Roof/Porch Support Column??

[MacGyver]

I'm relatively new to the home repair scene because it wasn't until recently that my home needed some repair, I got the inside covered, but the outside is in need of some help. I have a porch outside that is your standard six step porch to the front door and it has a beam that supports the small portion of the roof that hangs over the proch.

The beam itself is rotting on the bottom, well, not so much rotting, but inhabited by chipmunks. It looks like the lower 7" of the column needs to be replaced. There was also some moulding around the base of the column which will need to be replaced, but I've done that before. Any ideas on how to fix this sucker? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[dpb]

This is far too disjointed and incomplete a description to have any real idea what your situation is to give much of any real input.

A beam has to be tied into the house or be cantilevered out -- what size is this, how is it attached and to what, is this one of the beams on the side of the porch or the one on the outer edge, etc., etc., etc.

A column w/ a bad section probably could be repaired, but depending on how it is built it might be better to replace it. How big is it, how tall, what's it made of, etc., etc., ...???

Obviously, to do much of anything with it you'll have to support the corner it's helping to support if it is actually load-bearing and not just cosmetic.

[bob_villa_dh]

I had to do this to my front two columns on my house recently because they were both rotted completely and hollow. Since you only have one it will be even easier. First go to a hardware store and buy a new column. Don't try to repair it, a new one is around $80-120, at least where I am. Remember to get the mounting hardware for the bottom (the old column probably already has trim at the top you can re-use). Also buy a large 4x4. Then, use the 4x4 to support the weight of the porch roof by putting it in next to the rotting column after cutting it to the appropriate length.

Remove the old column (including chipmunks) and measure the length needed for the new column. Cut to length if needed, then install as directions say to. I recommend a good post. The ones I bought have some kind of steel pole in the middle, are full of some kind of weatherproof insulation and have a hard plastic exterior. You'll never have to worry about it rotting again.

Good luck!

MacGyver wrote:

[MacGyver]

I appreciate the information, I'll take a run to Lowes or Home Depot to see if they have them. They are pretty long, and I'll have to figure out how to lug it home! Thanks again.

bob_villa [e-mail] wrote:

[Goedjn]

Beams are horizontal, posts are vertical. Column is another word for post. You have a post.

There are two ways to fix the thing, both of them involve putting temporary posts up next to the damaged one. After which you take out either (A) the entire post, or (B) the damaged section and replace it.

If you have chipmunks living in it, does this mean it's a hollow column? If so, there's a good chance that what you see is just a decorative shell around another post that's doing the real support work, in which case you can just carve out the rotted wood and fill it in with bondo. (use a good section of the post to make a template.)

[bob_villa_dh]

I assumed by the fact chipmunks live in it that he is as lucky as me and has nothing inside, just 4 boards nailed together with a nice big void for the 'real support'. 7" of wood to replace with Bondo would be a pretty good amount of the stuff, wouldn't it?

The new columns look nicer and are good for a very, very long time.