Over the last few months, we’ve been trying to move forward on the finishing of the house. We still have lots to do. In the last two months or so, with the help of some dear friends, we were able to pretty much complete the porch railings for both stories of the house.
The railings were constructed of Eastern Red Cedar wood, which we logged last year from a place that had had their whole stand of cedar trees blown down by a tornado a couple of years ago. The logs were sawed into lumber on the sawmill.
Fresh cut red cedar is so brightly colored.
Our two busy ‘helpers’ caught in the act dumping out and mixing up the various boxes of screws -again.
A new set of front steps also had to be constructed as the porch railings were being built. These were made from oak.
Cutting the treads for the steps:
Fitting the treads into slots cut into the side pieces, known as “stringers”…
The railings coming together upstairs.
The Cedar wood has lots of character!
…and finished! The house looks very different externally with the addition of the railings. I think it makes the house look bigger.
Looks so good! It also makes the porch space so much more useable, especially upstairs, where the porch wasn’t safe enough to really enjoy and use much before the railings.
The two small gates that will close this opening on the first-story porch still need to be hung. Other than that, the railings are all done.
