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Here's the new framing, which has all been done with pressure treated 2 by 8 lumber. The original framing was 2 by 6, but by stepping up to 2 by 8 framing the porch will be a lot stronger and stiffer. The pressure treated framing means that the carpenter ants will no longer find a good home here, but if there is future damage the stronger structure will tolerate more damage before it becomes a real problem. The additional cost of using lumber one size larger is minimal.
