Water – how do i prevent rot on a porch

dry-rotporchwaterproofing

i don't understand why there have to be gaps between deck boards but not porch boards. our porch boards got rotted from rain water settling between them and needless to say there were no gaps when it was built. i had applied non-slip paint but i don't think it was painted when it was built and i don't think there were any gaps between the boards. i don't know how the boards could fit so snugly against each other or how the builder knew that water wouldn't settle between them.

Best Answer

If built properly, a porch floor slopes away from the house, and (being a porch) is also covered by a roof, so it should only get incidental blowing rain, not the full brunt of every storm. The slope (1/8" per foot, 1 inch in 8 feet) ensures that any water that lands on the porch drains off of it.

It's also common to oil (linseed oil) or paint the boards as well.