Replacing rotten Porch post advice needed

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Hi,

I'm looking for general advice regarding whether I can carry out a simple DIY repair to my porch post or whether to get a builder to sort it out. The post has started to rot and I can push a nail into the timber about 2ft above the ground without using a hammer. I think half of the cross section of the timber may be suffering from wet rot at the base.

There appears to be a shoe or I suspect metal tube/pipe, made from 5mm thick steel, sunk into the ground into which the 4x4" timber post is inserted.

I'm thinking of cutting away the protruding part of the shoe.


View media item 81076 View media item 81122
 
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The post has decayed probably due to lack fo preservative and the metal shoe.

Water likely get's into the shoe, and has nowhere to go but the timber.

You could however drill holes into the bottom of it to provide drainage and ventillation to the end grain, then when replacing the timber make sure it is properly pressure treated (no harm in slapping more preservative on it yourself and end grain sealent).
 
Why are you looking to removing the metal shoe? :confused:

I don't know how deep the shoe/pipe is sunk into the ground. If it is say a 1ft or more deep and is just a hollow pipe, I think it would be a nightmare to dig out all the rotten timber.

The underside of the porch is UPVC clad. I guess this would prevent any 'long' timber post being dropped into the steel shoe/pipe due to lack of clearance, unless the cladding is removed. Is there anything obvious I have overlooked ?
 
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I don't know how deep the shoe/pipe is sunk into the ground. If it is say a 1ft or more deep and is just a hollow pipe, I think it would be a nightmare to dig out all the rotten timber.

Very high probability the timber stops before ground level.
 
One of the reasons for fitting a shoe is to make replacement of the post possible without having to dig up the concrete. Have a bit of a dig around the bottom to see if you can find out if the timber goes into the post much. In anycase I would be looking to fit some kind of stool on top of the existing shoe and support your new post on that eg

PB2-500x500.jpg


Post%20Shoes.jpg


PB1-500x500.jpg


image_82102.jpg
 
Thanks for everyone's advice so far.

Now that you mention it, it does sound 'sensible' that the housebuilder should make it easy to replace the post without digging up the concrete. I will see if I can determine how deep the post goes into the shoe.

It seems like everyone is suggesting I should retain the shoe.


I have one of these Simpsons post bases on order.
View media item 81134ABW44Z for 90x90 timber from Metro Fixings.
(There is a ABW44RZ for 100x100 timber from Ray Grahams and Metro Fixings)


Jewsons can supply 94x94 PSE untreated redwood timber post for about £33 which is what I was thinking of using with the above post base.

Could a £15 100x100 pressure treated fence post be used, or is that a bad idea?
 
Somewhere in between the two, see if you can source a planed fence post. B&Q sell pergola posts which are planed, and come in at 90x90mm.
 
A fence post will look dreadful.

BTW, remember to prop the roof when you remove the support.
 
I've just prodded through the bottom of the rotten timber as suggested and indeed I did strike something very flat and firm around 10mm below the level of the adjacent paving slabs.


Yes, I was thinking I could hire a pair of acrow props from HSS to support the porch.

Is it okay to have the upvc cladding between the top of a prop and the underside of one of the main supporting beams? ie. could the weight of the porch crush/deform the upvc cladding?
 
*Use pressure treatet timber*

You could potentially scrape away the rotten timber and use expoxy resin to replace/repair the decay, I wouldnt bother though, far to much hassle.
 
Looking for alternatives to B&Q and so far this is the only pressure treated 4x4 timber I can google.

Travis Perkins 100x100mm x 3.0m 'kiln dried' softwood carcassing C16 regularised and Treated.
http://www.travisperkins.co.uk/p/10...-regularised-and-treated-green/753433/2893378

Local store only carries the 4.8m lengths! £24 + £6 delivery.

Jewsons don't sell any planed 4x4 pressure treated timber.

Do I need to be worried about C16 rating?
 
Looking for alternatives to B&Q and so far this is the only pressure treated 4x4 timber I can google.

Travis Perkins 100x100mm x 3.0m 'kiln dried' softwood carcassing C16 regularised and Treated.
http://www.travisperkins.co.uk/p/10...-regularised-and-treated-green/753433/2893378

Local store only carries the 4.8m lengths! £30 inc. delivery.

Jewsons don't sell 4x4 pressure treated timber unless I want a fence post.

Do I need to be worried about C16 rating?

The C16 rating means it has some proven structural value.

If you can pick the timber yourself, and know about timber, it won't matter because you can choose a suitably strong timber.

If you don't know about timber quality then it matters.
 
Also, you want to think about what quality of work you want to do.

Do you want the replacement to last, best of getting some hardwood cut to size.

If you just want to bodge it (so roleplay a UK Builder) and get it to last 5-10 years or so, non pressure treated timber, that you treat and coat will about do the job.
 
I've managed to find another smaller timber merchant who can supply shorter sections of planed pressure treated kiln dried 90x90 timber. They describe it as a 'Decking newall post'.


Talking of 'bodging it'....

The other issue I have is with the upvc cladding hiding how the top of the post is attached to the porch roof. I really don't want to start dismantling all the guttering and upvc cladding to access the top of the old post.

I'm pondering with the idea of just cutting off and replacing the bottom 2-3ft of the old post only. Joining the two sections together with two jointing plates such as this one sold by Wickes, 63x300mm. Perhaps use a gap filling glue like Cascamite too?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Galvanised-Jointing-Flat-Plate-63x300mm/p/152829

Then clad the whole post with 20mm thick timber to provide extra strength.

View media item 81152Inspired by the last comment in this old thread:
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1431141#1431141[/url]
 

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