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Rotted Douglas Fir beams

Started by nasdaqsam, October 31, 2018, 03:06:04 PM

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nasdaqsam

New to forum and will appreciate any assistance/Advise.

We have a home with a back porch that has a 24'W x 16'D x 24' high roof over. It is being carried on one end by the house roof then 4 8"wx8"Wx24'H Doug Fir beams mounted to Simpson ties formed into the poured concrete wall. When they were installed they used 3/4" of some kind of compressed material at the base to stop the water from wicking which might have worked. But the mistake made was after these were installed they poured a 5" concrete slab for the floor to the porch all the way around the posts then added pavers stones on top of that. The concrete pad and pavers have allowed water to sit all around the posts so they are all rotting from the bottom up. Right now 2 are have significant damage 8" to 10" up the other two are just starting to rot on the outsides.

I have taken and removed the pavers around them and cut the concrete back 2" on the four sides, the fourth side is now open to air as that was only a few inches of concrete. We are in a high wind area so these beams/ties are as much to hold the roof down as much as up.

Our land is a postage stamp size lot on a lake so little to no access to this porch with any kind of equipment so it is all scaffold and labor work. There are only a few people in the area able to do this job and they really do not want to take on this job if they do it will be well in the future with their current work load. I need to find an alternate solution.

So my thought is to build 2 piece powder coated steel post wraps that can be mounted to the concrete pad and encase 24" of the base of each post. Each piece would cover two sides, then bolt through them to hold them together and secure the beams above the rot. I would wrap the posts with plastic or if there is a product better suited use that to keep the steel from contact with the wood. Then cut the posts 4" to 6" up off the base to get rid of the rotted wood and to keep them from being able to touch water in any way. By doing this it will render the Simpson ties all but useless I will have one bolt remaining through each.

Does this sound like a feasible plan/idea? To replace the posts I am getting quotes of upwards of $2,500 each with at least a 2 year wait. At least one of these needs to be replaced before winter hits. I can get the post bases built for around $250 each and can install myself.

Ideas? Thoughts?

Thanks
Scott





John_P

Scott, some pictures would help if you have any

timberwrestler

I wouldn't rely on just the bolts for the gravity load of the porch.  I could be mis-understanding you as well.  If you temp shored up each post, and put some steel under the good portion of the post it could work.  Another consideration is that the posts are also to subject to pretty good lateral loads as well.  You're asking for armchair engineering.
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nasdaqsam

Quote from: John_P on November 01, 2018, 08:29:16 PM
Scott, some pictures would help if you have any
I will take some pics tonight and add them a soon as I get them. Thanks 

nasdaqsam

Quote from: timberwrestler on November 01, 2018, 09:16:31 PM
I wouldn't rely on just the bolts for the gravity load of the porch.  I could be mis-understanding you as well.  If you temp shored up each post, and put some steel under the good portion of the post it could work.  Another consideration is that the posts are also to subject to pretty good lateral loads as well.  You're asking for armchair engineering.
You are correct when we get the big winds, typically out of the North in the late fall / winter the porch takes them directly. The current simpson tie's top and bottom have been doing the job just fine to date. They are basically an 1/8" piece of 3" wide galvanized steel bent 90 degrees at 7 1/2" then run up the posts approx. 6" with two bolts through them. The bases have a single piece of round steel that was incased in the poured concrete wall.
I will post pictures of the posts. This is my thoughts on the post wraps. Assuming I can get it to upload. lol

I see what you're saying about the bases needing to be one something. After I cut the rot off of each it would not be too hard to get some steel made up for them to sit on. Great idea. thank you 

florida

I'd cut them off just above the rot, dig a hole for a 16" Sonotube, and pour a concrete base high enough to install a Simpson post base and have the posts sit on those. No fear of future rot and they will be plenty strong.
General contractor and carpenter for 50 years.
Retired now!

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