Build A Mud Room Porch
In general, a mud room is functioned to be a placed to organize things and leave a mess. A mud house is best to be placed at the front door or near a highly used entrance to the house for the best solution. It can become a storage or as a welcoming entryway as you enclose part of your porch. Here are the steps on how to build a mud room porch.
You will need:
- Concrete blocks
- Wiring
- Lights and switches
- Drywall and mud
- 2 by 4 boards
- Outlets
- Insulation and siding
Steps:
- Before starting this project, check with your local planning authority for permits and building codes. Then, check under your porch for a firm foundation. You will need to add blocks for support under the area where the new walls will be built or have new concrete footers and a foundation dug if the porch is up off the ground.
- Next, choose a section of the porch that includes the front door or you will need to design an additional entrance into your home. To build your mudroom, use the house for one wall while the other three walls will need to be built as exterior walls by using 2-inch by 4-inch boards for enough insulation. For the wall, use the exterior siding that has been removed from the area of the house.
- Measure the needed length for the three remaining walls. Use the 2-inch by 4-inch boards as a top and bottom plate for each wall.
- Place the plates on a flat surface with the 2-inch part of the board on the floor. The 4-inch width of the plate will rest on the floor when lifted into the place. Frame in any new door or windows to the correct space, according to your plans. Secure it with nail or king stud on either side of the door position.
- Measure the door\’s height minus 1 ½ inches. The bottom plate will be cut away from the wall frame leaving the door to reach the floor. Secure a header board horizontally between the king studs at the door\’s correct height. Fill any space between the header and the top wall plate with 2 by 4 with spaces about 16 inches apart.
- Measure the height of your wall. Then, cut 2-inch by 4-inch boards in height with minus 3inches. The 2 by 4 is really 1 1/1 by 5 ½. The plate\’s thickness needs to be subtracted from the total height when the measuring for the wall frame upright studs to fit between the top and bottom plates. Then, place the wall studs upright perpendicularly about 16 inches apart on center starting at the outside edge of the top and bottom plate. Nail the uprights through the top and the bottom plates and into the studs with two 3-inch nails in each end.
- Lift each wall frame under the porch roof. Secure with a nail to the side, floor and roof of the house through existing studs. Just use the existing roof and floor of the porch if they are still in good condition. Cover the exterior of the wall with plywood, house wrap and coordinating siding or matching. Wire any new outlets and lights.
- Exterior walls will need insulation to cut fit between the studs. If you buy better insulation, the higher the R factor or heat resistance. Cover the interior frame of the house with paneling or drywall that fits to your wall\’s height. Secure the covering with nails from the outer edge of the first stud to the center of the second stud. The next sheet of covering will be nailed to the other half of the second stud and onto the half of the third stud. Continue on the center around the room.
- All of the drywall seams need to be taped and mud. Make a final check before using the room, adding benches, storing hats, hooks, coats and any other equipment afterwards.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6819919_build-mud-room-porch.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/2809207246/
