Hi everyone,
I'm about to build a 8x12 porch onto my house. Simply a deck very close to ground with a roof over it. My question has to do with exactly where to put the posts that support the front edge of the roof (back goes into existing roof). The deck frame will sit very close to the ground, 12 to 20 inches, and be supported by 3 cement footers (sonotubes) and a ledger-board.
My first thought is to run the posts right down to the cement and use anchors of some sort. Build the deck frame around that. This way, the roof is independent of the deck, and anchored against upward forces such as wind. Disadvantage is that I've got to get my footings exactly in the right spot for the roof posts. Am I capable of getting that perfect I wonder to myself.
I've spent the last few months looking at other porches, porch repairs and new construction and it looks like the decks are built first, then the posts come down and sit on the deck framing? This certainly would make any small placement adjustments with the posts easier, and the deck framing would be sitting right on the cement below the posts. But, would the posts be anchored properly this way?
Any advice on this would be appreciated.
-Jeff