Warning: trying to fix a sagging porch roof took me three days instead of one

I had to replace a rotted ledger board on a 1920s house in Portland. The old one was nailed in with cut nails and the framing behind it was a mess of old repairs. Just getting it out without wrecking the roof took a full day. Ended up having to sister new joists to the old ones before I could even hang the new ledger. Anyone dealt with this kind of hidden damage on an old porch?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.reese16d ago

Wendyp25 is right about pictures, but also check for old lead paint dust before you demo.

the_blair1mo ago

Yeah, that "mess of old repairs" behind the ledger is the real killer. You start pulling one thing and suddenly you're doing a full rebuild you never planned for.

wendyp251mo ago

Take a ton of pictures before you touch anything. Helps you remember how it all went together when you're putting it back.