Preparing the Frame

• 1). Assess the existing frame. If the porch is new, it shouldn't need much. Pull up old flooring with a pry bar to expose the frame. Check the joints between the outside edge framing, called a rim joist, and the perpendicular framing members, known as joists. Add treated deck screws to loose joints, realign boards that are out of square or un-level. Use a framing square and a level to check board alignment. Use a framing hammer to tap boards back into proper position.
  
  
• 2). Add joist hanger brackets to the end of each joist. Slip them around the end of the joist and attach to the rim joist with 1 5/8-inch treated deck screws. Attach the bracket to the joist using the same screws. Drive the screws with a cordless drill.
  
  
• 3). Replace any damaged or rotted boards. Use treated lumber in the same dimensions as the original piece. Attach the ends with joist hangers as outlined above.
  
  

Flooring

• 1). Choose your flooring to provide enough strength to safely support the weight. Solid wood flooring, such as shiplap or tongue and groove is typically 3/4-inch thick. The continuous edge joint on these products makes them ideal, as it adds strength to the floor. Laminates and engineered hardwoods are typically too thin and susceptible to weather. Treated or composite decking, used for surfacing backyard decks, also called 5/4 is 1 1/4 inches thick, making it ideal for this application, although it presents a more casual appearance. Buy enough flooring to cover the area, plus 15 percent for waste.
  
  
• 2). Install floor planks along the outside edge first. Position the first outside piece flush with the edge of the porch or balcony. Nail tongue and groove or shiplap into the joists using two 2 inch finish nails in each joist. Screw composite or treated decking with 1 5/8-inch treated deck screws, using a cordless drill.
  
  
• 3). Install the remainder of the outside row, adding boards end to end, cutting pieces to end in the center of a joist for proper support. Stagger the end joints between boards from row to row for strength and to create a visually appealing pattern. Lay the longest pieces possible as far as you can, then measure from the last piece to the end of the porch or balcony and cut a piece to fit.
  
  
• 4). Add subsequent rows aligned with the first. Attach tongue and groove by sliding the edge joint into the joint of the first row on an angle. Space composite and treated decking 1/8-inch between rows. Use the thickness of a framing square as a spacer.
  
  
• 5). Install full width rows as far as possible. Measure from the last row to the wall. Cut enough pieces of flooring to fill the last row and install them between the last full row and the wall as for typical rows.