How to Replace the Rotten Wood Floor on the Front Porch of My 1930s Bungalow
- 1). Remove the old decking, prying it off the joists with a hammer and pry bar. Pull all remaining nails out of the joists.
- 2). Lay out the deck boards the ground, face down, and coat the backs and sides of them with sealing primer using a paintbrush. Let it dry for 24 hours.
- 3). Measure the length of the porch, holding your tape measure perpendicular to the direction of the joists and crossing all of them. Transfer the measurement to a porch decking board. Cut the board to that length on your miter saw.
- 4). Lay the cut decking board along one edge of the porch, perpendicular to the joists, so it crosses all of them, with the tongue side facing into the porch. The primed sides should face down. Shoot finishing nails through the face of the board, two for each point where the board crosses a joist.
- 5). Measure and cut the second board. Set it next to the first, linking them together along their tongue and groove sides. Secure the second board with nails shot through the side of the board just above the tongue, at an inward angle, so the nail heads will be hidden by the next board. Shoot one nail at each point where the board crosses a joist.
- 6). Repeat the process for each board, laying them all side by side across the porch frame. Cut the final board along its length, if necessary, to fit at the end. Trim and paint the porch.
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