MyOHJ's Perfect Porch Contest: Is your porch a winner?

Confession time: When I was proofing our July/August issue and read Jim McMaster's story about how he completely rebuilt the intricate balustrade on his Victorian lake house, I was in awe. Using nothing more than the tools he had on hand and a healthy dose of ingenuity, he was able to craft a spot-on replica of the original railing that will stay with his house for another century or more. (Not to mention, he saved a ton of money: One shop quoted him an estimate of nearly $7,000—and that was just to cut the balusters!)

It's the kind of reaction I have a lot while reading OHJ. Our contributors—and our readers—constantly amaze me with the myriad ways they manage to coax new life into well-worn houses. Which is why we want to see more of these incredible transformations! During the month of July, MyOldHouseJournal is hosting a Perfect Porch contest to pick the most inspiring porch rehabilitation project undertaken by our readers. Think of it as American Idol...for porches. Plus, the winner will get to see their porch pictured in the next issue of OHJ!

Here's how it works:

Upload a photo of your finished porch. To do this, click on the "Photos" tab at the top of the page, then click "Add a Photo" in the right-hand corner of the Photos home page.

When you upload photos, be sure to rename them with the words "PorchContest". Your photo must have these two words in the title—without them, we won't be able to find it to display for voting!

To be considered for the contest, all photos must be uploaded by July 15. Don't worry, we'll send out plenty of reminders in case you forget!

And, most important, don't forget to vote! Even if you're still working on your porch, we need your help choosing the winner! Voting will start on July 20th and run through the week, so log on often to keep your favorite porch in the running. We'll post more details then on how to vote. But in the meantime...

Bring on the porches! If you have any questions about the contest, leave a comment below, or, better yet, e-mail me directly at cmartin@homebuyerpubs.com. I can't wait to be inspired by your entries!