How to Replace a Porch Column | Ask This Old House
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.พ. 2022
- In this video, general contractor Tom Silva shows a homeowner how to remove and repair the rot eating away at his porch’s support post.
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Tom Silva lends some support to a homeowner suffering under a rotted porch post. Tom and the homeowner dig into the rotten post base to find the issue, and then get to work removing the affected wood. Next, Tom shows the homeowner how to mill new components from a recycled, water-resistant material before putting everything back together for caulk and paint.
Skill: ⅗
Cost: Around $200
Time: 4 hours
Materials:
Scrap 4x4 post [thd.co/3LdAFOW]
Rice hull boards [bit.ly/3gxgYn0] (or other weather-resistant wood)
Fast-setting epoxy or polyurethane glue [amzn.to/3GxDCq8]
Shims [amzn.to/35Q4e8V]
Sandpaper [amzn.to/3gwRxSx]
Screws [thd.co/30fYbYV]
Construction adhesive [amzn.to/3B2BDZP]
Tools:
Bottle jack [amzn.to/3HzFXSx]
Reciprocating saw with a 10-inch blade [amzn.to/335g6mx]
Miter or circular saw [amzn.to/3gydzVb]
Level [amzn.to/3uFNXxE]
Scribes [amzn.to/3guQVgw]
Pencil [amzn.to/3owpCGU]
Bandsaw or table saw [amzn.to/3HC7h2u]
Brad nailer [amzn.to/3oshvLq]
Jigsaw [amzn.to/34LnpR2]
Router and bits [amzn.to/34FK5lm]
Sander [amzn.to/3GE64X7]
Drill and spade bits [amzn.to/3ryQdFi]
Impact driver and driver bits [amzn.to/3B6qJlD]
Caulk gun [amzn.to/3ovHYb3]
How To Repair Rotted Porch Post
1. Place the 4x4 post and bottle jack underneath a header on the porch and lift the porch roof slightly until the post is free from the ground. Remove any of the rotted material by hand, but do not reach under the post for safety’s sake.
2. Use a reciprocating saw fitted with a 10-inch wood cutting blade to remove the rot. Be sure to make this cut as level and evenly as possible.
3. Cut a piece of the rice hull board or wood to the correct square dimensions. Often, this is 2 or 3 inches wider than the post’s diameter. It might be necessary to double this block with an additional layer of wood to match the other posts. If that’s the case, glue the two blocks together with a fast-setting adhesive.
4. Place the block under the post and level it side to side and front to back with shims. Once level, place small strips of wood along the perimeter on top of the block. Use the scribes to mark the pitch of the surface on these strips. Be sure to mark each strip and its location as you go. Cut the strips along the scribe lines on a bandsaw or table saw before gluing them to the block with the adhesive.
5. Use the scribes to draw a circle of the appropriate size on a piece of the rice hull board or wood. For thicker profiles, screw two layers of the wood together before cutting along the circle with the jigsaw. Sand both layers smooth and evenly, and add a detail with a router, if desired.
6. Repeat the last step, but with a smaller circle to create a cascading profile. Drill a ¾-inch hole in the middle of each of these circles to allow for airflow and prevent future rot.
7. Assemble the pieces under the post. Before lowering the post, squeeze a bead of construction adhesive between the post and the new base.
8. Lower the jack slowly, allowing the post to settle on the base and squeeze the excess construction adhesive out. Smooth the excess adhesive before allowing it to dry.
9. At each corner, drive a screw from the top-most layer of the base into the bottom base. Fill the screw holes and paint.
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Replace a Porch Column | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Man I wish I could sit down with Tom Silva and just pick his mind. Guy is an Encyclopedia of woodworking.
Same. However i can't forgive him for securing loose floorb by driving screws through the carpet
@@ryk3899 Link?
@Eric K find it yourself
@@ryk3899 I've had good results doing that using O'Beery's Squeak No More products. Worked well thru carpet and bare floor.
@@ryk3899 Did he use the screws that are designed to do exactly what you described? Because if so, then he did it exactly correct...
A true professional vacuum cleaner operator here! 5:15 ......🤣🤣🤣
Yes, he sucks at sucking. Also, why vacuum outdoors?
The guy raking leaves in the background was the real star.
Did you just assume its gender
@@Engineer9736 one joke
@@JordanG123 😜
That's why TOH has been favorite home improvement tv show since great projects like this porch column base repair & other helpful tips from the pros. Tom, Richard,Norm,Nathan & new member Jenn
Always pleasure watching Tom work...:)
I've been a fan for 38 years..I never get tired watching ..
