Columned Porch

AFTER

The owner of this historic house in Champaign wanted to keep the original columns on this spacious wrap-around porch.  An undersized foundation and downspout problems had caused extensive rot on the columns and the porch structure itself.  As a result, the whole porch — including the roof — had slumped dramatically.  After jacking up the roof, New Prairie was able to remove the old columns and rebuild them.  New masonry piers, new framing, new flooring, and new lattice helped return this porch to its original grace.  After New Prairie’s job was done, the entire house received a new coat of paint.

IN PROGRESS

Many of the column bases and capitals had to be remade to match the originals.  Some of the columns were able to be repaired with wood epoxy; others had to have sections removed and remade, a process in which beveled “barrel” staves are toothed into the originals and glued together.  Both column and base are hollow to allow air-flow and reduce the possibility of rot.

AFTER

AFTER

BEFORE FINAL PAINT

The abbreviated column on the left was completely fabricated to replace the old one.

AFTER

A new cedar stairway leads to the back yard.