Wrap Around Porch

WRAP AROUND PORCH

This was the beginning of a job that kept going.

Here we are digging for the addition to the foundation.

This is the second job we did, extending the straight chimney.

This is the fireplace we extended. Finding a brick to match wasn't an easy task.

= D & J CONSTRUCTION =

On this job in Dunellen NJ., D & J Construction was recomended by the archetect which whom we had done some work for a few years ago. We were hired by the owner Mr. Lou DeRobertis as a mason contractor to put the masonry addition to his home. This entailed excavating for the crawl space. As you can see from the pictures below, there can be many surprises below grade. Then we installed the footing and the block work. Then we poured the concrete slab. An access hole was cut into the existing foundation. After the framing was done D & J Construction was called on again to extend both the straight chimneys and the fireplace. While all this was going on the Owner visited our web site and saw that we also do decks and porches. After carefull negociation (by the owner) we were called on again to build the wrap around porch. This was challanging because the owner had no prints for the porch....just the dimensions. So after going through a few pads of yellow legal sized paper I had come up with a design, good for the township inspector, and if we had built a ramp he could park his suv on it also. After the problems with Home Depot the t&g magonay finally arrived and the work began. It was a good thing.

The day I started, the porch had to come down first, but much to our surprise there was another bigger porch below. I believe it might have come from the Kennedy Space Center.

After alot of cursing, this monster was finally defeated, and eventually disposed of.

The straight chimney was built with a brick that was painstakingly matched to the owners liking. You can tell where we began if you look about four feet below the window and to the right.

This brick that we used here on this fireplace, was picked by the Owner. It seemed to match the existing brick better from the sample that the salesman brought over.

After rebracing the roof for the porch, we got started on the frame for the porch. We also learned alot from using the new ACQ pressure treated lumber.

The frame from the right front corner. We just have the braces to put in now.

Owner, Dominick A. DiTaranto is getting yet another call. We used a rubber mallet to press the mahogany boards together, and air nailed them in the inside of the grooves.

Home Depot delivered straight edge Mahonany, but tongue & groove was ordered. This is the first day of putting the flooring in.

The decking is finished and the colonial posts are being installed.

This is the right front corner where we changed the direction of the decking.

This is the view from the front of the house. I was admiring the finished frame work and planning the rest.

Just another view of the finished frame. On the lower right you can see the Mahogany decking patiently waiting to be installed.

Free counters provided by Andale.

I think it looks nice?...what do you think?

This is my daughter Natalie and the DeRobertis's son Vincent, trying to "help".

The lattace and pine trim really finish off the porch.

Lou DeRobertis also thinks it's a great job.

We are finishing up now. All that's left is the railings, and balusters. This has been one of my favorite jobs, because I not only gained a customer, but I now have some really good people to call my friends.