When we discovered our masonry issues back in June, we wasted no time hiring the right company to address the problem. But attending to the masonry problem led to the discovery of another problem: The paint on the front porch had not been applied properly by the previous owners. As a result, it peeled and tore away as the masonry work was being done. Just walking or pulling a hose across the porch resulted in peeling paint and exposed layers of paint underneath.

In addition, all along the area where the porch and house met, we had to chisel out a failing material that had been used at some point to fill in cracks and gaps. We also had to repair cracks in other areas. All in all, it took us more than five weeks to repair, prep and repaint the porch. By “we,” I mostly mean my husband, who took the lead on this particular project.

Here’s a reminder of how everything looked before we started —

:: Not Visitor-Friendly

And here are photos that show how things look now —

:: A Fresh Face

:: Room for Company

:: Every Brick in Place

:: Structural Meets Organic