Outdoor Projects
The New England weather really takes a toll on wood, and carpenter ants don’t help. For this porch, I replaced the posts on the railing and the decking. A few of the beams underneath had been chewed on by carpenter ants, so I removed the damaged wood and replaced it. The risers had been scratched open by a skunk. When I found the burrow under the stone step I ran the other way, and work paused while the critter was evicted.
This 19th century window sill had rotted away, but I was able to craft a new one in pressure-treated lumber that I expect to outlast the building itself.
A stitch in time saves nine, which is what this shed needed but didn’t get. The roof started to sag as the walls twisted out of square. I added a ridge beam, shored up the walls, added concrete to the foundation, added a loft, and replaced the old windows with salvaged ones. This was a big project, but it’s solid enough now that it could serve as a tiny house.
