Taunton's for Pros By Pros: Building Porches and Decks

Porches and decks add beauty and value to a house, and they also make it easy to enjoy being outdoors. But these spaces have to be properly designed and built to stand up to the weather. Building Porches and Decks, a collection of articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine, gives you expert advice on not only creating durable structures that won't rot and warp but also designing porches and decks that complement your architecture and lifestyle.

Written by the pros who actually do the work, these articles will help you to:

• design and build both open and screen porches
• choose between solid wood and synthetic decking
• install exterior trim that resists weather damage
• extend the life of a deck with proper maintenance
• design and build railings for decks and porches
• install flashing that will prevent water damage
• build curved decks and porches

Formerly The Best of Fine Homebuilding: Porches, Decks & Outbuildings, this newly revised edition features 30 percent new content, including the latest tools and techniques and updated photos and illustrations.

About the For Pros by Pros series
To get the best results when building or remodeling, you need advice from the best professionals in the business. For Pros By Pros books bring together the expert designers, builders, and remodeling pros who have written for Fine Homebuilding magazine.

Introduction

Part 1: OPEN PORCHES
Two Lessons from a Porch Addition
Porches That Won't Rot
Building a Grand Veranda

Part 2: SCREENED PORCHES
A Screened-Porch Addition
A Builder's Screen Porch
A Screen Porch Dresses Up a Ranch
Adding a Seasonal Porch

Part 3: DECKS: CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS
Deck Design
Choosing Materials for Exterior Decks
Controlling Moisture in Deck Lumber
Details for a Lasting Deck
Getting a Deck Off to a Good Start
The Care and Feeding of Wooden Decks
Building a Curved Deck with Synthetic Decking
Railing against the Elements

Part 4: DECKS: DETAILS AND DESIGN
Exterior-Trim Details That Last
Learning Curves for Decks
A Comfortable Outdoor Bench
Innovative Deck Railings
A Furniture-Grade Deck
Fantail Deck Stairs

Credits

Index

My memories began in a grand Italianate house that had a front porch, a back porch, and a screen porch. But in 1961 we moved into a new ranch-style house with a front stoop and a rear patio about the size of a blanket. The whole neighborhood was like that. Eventually people took to setting up their aluminum lawn furniture just inside the garage and relaxing under the canopy of its overhead door. It was a pathetic substitute for a porch, but it was better than nothing. You were sheltered from the sun and rain, and the garages all faced the street, so you could see what was going on and wave to people walking by.

So I learned early in life that it is better to have a porch (or three porches) than not to have one. But it wasn't until later, after I became a carpenter, that I learned how vulnerable porches are. I was always being asked to replace a rotten floorboard, tighten up a railing, or repair a torn screen. Exposed to sun, rain, and children, porches and decks take a beating. The right materials are critical, as are construction details that will shed water.

In this book, which is a collection of articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine, you'll find advice on materials and details, along with design ideas for all sorts of porches and decks. Written by builders and architects, who are discussing their own projects, these articles are the voice of experience.

--Kevin Ireton, editor-in-chief, Fine Homebuilding