It’s really coming along now and I’m getting closer and closer to moving my furniture out there and can I just say this….I can hardly wait! Oh, and I now have a blue ceiling!
The temps are also heating up here in Georgia and being on a covered porch will be so exciting this year, with our heat and humidity that’s a must. My big dreams of having a screened porch are about to come true. Thank you, Lord! He knows our heart’s desire, doesn’t he?
Can’t wait to share all the progress with you, it’s really looking like a porch now!
Dad had to enlarge the doorway going outside, so he cut back the door jamb to allow for a 36” vinyl screened door that I got from Lowes. By the way, all my materials came from Lowes by working with them as a Creative Ideas blogger. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to use gift cards from Lowes for my project, what a blessing that has been!
He’s in the process of finishing out the door jamb and trimming it out. You can see the progress on all the posts and around the windows have been trimmed out and primed.
So, after this door jamb is finished, it was time for me to paint the inside.
Dad taking a break.
Adding wood to the doorway to trim it out.
Door way trimmed out and ready to paint.
I chose this vinyl screened door from Lowes and love the looks of it. I am adding a spring to it so that it will sound just like a Grandma door. You know the sound when a screen door slams? Yeah, that sweet sound!
In fact, my dad’s mama (my grandma) had one such screen door on her front porch and I STILL remember that sound vividly!
And here’s the door in place. We had to take down the old steps outside, because they were just not put together very well and the guy who installed them before I bought the house had them spaced about 4” apart, which made for a very awkward climb up and down. We are re-working the outside stairs and adding a landing to accommodate my grill, thanks to a great idea from my sister who suggested that. It’s going to work out very well and we are running the stairs down next to the porch instead of straight out like they are now.
So, to get ready to paint the ceiling, I taped it off with FrogTape, my favorite green tape.
I decided to spray the ceiling with a sprayer I received from Black and Decker to speed up the process. So glad I did!
To keep down on the overspray, I taped a line of FrogTape all around the ceiling.
And a big thanks to Black and Decker for giving me a paint sprayer to use. It worked pretty well, although it did sputter a bit and I found that it did put quite a bit of paint up on the ceiling, but I did need to go back and spread it out with my paint brush. I did add water to the paint before putting it in the container. But, having the sprayer really made that go fast, so I’m glad I used it. I sprayed one section at a time and then smoothed it out with my paintbrush, moving on to the next section. Then I went back and added more paint as needed until the whole ceiling was covered well.
I used Sherwin Williams Rainwashed on the ceiling and I was very blessed to get 2 gallons of paint from them for my project, which really came in handy. I used Alabaster for all the white trim in their Emerald Exterior Satin paint collection. It really is a great paint and goes on very smooth.
Somewhere along the line, this blue on the ceiling was called Haint Blue and that seems to be a Southern thang! You can read all about blue porch ceilings at Sherwin Williams and it’s interesting how it all got started and spread all over the country. Some say blue ceilings repel spiders and other critters and if so, I hope that is correct! Regardless of the why’s on blue porch ceilings, I knew I wanted one on MY porch too!
The ceiling is a nice shade of blue now and just what I wanted. I had used Rainwashed before so knew it was a safe blue to use for my ceiling. Just enough! This is a good shot of the blue and white together.
After painting the ceiling, I then got on all the white trim and gave it 2 coats of Alabaster.
And it’s looking SO good! I love how it’s turning out. Once it is all painted, floor included, then we’ll go back and staple on the screening from the outside and trim it out with a small trim piece on the outside of the porch. Where the seam came together on the beadboard in the middle of the ceiling, I added a flat piece of pine molding that gives it a finished look.
My dad has made this porch look amazing! I’m so grateful he has been willing to help me get this finished.
After removing the old stairs, we are ready to start building the landing for the new stairs. He added 2×4 boards and posts nailed to the house to stabilize it all. He buried the posts and leveled them all.
He amazes me how he can still figure out all this stuff. He’s been doing it for years and has built some pretty amazing things over his years of carpentry and I know he has to think extra hard now to get it all together.
But, he finally gets things figured out and going.
And we have a base for the platform which will be the landing for my grill.
Here it is from inside the porch looking out. Can you see it now? The grill will be straight ahead against the railing that will eventually go up. The new steps will go down to the right and also turn on another smaller landing.
So, that’s the latest progress on the porch! I’m so excited to get this one behind us and I know my dad is too. He’s working hard on his garden too and has plenty to keep him busy. Once the stairs are finished, it will be full speed ahead. I hope to get the floor painted in the next couple of weeks and then I think I’ll be moving furniture out there. Yippee!
Check out Lowes Creative Ideas Magazine app, visit Lowes on Facebook, and Lowes on Pinterest.
