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I have a 72 yr old home with the original porch columns on a glass-enclosed porch. One of the columns has split open about 1/4″, but the other two are apparently ok except their bases have rotted. I would like to replace the bases only for those two. They’re round columns with square bases. My questions: (1) How hard would it be to gently jack up the porch roof at those columns and replace just the square base? (2) Do columns sit inside or on top of bases?
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Most likely, your columns sit in depressions in the base.
*Just put some trim on the base to cover them up....if you can see it, it's not a problem.KIDDING!!! How many folks out there have removed something to find a problem that someone hid...and made worse?I agree with Ryan regarding columns probably sitting in a depression.Regarding jacking to replace the column bases...hard to say without really seeing the porch. My gut gets a really bad feeling though since you've mentioned enclosed with glass. I would think the non-load bearing walls (since there are posts) are still ties into the roof, and floor stucturtes, meaning that something would most likely be compromised if you jack enough to remove the bases.If it was me....(again hard to say w/out seeing this) I'd support the beam held by the posts...try to cut the bases out, possibly jacking just a hair, and putting new bases in. I would build them so that there was no depression, but such that this could be added after the base was in place.
*Round here, the cloumns sit directly on top of most bases. There are a few designs that have a very shallow indention that the post sits in.Yes, you can gently jack up the roof where the posts are mounted, and remove them. Install a new base, and reinstall the column/post. When jacking up the roof, make absolutely sure that you have the right equipment to do so. Put the load on the same area (beam) that the post is attached to. Do one at a time, and you should be ok.I personally use either an aluminum, galvanized, or pressure treated base for replacement posts. If I have a base that is still intact, I use it for a pattern, and make a pressure treated version. I cut a few kerfs along the bottom to allow water to pass through.Just a thought...James DuHamel
*Thanks for your comments, guys! I'm going to poke through the base a little bit to see how it's sitting in there. Hopefully, the column is right on top or sitting in only a little - not so much that jacking the roof a little won't send me to the glass shop!
*my experience with columns of that age or older is identical to james..they are usually a flat, solid piece of stock....when you're jacking , you need a visual indication of wether you're jacking or compressing...nail a piece of furring to a ceiling member close to the column location.. and scab another piece to the side of teh first.. so now you have a piece of furring nailed to the ceiling.. and touching the floor... when you start to jack .. you have to observe wether the floor is going down or the ceiling is going up... by watching the space under the piece of furring you can determine exactly how much you've jacked... and you can also see if you get everything back into the initial starting point..eg... if the space is 1/4 inch... you know that you've jacked 1/4 inch and when you get done you will have to lower it 1/4 inch to be back where you started..this is more reliable than measuring..