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One possibility is to keep the porches seperate structures with their own footings and bracing. They will need posts and beams on the perimeter anyway. Perhaps you can incorporate posts close to the building into the design (columns or pilasters of brick). Brace back to the building at the corners.
You could have an expansion joint where the tile porch surface meets the building, hidden under a flashing cast into the brick.
As the roof of the porch is an extension of the roof of the house, what is the waterproofing problem on the porches? With an adequate slope there shouldn’t be much (any?) water getting to the porch house connection.
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One possibility is to keep the porches seperate structures with their own footings and bracing. They will need posts and beams on the perimeter anyway. Perhaps you can incorporate posts close to the building into the design (columns or pilasters of brick). Brace back to the building at the corners.
You could have an expansion joint where the tile porch surface meets the building, hidden under a flashing cast into the brick.
As the roof of the porch is an extension of the roof of the house, what is the waterproofing problem on the porches? With an adequate slope there shouldn't be much (any?) water getting to the porch house connection.
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Thanks for your reply....I was beginning to wonder if the rest of the world thought this too silly to respond. Seems that it would be old hat to most, but not only our plans designer but a few contractors and the county building inspector all seemed to scratch their heads and/or change the subject when we inquired. My freinds call me the king of overkill, but I always try to overbuild/overdo. Better to have it and not need than need it and not have it. When uncertain, it's nice to get the advice of many and sift through that. We thought briefly about what you recommend but thought someone had said there may be a code problem with the porches being a self supporting stucture and the tie-in of the roof, but maybe backbracing would solve that. We will definitely investigate. Oh yeah, rain should't be much trouble, except that here in eastern Va. we seem to get pounded with the occasional nor'easter and hurricane season gets worse every year. It honestly does rain sideways sometimes.Did I mention overkill? Thanks again
--Billy Taylor
*Billy, If the home is not started yet, the solutions are simple. Pour a foundation below the frost level in your area to local codes to support the porch floor and columns. In the porch areas, cantilever your second story floor joists out to the main porch roof beam wherever possible. Place occassional build-out blocking where the porch ceiling meets the house brick and where the porch roof will hit the brick. The brick can be placed around the blocking then ledger boards can be attached to the blocking over the brick in the joining areas. Counter flashing let into the brick mortar joints will keep the porch water tight. If your home is already framed and bricked it isn't quite as simple but still is possible.Good luck, Bob
*It doesn't seem too complicated from what I understand. Run your roof over and onto posts on footings. this will give you a large type overhang (so to speak) with it's own support system. then build your porch deck as a semi-independant structure attaching it to the posts supporting the roof and the inside portion of the deck will be supported by means of footings and posts or columns which will support the porch structure independant of the house. this porch will come very close to the house or even against it but not be attached to it.Code here in Ohio now is that all decks be self supported indepedant of any support from the house structure.Pete Draganic
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we are building a square two story 4000 sq.ft home with wrap around porches on three sides top and bottom they are to be tied into the roof line and instead of toungue and groove, we are looking at outdoor tile as floor covering only no one can tell me the best way to make these as structurally sound as possible and watertight where they attach through the brick. there's got to be a better way than just bolting a ledger throught the brick wall doesn't there? these things are gonna be heavy.