porch.

The concrete on the entrance porch has observed far better times. Rather of gutting the concrete, we painted a pattern on it working with a stencil! It is a wonderful way to give your concrete a new look devoid of breaking the bank.

Watch “How to Stencil a Sample on a Concrete Porch” for the move-by-phase guide and resources record.


Spreading out the new flowerbeds provides to the open emotion.

Planting New Flowerbeds

Following, we additional some fresh landscaping. In advance of, the vegetation have been far too concentrated at the entrance of the porch, so we distribute them out to keep the open up house come to feel.

Ultimately, we place down a fresh new layer of pine straw to finish off the flowerbed.

We also:

  • Extra address numbers to the porch column
  • Taken out the intercom/doorbell
  • Installed a new porch light
  • Put in soffit vents
  • Replaced the rocking chairs

“Today’s Homeowner” hosts Danny Lipford and Chelsea Lipford Wolf, pictured with Jeff and Eliese McAllister.

Publish-Manufacturing Views

This front porch rehab definitely brings factors comprehensive circle: Jeff and Eliese’s little ones grew up right here, and now they are seeing their grandkids mature right here.

At a person level, the few considered about marketing the property. But with this new front yard, they are joyful to be in a position to continue to be in the dwelling they elevated their youngsters, and now, their grandkids as very well.

And we did it all for just $1,200 in products.




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