How to Add a Porch to a Log Home

Measure the height and length of the wall of the log home where the porch will be attached so you know how long to cut your lumber.

Measure 8 to 10 feet from the wall outward, and place two stakes in the ground to represent the two corners of the porch that are furthest from the wall.

Remove both stakes and dig holes in their place with a shovel, approximately 2 feet deep and 8 inches wide.

Measure 8 feet from one hole straight across, and mark the spot. Continue marking off 8-foot increments across the front line of the porch until you get to the opposite hole.

Dig 2-foot holes at each marked spot.

Set a sonotube into each hole. Sonotubes are cardboard cylinders used in pouring concrete.

Cut the tubes to the desired level with a knife. Remember, each tube need only be as tall as the foundation of your porch.

Pour cement into the sonotubes, filling each cylinder to the brim. Wait 24 hours for the concrete to set.

Cut away the cardboard tubing after the concrete has set, and dispose of the used tubes.

Place a 3/4-inch anchor bolt into the top middle of each concrete tube.

Cut a wooden post for each concrete tube with a saw. The posts should be as long as the porch will be tall, ideally cut from trees that are already the ideal diameter for each post. Alternatively, you may cut 2-by-4s and nail them together to create porch posts. Peel the bark from the posts if you are using natural trees.

Cut and peel logs for the porch rafters, which should be 4 inches in diameter. The porch rafters are longer than the width of the porch itself, because the roof will slope downward and the roof should extend beyond the porch. Add 4 feet to the length measuring from the base of the wall to the front edge of the porch, and that's how long your rafters must be. You need to have as many rafters as you do concrete tubes, with additional rafters in between spaced 2 feet apart.

Drill a hole at the end of each porch post, in the center, before placing them onto the anchor bolts on the concrete footers.

Attach a log, or logs, to the upper wall of the log home where the porch is being connected using deck screws. The log should run horizontally, approximately 1 foot below the bottom edge of the roof.

Place a log, or logs, across the porch posts so it runs horizontally across them and screw into place.

Notch the top of each horizontal log where the rafters will rest. Each notch should be 4 inches wide to hold the 4-inch rafters.

Cut a 2-by-10 to the length of the porch and screw it to the front end, across the bottom end of the porch posts, to cover the concrete footers. Make sure the 2-by-10 is level.

Set each rafter onto the horizontal logs under the roof and across the top of the posts. If you have pre-cut your notches, each rafter will slide securely into place.

Brace each end of the porch where the rafters meet the house by placing short 2-by-6s, cut at a 40-degree angle, from the edge of the rafter diagonally against the wall. Screw the braces into place.

Cut 2-by-6 finished lumber to the length of the roof. Sand away knots to create a smooth finish.

Lay the lumber horizontally across the rafters. Each piece of lumber should be snugly pressed against its neighbor to create a smooth, tight roof. Secure the roof to the rafters with deck screws.

Cover the wooden roof with tar paper. The entire surface of the roof must be covered.

Lay shingles that match your existing roof on the tar paper.

Build a frame for the floor of the porch using long 2-by-6s. Place one 2-by-6 between each post, cutting notches at the bottom of the posts and nailing the beams into place.

Nail a 2-by-6 across the bottom of the wall of the home, directly across from the top of the concrete footers. Use chalk lines to make sure of the placement, as this 2-by-6 will determine where your porch floor sits.

Use chalk lines to mark the placement of the floor frame, running lines from each post to the baseboard you just attached to the wall. Make a 2-inch notch at each mark.

Place 2-by-6s from the posts to the wall, setting each end into the pre-cut notches.

Place treated deck lumber or 2-inch paned lumber across the floor joists, spacing each 1/2 inch apart.

Coat the lumber with deck sealant and stain as desired.