Living in New York City, one of the things I miss most is having a backyard. I live just a quick walk to the park, but it's no substitution for having an outdoor space to call my own. I miss being able to host backyard barbecues, or even just sit on the porch and enjoying the sunset while reading a book or drinking a glass of wine.
I remember that, when I was a kid, my parents built us a porch from only raw materials. I have countless amazing memories from that porch, and I hope that when I'm a homeowner — and not just renting a tiny urban one-bedroom — I'll have my own backyard where I can build an awesome porch by hand.
Who am I kidding? I can't wait to hire someone else to build me a back porch.
But that doesn't mean I don't completely admire the DIY-ers of the world. A Reddit user by the name of My_DIY_Account recently uploaded photos of his project to turn a useless outdoor space in his "city backyard" into a totally awesome porch for him, his wife, and their dog.
I'm absolutely jealous of this project and would love something similar. Please SHARE if you also believe DIY renovations like this are great additions to the house.
The user had a few square yards of space next to his house in Milwaulkee. He could have turned it into a parking area, but he wanted to give himself a fun outdoor spot for relaxation.
He picked Douglas fir as his wood of choice and cemented several 4x4s into the ground.
He decided to build the fence of the porch in a Venetian blinds style so that he could see out without his neighbors seeing in.
Building in that style also allowed for a breeze to pass through a little more easily.
Cedar was used for the horizontal slats.
Then the initial 4x4s were also covered in cedar.
He stained the fence and used Waterlox to make sure the finished project would be waterproof.
He could have stopped there. The fence already gives the space privacy and is a major improvement, but he kept going...
He then dug trenches for the decking blocks, taking great caution to ensure that they were all perfectly even.
He started building the foundation of the deck with additional 4x4s, then laid the deck boards on top.
He says that he's now had over 20 people on it, and it's still standing tough and strong.
After he stained the porch, he went on to finish the yard area around the actual porch. Unfortunately, he doesn't have photos of that step because it was a surprise for his wife and he was limited on time, but the finished product...
...was worth the wait! The porch, including the sidewalk and furniture, only cost about $1,500.
There's no doubt that his wife liked this surprise...
...but we know for sure the porch has at least one fan!
Please SHARE if you love outdoor spaces like this!
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