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| If your porch will have a wide doorway, like a sliding glass door, add two-by-fours to the appropriate posts to create the right opening width. |
Now that you have a framework, it's time to enclose it by applying plywood sheeting on the outside.
Tilt the sheeting up, slide it into position, then attach it with a clamp. |
With your hands free to work, nail the sheet to the top plate and the studs. A simple T-square fashioned from some scrap one-by-twos will allow you to quickly draw locator lines for the studs. |
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| Even on a short wall like this, it's easy to drift sideways and miss the framing. The lines make sure every nail finds its mark. |
Okay, so you've got the beginnings of a wall.
Now it's time to make sure that your handiwork can resist Mother Nature's attempts to shorten its useful life; that's what this
water and air barrier (also called "house wrap," and often referred to by the common brand-name of Tyvek) is for. |
This material can be attached either with a conventional staple gun or a hammer tacker. The hammer tacker is a good bit faster and less tiring on the grip. |
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| Upper pieces are lapped over lower ones, so that flowing water will always be diverted to the front of the strip below rather than behind the wrap, where it could be trapped and cause rotting. |
Finally, tape all the seams with house-wrap tape. |
For the window and door openings, along with the house-wrap tape, lay down a layer of aluminum tape to create a water-tight and weather-tight seal. Apply it to the sills and run it up the sides about eight inches.
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| Cut that aluminum tape so that it can be wrapped around the corners... |
...and then fold it over the edges. |
Apply a second strip of tape to the rear of the sill in the same way, and you're ready to bring in the windows! |
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| Window installation varies; yours may
have a metal flange that must be bent outward so it's perpendicular to the window frame. The weather tight seal comes from a bead of caulk that's applied to the inside of the flange. |
Installing windows, at least the larger ones, is definitely a two- person job. After setting the bottom of the window on the finished opening, just tilt it up into position.
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At the top, make sure the house wrap laps over the flange, then nail the window in place. |
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