This post series is sponsored by Lowes.
We are making amazing progress at the Evergreen house! The guys just started laying the floors inside and the exterior projects are starting to move quickly too! I shared some updates in my stories this week (these are saved in my Evergreen highlight!) and so many of you asked for more info on the how we built the planked fence and the porch pergola. We found everything used here at Lowes and they were SO helpful with quick delivery options! All of this lumber, the brick pavers and the tile were dropped off in the driveway, making it so easy for our contractor to stay on schedule. Many of you messaged me saying these sneak peeks made you so excited for spring to finally come where you live so you can do a refresh on your yard and exterior.. I love how easy Lowe’s makes it to completely transform an outdoor space for the coming warmer weather!
1 – Reclaimed brick pavers from Lowe’s
2 – 8′ planks
3 – Post Braces
4 –Work gloves
5 – Gate hardware
6 – Emser Tiles (Concrete and Cement) in checkerboard pattern
7 – 6×6 posts
8 – Thompson stain and sealer in one
9 – Cinder block
10 – DeWalt Miter saw
Paint colors: Belmont Green from Valspar at Lowe’s, Woodland Lichen from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams, Retreat from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams
As a reminder, here are some photos showing how far we’ve come with this house in just a few short weeks!
Side porch exterior BEFORE
Side porch exterior NOW
Back porch exterior BEFORE
Back porch exterior NOW
Front exterior BEFORE
Front exterior NOW
We’re getting there right?! I’m so excited about how everything is turning out! The reclaimed brick pavers are such a HUGE improvement on the old cracked and broken concrete pads! And those checkerboard tile floors are killing me! Here are a few close ups on the brand new pergola.
The key to building these porches was using these metal post bases to secure the 6×6 posts to the porch. The braces can be screwed to concrete, wood or tile!
The general idea for building a porch pergola is you use 6×6 posts as the main base and 2×10’s are used as the cross beams. These can be miter cut on the ends to add some interesting angles. 2×4’s are the final layer on top. You can space these out however you want for more or less shade!
We’ll be using Thompson Stain and Sealer to help protect this wood! We’re planning to use the same stain and sealer on the planked fencing! Speaking of the fencing, I’m so glad all of you loved our design here as much as I do!
To build our fence, we first mapped everything out with two rows of cinder block. The perforated blocks are so the flood irrigation we get in the back yard can flow to the front yard, and the block in general is to keep the wood fence out of the irrigation water!
Every eight feet we left the top of the block open to receive 4×4 posts.
The contractor built a frame using 2x4s within the larger posts to give a good, sturdy structure to nail the 1×6 planks.
We left a 1/4″ seam between each plank and mitered the corners for a modern, clean look! I’m so excited to get this wood stained and put in some of our plantings!! I think it will be SO pretty with the green board and batten (if you look at the last photo you can see the final cut samples up on the siding)! Which of these colors are you most drawn to? Belmont Green, Woodland Lichen, or Retreat?
Where are the black doors on the back and side patios from? I love them!
The doors are actually from my house! We were going to drop them off to reStore, but they were the perfect size for two of our exterior doors at the Evergreen house! We’re going to make them dutch doors so stay tuned! :)
This is looking great-
Belmont green!
Thank you! I’m liking Belmont Green too!
Amazing! I love what you are doing to this house.
Thank you Christine! :)
I like “retreat”
I also tend to choose more of a mid-tone color for exteriors in sunny climates, they fade more gracefully and don’t get as hot in summer.
It all looks beautiful!! So excited to see more! :)
This is spectacular and so much fun to watch unfold! My eye is most drawn to the darkest green which I think is Belmont (the one on the far left). I adore the grey and white tile and now I’m itching to do something similar on my back deck. Just occurred to me: how slippery will that tile get in the rain?
The tile has a bit of texture to it! I think we’ll be good, especially here in AZ where we don’t get a lot of rain! :) I like Belmont too! xo
I am most drawn to Retreat as a color – all I could think with the two darker colors is how hot that will get in non- winter seasons in AZ? But all three colors are good! :)
Looks amazing!! I like the middle green- Wood Lichen? Looks more muddy and natural on my screen. This project is SO fun to follow!!!!
Woodland Lichen!
Lichen~ would like to see more about using/laying the reclaimed brick as that is beautifully executed and I am now thinking about this for my own home.
Looking good- wanting to see more!
Lovely progress! Woodland lichen will be so pretty.
So exciting!! And Woodland Lichen for the win :)
The colors are so different in real life than the images. You would think Retreat would be pretty close to Belmont Green just based on the stock color images but they are completely different in person!
I like both Belmont Green and Woodland Lichen but I think Belmont Green seems more suited for the house.
Woodland Lichen is my favorite. I love all of the changes that you’ve made so far!
Like the green on the left! Would you ever consider painting the pergola to match? It’s always hard to tell just from photos, but it looks like the pergola is slightly misaligned with the new trim on the facade? My eye keeps going there; although a nice bougainvillea will cover that right up!
I am LOVING this project! The pergola is my dream. I love the checkerboard tile as well and am curious about that installation. Do you do anything special to the cut edge of the tiles that would be visible? Maybe it’s thin enough that it doesn’t matter? I have an old concrete raised front porch that needs some love and I think tiling would be perfect but I’m sure how to handle the edge. Would love your thoughts!
I love the privacy fence and the cinder blocks look so tidy and almost decorative, but mostly, I love how the brick pavers go around the tree – it’s such a sweet touch. I can’t wait to see how this all pans out!
p.s. I’d love a tutorial on how to lay brick pavers.
Could you share what product you used on the board and batten feature for the Evergreen House? Love the look, I am on the east coast and planning our remodel, curious if this product would stand our long cold winters. Thank you.
Hi Rita! It’s just HardiPlank! :)
So Inspired by your Evergreen project buildout.
Would you mind telling me what type of wood (Eg. – Douglas Fir?) is being used for the Pergola and if you got it at Lowes?
Also, what is the name of the type of stain you used?
Thank you for your design wisdom.
Sorry I had one more question. The wood siding of the house looks engineered? Is it some kind of engineered 4′ x 8″ siding from Lowes?
Thank you… love your design!
What type of wood was used for the pergola in the front? This is an absolute transformation! Thank you for the inspiration!!