Build a Porch

Make the entryway to your home as inviting as a handshake when you build a porch yourself. A front porch adds charm while increasing the value of your home, and constructing one with Mendocino redwood is a fun and easy project.

Launch into it by first designing your porch on paper. Take careful measurements of the area on which you will build a porch, making crucial decisions such as how many steps you would like leading up to your front door.

Traditional porches are in a basic rectangular shape that suits most entryways with dimensions that can be easily adapted to fit your designated area. Or consider a more dynamic, complex design that is consistent with the exterior look and feel of your home. Whichever concept you choose to go with, redwood is the ideal material to work with. It has been relied on for generations to build porches and other structures in styles ranging from classic to modern.

After checking with your local government to determine if a permit will be needed to build a porch, lay out its parameters on the ground by planting stakes and tying string between them. Then you’re ready to dig three to four-foot deep holes for footing posts that will anchor the porch.

Place your anchor posts in the holes and mix fresh cement to pour into each hole. After letting it set for 24 hours, use wood screws to attach 4×4 joist boards to support the anchor posts. We alternately suggest our 2×8 deck joists when you build a porch that is somewhat longer.

This forms the structure onto which you build a porch floor using Mendocino redwood dimensional boards in the measurements you need. Be sure to leave a little space between the boards to promote drainage. You may add railings and other decorative elements as well. And, redwood accepts paints, stains, and finishes extremely well, so you may get creative as you put the finishing touches on your redwood porch.