Porch Repair Denver: Rebuilding Rotted Floors, Columns and Steps

A porch repair can include:

• Floor and framing: rotted boards come out, and joists and beams are repaired or replaced to the point where the damage ends.
• Columns and posts: a rotted base is repaired or the column is replaced, with the porch roof supported while it is out.
• Steps and railings: worn treads and damaged stringers are rebuilt, and loose rails and posts are reset or replaced.
• Porch ceiling: stained or sagging ceiling boards are repaired once the leak above them is stopped.
• Sealing and paint: bare wood is sealed and painted to slow the next round of water damage.

Washington Park is mostly brick homes built between 1900 and 1940, and Baker holds hundreds of 19th-century brick houses, so new posts, trim and boards are chosen to sit well beside the original brick.

Most porch rot comes back to water that cannot drain or dry. Denver's freeze season is long: the National Weather Service puts the average first freeze on October 7 and the average last freeze on May 5, with 56.9 inches of snow in an average season. Snow on steps and floor boards melts in the sun and refreezes at night, working water into joints, nail holes and column bases.

A porch roof leak or an overflowing gutter can also keep the same boards wet season after season. We find where the water comes from before we replace anything, and if the porch roof leaks, we can repair that too. That order holds for every porch rot repair we do, from Berkeley to Park Hill.

If the floor bounces, a column leans or the steps move, keep people off that part of the porch until it has been assessed. When damage reaches the framing, a column, the beam that carries the roof or the connection to the house, the work needs a qualified structural assessment first, and our repair follows it.

Whether the work needs a Denver permit depends on the scope, and rebuilt railings and stairs have to meet the building code, so check with the city before structural work starts. In historic districts such as Potter Highlands, Montclair and Curtis Park, exterior work that needs a permit usually goes through the city's Landmark Preservation review. The review generally favors repairing original porch parts, and the city makes the final call.

Porches on homes built before 1978 need care with old paint. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires anyone paid to disturb that paint to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. ARC Restoration holds EPA Lead-Safe Certification.

We work from 1100 S Kalamath St and cover the whole city, from Highland and Sunnyside along Federal Boulevard to Congress Park and the streets around Cheesman Park. A porch repair follows this order:

1. Free inspection. We assess the damage to the porch.
2. Find the water. We trace moisture to its source so the new work stays dry.
3. Make it safe. We flag any unsafe area and support the roof before a column comes out.
4. Document for insurance. We record the damage and work with your insurance company to agree on costs.
5. Repair. We replace the damaged parts.
6. Seal and paint. New wood is sealed and painted.

We answer 24 hours a day, every day, for an active leak. The repair itself is booked for a set date.

ARC Restoration has served Denver since March 2020 and holds a 4.9-star rating on Google from more than 70 reviews. Reviewers mention our honesty about whether repairs are needed. On a porch, that means telling you plainly what can be saved and what has to be rebuilt. Our team holds IICRC Certification and EPA Lead-Safe Certification, and we work directly with you and your insurance company to agree on costs. Because water damage restoration is our main work, we can stop the leak, dry the wood and rebuild the porch as one project.

To book a free porch inspection anywhere from Berkeley Lake Park to Baker, call (720) 799-2434.