Stretching 80 feet across the front of the Maryland home that my company was building, this front porch was one of the home’s major design elements and would be highly visible from the road. As the general contractor, I knew the home inside and out. It was designed as an all-white, modern version of a farmhouse, with black doors and window frames. During construction, the owner and I agreed that a dark ceiling for the porch would help soften the contrast between the bright white exterior and the black accents.
The house stands on a fairly exposed site, a working farm on Maryland’s eastern shore, between Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. So the ceiling would have to resist strong winds, humidity, and fading due to reflected UV radiation.
At my recommendation, natural wood was out. Not long before, I had completed a similar project using stained tongue-and-groove (T&G) pine, and I was disappointed by its premature need for refinishing. Black vinyl soffit was an option, but I wasn’t sure it would be tough enough in these coastal conditions.
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