Replies

1. 
   Ralph_Wicklund | Oct 19, 2000 05:53am | #1

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   If the porch needed to be leveled, assuming it was level when first built, my first thought would be that the support/footer settled and I would need to RAISE that side of the porch to bring it back to level, not to lower the other side. If the side of the porch settled it would bring the roof down with it on that side. Put your level on the porch roof beam parallel to the front of the porch and that is probably what you'll find happened.

   If that is the case, don't bring the high side down like you did with the deck. Raise the sagging side back up where it belongs and you'll be able to install equal length posts. They'll just each be about two inches longer because you lowered the deck.

1. 
   nathan_w | Oct 19, 2000 06:35am | #2

   *What Ralph said, but..Another way of looking at it is that the more slope away from the house the porch floor and roof (flat?) have, the better they drain water. One side of the roof has already dropped. Look for damage to the flashing and wood details at the roof to house connection. If everything seems fine, lower the other side. Then stop the floor from sinking any further. What is the roof shape? Flat, gable...?A general rule is 1/4" minimum fall per foot run for water drainage on a floor or flat roof. More, if it faces the weather, then 3/8" p.foot is fine. If lowering the floor to fix the level placed the front of the porch at 2-3" lower than at the house, and if the porch receives a fair amount of water, I'd leave your first fix, and drop the roof to match. A perfect roof to do this would be a flat roof. Dropping a gable would take some serious thought. Bet the corner where the roof has fallen is a 90 degree corner at the house?...if the fallen corner of the roof is in line with another part of the entry, and has gutter on it, I know for sure the water isn't running anywhere but towards the street. And the fascia now has a bad, bad crown... See Ralphs fix.Is the corner that sank wet? had runoff (overflow) there for some time? fix it if so... correct drain issue... just guessing as to why one side of the 15' porch is two inches lower. Seems like a lot. How old?Or, just do like Ralph said. Make sure the gutters are taking the water to a drain. If no gutters, then put some on to fall on some splash blocks, or into a small french drain, or drain field, but anywhere except on the footing or bases for the porch floor.gogettim.

2. 
   Don_Hoover | Oct 19, 2000 06:38am | #3

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   I have jacked up my porch roof for repairs. Took it up about half an inch at each corner and supported it with 2x6's. The porch is about 15 ft wide and 7 ft deep. Both concrete stacks holding up the front corners needed to be relaid. In doing so, I lowered one stack nearly two inches to level the front edge of the porch deck. While the deck is level along it's front edge, parallel to the house, the roof on one side is now two inches further from the deck than on the other side. If both posts are to be the same height, then one side will be lowered maybe an inch and a half lower than its original height. Is that too much? I'm worried it could damage flashing or whatever. Since I'm replacing the posts anyway, would it be better to cut one post longer than the other? Any other ideas? I may be in a little over my head, but the rotted framing and decking is replaced and I can't turn back now.