Front porch rebuilt in composite and aluminum

An old painted front porch rebuilt with tan composite boards, wider steps and white aluminum railings, with the porch roof held up on temporary posts.

Older front porch with grey painted steps, white wood railings and lattice skirting on a dark-painted house

Rebuilt front porch with wide tan composite steps and white aluminum railings on a dark-painted brick house

About this job

The front porch is the first thing anyone sees of this house, and the old one had painted boards, wood railings and lattice skirting that were past their best. We took it down to the frame and rebuilt it in composite, with wider steps and white aluminum railings that suit the dark brick.

The tricky part is that the porch roof stays where it is. It rests on columns that stand on the deck you’re replacing, so it has to be held up while the old deck comes out.

The challenge

The roof columns sit on the porch deck, so taking out the deck leaves the roof with nothing under it. The new work also had to line up with the existing interlock walkway and the plantings on both sides.

What we did

Adjustable steel posts carried the roof while we removed the old deck and built a new frame under it. We then laid composite boards with a breaker board on the long run, built wider steps to meet the walkway, and finished with aluminum railings that won’t need repainting.

What this means for homes around the GTA

Deep front porches like this are a big part of older streets in midtown Toronto, East York and around the Danforth. If your house is in a heritage conservation district, changes to the front can need a heritage review, so check before you choose materials. A porch more than 60 cm off the ground also needs a permit in Toronto. The Toronto guide has more on both.

Where it started

Side view of a dark-painted brick house with an older front porch and wood railings beside the driveway — The old porch from the driveway side, with lattice skirting below.

How it came together

New porch joists under an existing porch roof, held up by an adjustable steel post during the rebuild — An adjustable steel post carried the porch roof while the old deck came out.

New wood porch frame in place at the corner of a dark-painted brick house — The new frame at the corner of the house.

The finished work

Wide tan composite steps rising to a front porch with white aluminum railings — Wider steps make the entry feel more generous.

Tan composite porch boards with a breaker board and white railings along a dark brick wall — A breaker board keeps the long boards looking tidy.

Finished composite porch in warm evening light, with white railings and trees beyond — The finished porch in the evening.

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Planning guides for this work

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