Love watching Tommy. Such an unbelievable craftsman
Love the show the magazine and the TH-cam videos. I have learned a great deal watching for decade’s. Thanks
So happy to see some fresh content
Excelente trabajo. Me fascinó.
Gracias 🙏🙏💯
Tom is the man!
Awesome Project!
I love this program I grew up watching it
Tommy is the man, he can fix anything!
Tom Silva is a master of all trades. He's a joiner, carpenter, cabinetmaker, woodworker, framer, etc.
Tommy is such a wealth of knowledge. The handyman business is growing due to guys like Sam and there’s lots of them out there.
I Make My Living Off Sam's!!!
The Problem Is Society Valves The Sam's More Than The Tom's!!!
Love it when I get a video from this old house featuring Tommy or Nathan
great video . thank you for this.
Sammy Pockets did a great job supervising.
I need to replace the 4 2x4 posts inside my front porch column and seeing this video made it look easy
I could watch Tommy for hours
Me gusta mucho sus trabajos
I hope they did the other side as well. Eventually the other side will go, why not cut identical pieces and just do both since it's so easy!
Ask This Old House always does this. I think the idea is the homeowner has now learned what they need to do, and will tackle the rest of it themselves.
... for all we know, they did do the other side, but it's not shown in this shortened clip.
Tommy always makes it look so simple.
How did he cut the bottom boards that he scribed though?
Oh Tommy!
Great work... But I fear that a considerable wind will rip the porch roof off because the column is not secured to the foundation!
Dude just has his hands in his pockets the whole time....thanks for helping bro
Lol
🤣
But that vacuum action at 5:15 was something else
There are some, that's the most you can expect.
?? No more than any other person they’ve had on the show
Look at Tommy wearing Patagucci😂
I think this technique is going to work to repair 4-5 column bases at my brother and sister-in-law’s.
Was the base anchored to the concrete?
This is identical to my house outside Boston.
Primer on the bottom of the old wooden Column would help
Ecelente jobs! USA
Did you buy the rice hull board by the sheet or by the trim board?
Is this material at the base okay to support a heavy duty roof?
can anyone suggest other material options that rice hull board? It's hard to find. Thanks
I've got some kind of metal base at the bottom of the only portch columb I have, but the wood around it is starting to rot. I can fix it myself if I knew what all it wil take to replace it
A hole was drilled in the center of the new post base so air could go up into the column to keep it dry. But how is air going to get though if the joints are sealed? I have to fix my front porch corner column and porch because the previous owners didn't clean out the gutter, so the water overflowed onto the porch & column.
Forgot to show how he made those pieces level after he scribed them
Does anyone know if these columns are load bearing ? They are hollow . My house has the exact same columns and structures .
Came out great. Would adding a plastic liner in between the post and the concrete be a bad idea? Since water makes its way from the concrete up into the post.
2:39
The materials they used do not absorb moisture as it is made with the hulls of rice and polymer for adding a bit of strength. There would be little benefit to plastic.
This product is called Resysta.
Still should of put a two light coats of Rubberseal or Kilz on the bottom of base just to be on the safe side.
@@kalijasin no
@@kalijasin Should HAVE , not should of....
Plz make video om how to repair old normal door. Specially washroom door that has holes..
What’s the board called?
I have the exact same problem, but can’t find the same type of lumber. Does anyone know where to find it?
Should they tapcon that base to the porch? The screws he sunk into it looked like they wouldn't reach the cement porch. Maybe it was just the angle?
How much would y’all charge for this job
Thought this was NS Builders for a second lol
Thought that also, both on thumbnail and for a split second at the door.
Do I need (stair) sub-treads to go under 1inch solid oak stair treads? I removed carpet off the steps, currently there are 2 inch raw construction treads. I will take those off and replace with 1 inch solid oak treads. But I will loose 1 inch rise. I have 3 stringers, left right and middle. Thanks.
Glue 2 1x together and router. Or use 2x oak or whatever you want again.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Darn it, he didn't say "rabbet" or "dado." It's not really a Tom Silva video unless at least one of those words comes up.
How about temba.
@@jacobtracy7847 ... Tom is good but Norm would have made several pieces then used his biscuit cutter to glue things up, PLUS, doing several passes with the router blades to make a decorative bead accent for each layer.
What did you remove the material with on the scribed pieces?
They used a jigsaw or a sabresaw.
@@Farm_fab Thanks, I didn’t see it..lol.
I had to rewind to see if I somehow missed it, but yeah odd to leave that out.
Why not to change both of bases, for a longer life?
Why didn’t you anchor the post into the concrete?
Does jacking it up not damage the house or loosen any nails or screws?
No, not at all. Very common practice. You're only jacking it up less than an inch.
