cathygivans
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2011
- Messages
- 3
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Our home was built in 1926 and the front porch is starting to have some serious problems. There are three support beams on the porch that hold up a portion of the roof. When the porch was in prime condition, the support beams rested on the actual deck. Now the deck is rotting away under those beams and I am really becoming concerned about safety. There are concrete blocks about a foot under the porch, directly under the support beams and I am still unsure as to why the support beams did not extend that far and the porch built around it. Nontheless, I have to repair this.
I really have no idea how. I am pretty smart and handy but have never handled a project of this magnitude. I can't afford a contractor so I am stuck trying to figure out how to do it myself. The support beams seem okay but if I have to replace the porch and support the roof, then I would rather just go ahead and replace the supports now instead of later.
My questions are:
How do I support the house until the new support beams go in?
How do I put the new support beams in?
How do I secure the support beams so that I don't have this problem again in the future?
What tools do I need to complete the task?
Since the deck is built under the support beam, how do I attach the board that will go up to the support beam while trying to build around the beam?
Please, please, be as detailed as you can. I have tried finding some of the information I need elsewhere but it seems that there aren't any clear, complete instructions. I need this to be in terminology I can understand. I am not a handywoman by trade and I don't understand a lot of terms but I can do the work. Please don't recommend I call someone. I don't have the money for that. This seems like a pretty straightforward project, except for the support beams. If it weren't for that, I would just rebuild the deck but I don't want my roof caving in!
I would so appreciate all the help anyone can offer. Thank you so very, very much.
I really have no idea how. I am pretty smart and handy but have never handled a project of this magnitude. I can't afford a contractor so I am stuck trying to figure out how to do it myself. The support beams seem okay but if I have to replace the porch and support the roof, then I would rather just go ahead and replace the supports now instead of later.
My questions are:
How do I support the house until the new support beams go in?
How do I put the new support beams in?
How do I secure the support beams so that I don't have this problem again in the future?
What tools do I need to complete the task?
Since the deck is built under the support beam, how do I attach the board that will go up to the support beam while trying to build around the beam?
Please, please, be as detailed as you can. I have tried finding some of the information I need elsewhere but it seems that there aren't any clear, complete instructions. I need this to be in terminology I can understand. I am not a handywoman by trade and I don't understand a lot of terms but I can do the work. Please don't recommend I call someone. I don't have the money for that. This seems like a pretty straightforward project, except for the support beams. If it weren't for that, I would just rebuild the deck but I don't want my roof caving in!
I would so appreciate all the help anyone can offer. Thank you so very, very much.