Porch Replanking

[Dennisfly]

I want to put new planking on my covered porch. At each supporting column, I can jack the roof up slightly and remove the old planks after cutting through a few nails at the column base with a reciprocating saw. The nails hold the square base piece to the planking. I did one, and aside from gravity, nothing seems to attach the bottom of the column to the square piece under it that rests on the porch planking. How should the columns properly be attached? The columns are laminated wood.

 

[ray66v]

I would guess the fasteners rusted away. If you don't want to get real involved, how about urethane construction adhesive, (the good stuff), when you get them jacked up?

I did a floor like that a while back, and the columns were just 1x6's made into a hollow box. The 3 of the 4 that mattered, were rotted on the bottom, the whole rim joist was wasted, and they were somehow still holding up the whole porch roof.

 

[Dennisfly]

Thanks Ray. Good idea and not too difficult!

 

[Bird]

The columns are laminated wood.

I'm not familiar with that. Are they solid or hollow? I saw some fellows building a wooden cover or roof over a concrete patio recently and the supports are 4 x 4s. I've seen some done in a similar manner before where "L" brackets were attached to the posts and a screw into the concrete to ensure they didn't move around. But the job I watched recently doesn't have anything visible to prevent the posts from moving around because they drilled a hole into the center bottom of each post, and a hole into the concrete and put a single metal pin in each one. You could very easily jack them up and remove those pins, but they sure won't slide around.

 

[RobS]

Gravity is probably all you need, except for the occasional tornado! Is there a block inside that keep the post from scooting sideways?

Just curious, what are you going to redeck it with? Our porch is similar to yours and decked with untreated pine. We've kept it painted but I'm afraid it's not going to last forever. I like the look and feel of t&g but as I recall the treated stuff looked pretty rough.

 

[ray66v]

Just curious, what are you going to redeck it with? Our porch is similar to yours and decked with untreated pine. We've kept it painted but I'm afraid it's not going to last forever. I like the look and feel of t&g but as I recall the treated stuff looked pretty rough.

If I may answer this, I went through the same dilemma when I did the the above floor for a friend. The truth is, if its made of wood its going to require maintenance, and eventual replacement. Treated, unless its redried, (and I can not find any around here), is not going to hold paint well. Redwood, and cedar are what you want to use, you just have to be wealthy to afford them. That leaves good old yellow pine, this has been the staple for porches around here, for a while. (At least its hardwood).

Perhaps in the future; they will make a synthetic product in T&G, for porches.

I'm glad my porch floor is concrete.

 

[Dennisfly]

Bird,

On the columns, I can see that layers (2X maybe) have been laminated together and then maybe turned. I can't see the end, so I don't know if there is a space in the middle or not but they are not thin walled.

Rob and Ray,

The porch is about 22 years old and built by the house builder. He used untreated 1X4 pine tongue and groove, didn't seal anything, and then painted the exposed upper surface only. The moisture is absorbed from the bottom and the paint blisters as expected. I tried to find treated 1X4 tongue and groove but could not find any that was straight. According to the lumber yard, none of it is straight and they aren't buying any more of it. I did some research and one acceptable method would be to replank with untreated 1X4 tongue and groove but seal all six sides before assembly and then paint the tongues and grooves and assemble them wet. I choose not to do that.

I am replacing it with 5/4 1x6 treated pine decking. I will decrease the height of the column blocks by 1/4" to compensate for the increased deck thickness. I attempted to find decking that had been kiln dried after treatment (KDAT) but it only is available here in the 2X6 dimension. So, I bought the treated decking, not kiln dried after treatment, and have stacked it with spacers on the porch to dry. I want it to shrink before I install it so there is not a significant gap between the boards as you might have in a deck. When I bought it, it was very wet and heavy. I've dried it for about 6 weeks now and it is significantly lighter and the width is now about 5 1/5 as opposed to 5 5/8 to 5 3/4 when it was wet

 

[Dennisfly]

Well, I guess I either timed out or hit the wrong key. To continue, my plan is to install the planking after it has shrunk to size ( Any thoughts on how long that should take? I think I am close ). Then to stain it with an opaque, non-pealing stain. Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

 

[ray66v]

Its a crap shoot as far as when its completely dry.

I can't see how your drying it without it getting all warped.

Wait as long as you can, and put it down.

I would recommend using a toner, (tinted sealer), to finish it, if you want a stained look. Sherwin Williams makes a good one; I have used a lot of it. One step, Fast and easy.

 

[scgargoyle]

I wonder how cypress would work? It's supposed to be pretty rot and bug resistant, and surprisingly cheap here in the deep South.