@@mae2759 ... in most cases it's less than 1/8 inch. At that height you are not pulling nails or screws. You are basically flexing the wood. (no more than what happens with a change of season)
Isn't the column still weak and hallow from the center . When tommy took the old one out , alot of bad wood came out ?
That was the ant nest. It would appear that the center of the columns is hollow.
“Nice and tight”…Tom Silva
I am not an expert on this, but should I worry about the hollow center of the square base? the square base is glued from 2 pieces and supported only on the 4 sides, while the center of the base supports the weight of the column and the porch, am I worrying too much?
The column is round and hollow, so the weight is actually on the edges of the square base, not center. ⭕🔲
I know for the broadcast TV show there are time constraints. But it's time that you make an online version that shows the full details. I can't believe they spent this much time showing how they leveled it and put those scribe pieces on the bottom but then never showed how to actually cut to the scribe marks
I came to the comments looking for that same explanation. They look too thin for a table saw. Maybe they used a bench sander?
where did he put the jack?
Back in the truck when he was done.
I’m confused! Was the column hollow or did the ants eat into the column? That nest came down as soon as he cut the post!
The ants moved the wood from below, up into the column. Most columns are hollow. Tapered or non-tapered fluted or plain are all hollow. Also when you look at the different materials: polymer stone, fiberglass, PVC and even wood they are all hollow. ... A wood porch column is made by gluing staves together in a circular form and then turning and cutting them on a lathe.
@@tj_gsomething_ So … the concern is whether the carpenter ants continued to eat their way up the post. It looks like the infestation is not still active.
The column is hollow. The nest was likely sitting right on top.
... basically, the ants stop where the water problem stops. Worst case is they cut the column higher and make a taller base, then match it on the other side.
Maybe spray some insecticide up inside the hollowed out column before reassembling? I think those ants will continue to eat up the column.
I wonder what the bottom of the column looked like. Too bad the camera cut away and didn’t show it.
@@MoneyManHolmes Seemed bug-hollowed when the nest material fell out, which is what prompted my suggestion. I'd say you saw what I saw... :)
Who would I call to have porch columns installed?
Ghostbusters
if Sam is looking for his hands,there in his pockets.
A little kilz primer and your good for a few years.
I have a question for this old house……
I have a120 year old house. During a remodel they reframed the stairs. Now they lean. How do I fix that? I can send pics.
Is the foundation sinking/settling? If you place a ball on the floor, does it roll in the same direction? Maybe the house needs to be leveled?
You tell the guy you paid for the remodel to come back and fix it.
You've come this far, probably should've inspected and reworked the column too.
They started out with the inspection on that column right at the beginning of the video
@@Engineer9736 Poking a Leatherman at a column doesn't mean the inside is sound. Look at the carpenter ant nest that came out of there.
@@paulmitrano3612 the rot starts from the outside inward, and the rot made it easy for the ants to cause damage.
“Copenter” ants 🐜
I know it's a budget difference, but wouldn't a better long-term solution be replacing the columns with fiberglass columns?
Fiberglass will definitely last longer than wood. So yes it's gotta be a budget difference. They didn't even recommend doing the other side. You know that other side will need updating soon!
@@tj_gsomething_ they may have done this this way so the homeowner could do this at some point in the future, and teach him some responsibility.
Good chance the base rotted because that bush was overgrown for many years. No bushes on the other side = no moisture and no rot.
You never place wood directly on a concrete porch. The wood will act like a sponge with any moisture that may be sitting on concrete. Get a specific either metal or reinforced plastic base to separate contact between concrete and wood
The Show should have brought pocket-less trousers for the home-owner.
hope that homeowner didn't stretch out those kaki pant pockets too much.
Does the homeowner ever take his hands out of his pockets?
I don't think he's going to paint it, his hands in his pockets say it all
He was playing "pocket pool" while admiring Tom Silva work that column 🎱
I thought the idea of this show was for the home owner to help Tommy.Hard to do that with your hands in your pockets.
If that is MDF it is a bad idea to use it outside..
2:25 pay attention
Hands in pockets… wow…
Ours are concrete and about 25" square..I hope they don't rot 🤭
1.79 million subs and I am the 28th person to watch!!
You want a cookie?
@@johnnywood8082 Lol yes please
Carpenter ants 🙈
Wow he actually used a mdf type material and no damp proof protection
2:50 First watch the video before barking
@@Engineer9736 they used a product called Resysta that's made from polymer and rice hulls, and is impervious to moisture.
Mdf lol...
@@Farm_fab They explained that, yes, you have to say that to Fire Blaster, he didn’t hear it
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