BALUSTRADED PORCHES

alustraded porches appear on house styles from Queen Anne to Colonial Revival. A sort of early deck, these. First, Curtis does some detective work to identify the scale and shape of missing pedestals, balusters, and railings. Old photos are ideal, but when none exists, he can often interpret the right size and shape from a ghosted shadow found on the structure. He also looks for the original placement of pedestals at exposed corners. (To prep the roof, its deck must be flashed or counter-flashed at points where pedestals will rest.) The originals usually lined up directly over columns below—an extension of those essential supports. “The evidence shows that the old builders were doing things better than modern practice.”