This porch, the entryway to a beautiful 180 year house, was in need of some serious attention.  What started out as a project to fix some minor exterior rot and aesthetic issues, became a full-scale reconstruction. There had been extensive renovation of certain parts of the structure seven years prior, but there were many mistakes made by the contractor, including use of untreated lumber directly "sistered" to rotting framing members. Several active leaks were temporarily fixed with stop-gap methods and allowed to continue unchecked. Over time, this caused a serious issue with the structure's integrity. In the end, the entire porch above the columns had to be removed and rebuilt. Fir exterior boards and moldings were used, primed on all sides with two coats, over treated lumber framing. A new hidden gutter was hand-formed of galvanized steel, with an EPDM rubber roof applied over treated plywood sheathing. The lesson here, especially in older homes, is dig below the surface; things are not always as they seem at first look. If paint is peeling or "blowing out" on an older home, chances are that water intrusion is the cause.