Are you on Instagram? I’m on there and having so much fun since I got my iphone last year! If you want to see what I’m doing in real time, follow me on Instagram. You can see Lowes on Instagram as well. It’s a fun little snapshot of what is going on every day.
Disclosure: As a Lowes Creative blogger, I am sent gift cards to spend on projects and blog about them.
Rhoda, this is just so awesome – I’m so happy for you that you get your dream of a screened porch! and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos of your Dad doing the work – so beautiful seeing the aged hands still doing the craft they are so good at. What a blessing!
Your dad is so darn cute! Your screened porch is beautiful and can’t wait till you put the Rhoda stamp on it!
The porch is looking so good. Love the ceiling in that soft blue. What a great job your dad has done. So lucky and I know you know that. Can’t wait to see all the finishing touches.
Cynthia
The porch is looking wonderful, Rhoda. I know you will have it decorated beautifully! Your dad is such a treasure and I hope you enjoy many years on your new porch.
xx,
Sherry
Looks great, Rhoda! I love blue ceilings too! What a precious dad!
Everything is looking GREAT! You will love your grill setup. I basically have the same thing: screened porch, small deck with grill, and stairs that go out and then turn again at the landing. I love having everything so conveniently located and I think you will, too!
Enjoy the detailed instructions on each project, you and your Dad amaze me with your ability and hard work. Thanks for giving details on each project, makes us realize we can try this. I look forward to each post on house remodel, you have unique ability to remodel and decorate providing your readers with practical ideas we can try at home. Look forward to seeing how you decorate the porch. Your amazing and hard working Dad has won the hearts of your readers, you are so blessed to still have your Mom and Dad with you.
As soon as you said “grandma door”, my brain heard the sound, even before you mentioned hearing it. Funny how our brains work like that. 🙂
Watching your dad work gives me goosebumps. What a blessing he is!
I love the blue ceiling! Just make sure you keep your grill away from the siding or it will melt it! My husband gets called out all the time to replace melted siding.
I second this!! If you have vinyl siding, it will just melt off the house. Don’t want that or a house fire!
I don’t have vinyl siding!
Hi Rhoda, love, love the porch and your Dad’s wonderful carpentry. Amazing. Question: Are you going to use a special or unique kind of screening for the porch windows? I ask because knowing you, you’ll come up with some product that is durable, attractive and can withstand the GA sun.
—-Your IL/GA Blog Friend XO
Hi, Ruth, we are just using plain screening from Lowes that comes on a big roll, so nothing fancy! 🙂
I love to see pictures of your daddy swinging his hammer. It reminds me so much of my own dear daddy who passed away in 2007. He believed that working kept you young and vital! He was still working at the the age of 80 when he died simply from missing my momma. Enjoy your parents every single day while you can. And let him swing that hammer!
Rhoda,
I was going to say, Thank the Lord and your Dad! What a blessing good parents are. We will sacrifice to help their children in a time of need, and your parents have certainly done that. My husband and I are now helping two of our children get their houses ready to put on the market, and each lives about five hours away.
It’s looking great, by the way!
It looks fantastic Rhoda! I love the blue porch ceiling, we see that a ton around where I am from in Charleston. I’ve also heard it helps keep wasps from building nests up there too.
So sweet to see your Dad helping you with this project. I shed some tears as I looked at the pictures of him working–reminds me of my Dad. I know the screen porch will be great protection from the mosquitoes (seems they’re already here–I’m an Atlanta surburbanite too). I really love your blue ceiling for it’s tranquil color whether it discourages the wasps and spiders or not. I’m sure you will enjoy the screen door too with it’s nostalgic sound.
Sorry if someone already asked this, but with using the paint sprayer on the ceiling, did you and the floor get covered in paint? Love the shade of blue you chose!
HI, Sally, I did get some paint spray on me, but I had on old paint clothes and then just washed my hair so it was fine. I didn’t cover the floor and it does have some splotches, but I saved the floor until last and will be doing a cool diamond paint treatment on it, so I didn’t worry about covering it.
Everything’s looking great……..I, too, pine for a screened porch. And I totally understand the thing about the slam of a screen door. My Granny’s back door had such a distinct sound that I had to hear it one last time after she passed away and the house sold. *sigh*
OH Rhoda!! I LOVE how it’s all coming along! I’ve always wanted a screen porch — maybe our next house! Thanks for sharing the fun and hope to see you soon!
Heidi 🙂
It’s looking great! I love the blue ceiling!
Rhoda,
Your Daddy is one special man. He reminds me of my Dad, who will be 90 in December. He and my Mom have a garden that is several acres large. They grow and can most of their veggies.
I used SW Rainwashed in my laundry room and SW Window Pane in my master bedroom. Love that color card.
I can’t get over all the work your dad does. I hate to say “at his age,” but that’s exactly what I’m thinking. It’s amazing.