How to Build a Wooden Porch over a Cement Porch

Building a wooden porch over a cement porch is an interesting renovation project. Some homeowners decide to renovate their existing cement porches by installing a new type of porch over existing porch. Wood is a good covering as it gives a warmer look to the porch. You do not need to remove the cement floor in this case as it provides a firm support to the new wooden floor. Building wooden porch over the existing cement porch will be a simple job. There are many types of wood flooring, for example, the tongue and groove floorboards, wooden tiles, and 5/4 wooden decks.

Materials and Tools

Tapcon anchors

Quarter-rounds trim molding

Nail punch

Hammer / finish nailer

Galvanized iron finish nails (1.25 inches long)

Deck screws (1.25 inches long)

Concrete screws (2 inches long)

Masonry bits (3/16 inches)

Wood bits (1/4 inches)

Drill

Measuring tape

Circular saw

Treated timber boards

Step 1 - Cut Timber Boards

Cut timber boards (1 x 4) feet and place them in rows from the walls to porch front edges. For porch edges measuring 10 x 4 feet deep, you will require nine battens (each 48 inches).

Step 2 - Fix Battens to Porch

Using tapcon anchors, attach two battens to the cement porch. Drill holes (about ¼ inches) through the timber boards, spaced at 20 inches center-to-center in between and 4 inches from the both ends of the board.

Step 3 - Drill Holes in Concrete Porch

Put the drilled battens in place. They should run along the porch front edge. Using a 3/16 inch mason bit, drill holes in the cement porch 1/8 inches deep. These are known as pilot holes.

Step 4 - Drills Holes on the Battens

Drill holes on the battens 1.5 inches deep. Blow away the dust from the holes.

Step 5 - Drive the Anchors

Drive a tapcon anchor through the battens into the cement porch where the pilot holes are located. Repeat this step for battens at the adjacent side of the porch.

Step 6 - Fit the Rest of the Battens

Start from one end and fit the battens at 16 inches center-to-center spacing. Using a concrete screw, fix the battens to the cement floor until you are done will all battens.

Step 7 - Lay the Floorboards

Lay the floorboards in a row, one at a time, starting from the porch front edge. For 5/4 wooden decks, fit the boards and make a space between them (about 1/8 inches) for swelling. If you are using tongue-and-groove floorboards, fit the boards together following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 8 - Attach Decking

(only if you are this type of flooring)

Using 1/5 inches deck screws, attach the decking. Screw to the battens lengthwise on each board.

Step 9 - Attach Tongue-and-Groove Floorboards

(only if you are this type of flooring)

Use finish nails 1.25 inches to fix the tongue-and-groove floorboards onto the battens. A compressor and pneumatic nailer will make the job fast. Place the next floorboard into the groove of the fixed floorboard and repeat the process.

Step 10 - Trim the Final Pieces

To fit the last pieces on the remaining gap, you should trim the board. Repeat the above step to fix them to the floor.

Step 11 - Fix Quarter-Round Molding

Install quarter-round molding to cover the gaps on top of the timber flooring.