This week house renovations started at my place, so I thought I’d document the process for Friday Night Photos. I live in the part of Salt Lake called Sugarhouse, in a little bungalow type house built in 1912. I bought the house in 1988, and in 96-97 I had the inside completely gutted and remodeled. Now it’s beautiful inside, but as you can see from this “before” photo, the outside needs help. Time for house renovations version 2.0!

The contractor is starting with the front porch, which will be completely torn off and replaced with a new one, with the floor made of Trex decking. I won’t miss the awful cement steps which stay covered with ice all winter!

I did paint the house once, but now my shingles are in such bad shape that this time I’m getting James Hardie siding, which really gives a great look on old houses like this. (If you want to click that link and see the color, I’m going with the smooth siding in Mountain Sage, with white trim. The house has a black roof and the porch and new back decks will be gray.)

One side has the old shingles torn off and new weather-guard in place, ready for siding. BTW, that strip of dirt you see next to the house is a semi-shady spot where I’ve grown arugula some years.

Finally, these old porch railings have had people of all ages sitting on them at parties through the years, but for several years now they’ve been too wobbly to sit on. It will be so nice to have a good party porch again.

The new porch and siding are only the beginning of the project. In the back of the house where my garden is, I’m adding a two-level deck with a new section of roof to cover part of it. There are also several new sidewalks, a skylight, and some less exciting things like a new water line, and replacing a section of my sewer line. Stay tuned for more updates. And I’m trying hard not to think about how long all this is going to take.

(If anyone is interested, you can see my whole set of House Renovations Photos on Flickr.)

counter customizable free hit

Share This: