Replace porch support post with bracket

[Rubber_Duck]

Hi
I'm looking for some advice on replacing a porch support post that's rusted away. At the moment the porch is supported by something that looks like a scaffolding pole but I'd prefer to replace it with a gallows bracket. The porch extends 2'2" from the wall. Is there a good reason why I shouldn't do this? Is one type better than the other? I've looked at other properties down the street and it's about 60% in favour of brackets and 40% pole.
Thanks for reading.

 

[Deluks]

You might have to remove the cladding to see what's underneath. Then get an acro or two on it while you carry out the work.

 

[Koolpc]

Looks like it used to be supported by some type of bracket as you have that fancy brick jutting out.....

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Should be fine. We had an old 1930s bungalow with an overhanging roof on original wooden gallows brackets. It didn't fall down but it had definitely sagged over the years. But ours was holding up the entire span of the main roof, whereas yours is just a few rows of tiles.

In fact you have the little special brick that the original gallows bracket would have stood on. Presumably it rotted or sagged, hence the pole, which definitely looks like a botch.

Find a neighbour who still has the original, ask if you can measure up theirs to recreate yours, to ensure it looks right.

I'd find a local metal fabricator, get them to make a welded steel box section equivalent of the original, get it white powder coated. It will need to contact the structural timber directly, you'll need to remove the soffit panel then trim and replace it after.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

There are lots available online, in various materials. Don't know whether they're structural though, possibly some are just to hold up a bit of polycarbonate sheet rather than concrete tiles.

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It looks like it should be do-able. There's a chippy lives just down the road from me, I'll pop round and see whether he's interested. However, I do also like Ivor's idea of using powder coated steel. Decisions, decisions...

 

[noseall]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It looks like it should be do-able.

As others have said, the brick corbel was probably doing the most (downthrust) work on a previous gallows. It makes sense as the masonry at that point is quite slender and would not enjoy a sleeve anchor expanding there. Pull-out anchoring higher up seems doable.

 

[aveatry]

Whilst you are at it and it would look tidier with the pole gone I would move that downpipe from the canopy and T into the other down pipe as high as I can get it instead of coming down the front.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It looks like it should be do-able. There's a chippy lives just down the road from me, I'll pop round and see whether he's interested. However, I do also like Ivor's idea of using powder coated steel. Decisions, decisions...

I know a bloke round here who does bespoke metalwork, he'd just need a fag packet sketch. He's self-employed, just him in a little workshop. There are others all over the country, it doesn't need a mega-engineering project company.

Get end caps welded on, and all the welds ground down, it would look like wood and not need a drop of paint ever in this lifetime.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I was just thinking black would look good, when I spotted your neighbour's...

That, in metal!