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We are having a deck and porch installed as part of an addition to our house. The deck and porch combined are about 32′ x 18′.
The architect and structural engineer have recommended that the deck and porch be supported by a set of sonotube footings of various sizes. Some of these footings are two feet from the foundation wall on the house. The deck and porch attached to the foundation wall by means of a ledger board, with the ledger board being fixed to the masonry foundation wall either by means of sleeve anchors or through-bolts.
The roof over the porch and house is not supported by the deck and porch sonotube footings, but rather by 16″ x 16″ masonry pier footings which are about 8′ to 12′ feet away from the foundation wall.
Our contractor would prefer to get rid of some of the deck and porch footings and have more of the deck and porch load carried by the house foundation. He is particularly concerned about having some deck and porch footings only a couple of feet from the foundation wall.
Is one method preferable over the other? We are interested in your recommendations and experiences.
Replies
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Hi Tony,
Maybe some of the other guys can help me figure this out.
If your present roof extends out 8 to 12 feet and is structurally supported by these piers you describe, then no other support is needed for the building other than the support for the new deck, right?
This being the case, is there a special need for these sono tubes and ledger board that I don't visualize here?
I prefer to build decks totally independent of the main house, if possible.
If, as you describe, the roof is existing, why not simply build a deck on pads or elevated cones and let it float?
This way, no damage to your house and if frost or settling were to occur, you adjust the pads or cones to match.
Just a thought for now
Gabe
*This is difficult to visualize, but I suspect your architect and engineer did not want to add any load to the existing house footings. It is usually cheaper to engineer and build new footings than to verify the size and reinforcement of existing footings. If they are not adequate you need new footings anyway. I suspect the ledger is only to tie things to the house. Attention should be paid to drainage at this point.There is no problem with footings 2' from the existing ones. You can go right up against them. With point footings you will not be undermining the existing during the course of construction as is often the case with continuous footings adjacent to existing ones.
*Is this deck all one level ? If it's different levels you need support where the levels change usually. If the joists run the 18' direction all one level you would need at least one support at or near midspan .How far apart are the footings supporting the porch roof ? You said they are only 8' to 12' from the foundation , does this mean the deck is only partialy covered . Sounds like even if you could use the porch roof support footings for the deck you would still need more support at the outer edge of the deck. Like Mike said , no problem digging and pouring piers next to the house foundation . Chuck
*Digging near the foundation -- wouldn't you be concerned you might damage the drainage system, if any?
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We are having a deck and porch installed as part of an addition to our house. The deck and porch combined are about 32' x 18'.
The architect and structural engineer have recommended that the deck and porch be supported by a set of sonotube footings of various sizes. Some of these footings are two feet from the foundation wall on the house. The deck and porch attached to the foundation wall by means of a ledger board, with the ledger board being fixed to the masonry foundation wall either by means of sleeve anchors or through-bolts.
The roof over the porch and house is not supported by the deck and porch sonotube footings, but rather by 16" x 16" masonry pier footings which are about 8' to 12' feet away from the foundation wall.
Our contractor would prefer to get rid of some of the deck and porch footings and have more of the deck and porch load carried by the house foundation. He is particularly concerned about having some deck and porch footings only a couple of feet from the foundation wall.
Is one method preferable over the other? We are interested in your recommendations and experiences.