Porch-Post Rescue
Even on a limited budget, you can make things right by pouring new footings and replacing the posts.
Synopsis: Old houses can last for a long time, but often, their porches do not. Rather than demolish and rebuild the porch, Oregon builder Scott Grice suggests a more cost-effective solution: rescuing the porch by saving the good and replacing the bad. In many cases, porches begin to sag because their posts are rotting. Grice begins the post-replacement project by focusing on safety: securing the roof beam with blocking and screw clamps; finding jack posts and securing them in place; and creating a solid base for the jack. Next, Grice hangs the posts to determine the locations for the post holes. Then he secures the post in a new footing. After the new posts are in place, Grice then can turn to the rest of the porch and safely repair or replace parts as needed.
Given the range of things that can go wrong, a house that’s standing after…
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