How to Repair a Rotted Porch Post | Ask This Old House
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how to permanently patch a decaying porch post. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)
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Tom used a half-lap joint to attach the new post to the old post. He then used "Ready Patch" exterior spackle to fill the small gaps. It is manufactured by Rust-oleum [www.rustoleum....].
Shopping List for How to Repair a Rotted Porch Post:
- 2x4s [amzn.to/2Lwm9DJ], used as temporary support posts
- Two sawhorses [amzn.to/2LoRI3Q]
- Rough-sawn cedar 6x6 [amzn.to/2MWKYfk], to patch rotted post
- 100-grit abrasive disks [amzn.to/2ZM0exz], for random-orbit sander
- Construction adhesive [amzn.to/2HPObsZ], for adhering the new post section
- 5-inch structural screws [amzn.to/2MWXo74], to secure the new post section
- Exterior-grade wood putty [amzn.to/2LjUoiW], for filling holes and cracks
- Spray primer [amzn.to/2LlENiP] and paint top coat [amzn.to/2MVpsb1]
Tools List for How to Repair a Rotted Porch Post:
- Cordless impact driver [amzn.to/2LraKFj]
- Hydraulic jacks [amzn.to/2NQp1OM], to temporarily support the porch roof
- Reciprocating saw [amzn.to/2NQJfI5]
- Circular saw [amzn.to/2zWYuY0]
- Layout square [amzn.to/2UuozXK], for marking scarf joint cutlines
- Random-orbit sander [amzn.to/2ZQYjb8]
- Hammer [amzn.to/2UuaXvL] and wood chisel [amzn.to/2PNvVqI], for cleaning up scarf joint
- Caulk gun [amzn.to/2UtWobu], for applying construction adhesive
- Putty knife [amzn.to/2NYqiDg], for spreading construction adhesive
- Power plane [amzn.to/2NQ9C0L], to plane down the new post section
- 3-inch sash paintbrush [amzn.to/2ZM27KR], for applying paint
Steps for How to Repair a Rotted Porch Post:
1. Unscrew and remove the handrail attached to the rotted porch post.
2. Temporarily support the porch roof on either side of the rotted post with a hydraulic jack and a long 2x4 post.
3. Use a reciprocating saw to cut the top of the post free from the overhead beam.
4. Remove the rotted post and lay it across two sawhorses.
5. Cut away the rotted section from the bottom end of the post using a circular saw.
6. Cut a new post section from a rough-sawn cedar 6x6.
7. Mark and cut a half-lap scarf joint into the new post section using a circular saw and reciprocating saw.
8. Set the new post section on top of the old post and trace the half-lap scarf joint onto the old post.
9. Cut a mating scarf joint into the old post.
10. Sand the joint smooth with a random-orbit sander, then fine-tune the joint with a hammer and chisel.
11. Apply several beads of construction adhesive to the scarf joint cut into the post.
12. Evenly spread the adhesive over the entire joint with a flexible-blade putty knife.
13. Fasten the new post to the old post with four 5-inch-long structural screws. Use an impact driver to drive the screwheads about 1/4 inch below the surface.
14. Use a power plane to trim the new post section flush with the old post.
15. Fill all screw holes and cracks with exterior-grade wood putty.
16. Once the putty dries, sand the post smooth.
17. Coat all bare wood surfaces with exterior-grade spray primer.
18. Screw the base plate to the bottom of the post.
19. Stand the repaired post back in place on the porch, then release the hydraulic jacks and remove the temporary 2x4 posts.
20. Secure the top and bottom of the post with screws, then apply a paint top coat to the post.
21. Reattach the handrail to the post.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Repair a Rotted Porch Post | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse
I am a carpenter over 30 yrs, yet i always learn something new when i watch this old house, thank's guy's.
It's very tough to make those precision cuts with a Sawzall. He doesn't even break a sweat.
@John Michael that makes sense. I was wondering how he got that clean cut
Lol. You never seen me use a sawzall.:P.
Yeah hence why hes rocking festool cordless this guys got a reputation and I would love to be his apprentice
Yeah, I need to do this with only a circular saw.....HELP!!!!!!!!......LOL
It wil be about 11..30
There is something about a well trained and knowledgeable construction projects done right the first time, you can’t get better than Tommy Silva. Thank you
You put him and Norm Abrams together and I bet they could build you a mansion. I wish I had their help around my place. I haven't been able to get anything done do to my multiple surgeries. I really love carpentry, too.
Tom Silva, you are a beauty. We need more skilled tradesmen like you in the world.
all these old houses are so beautiful , and still standing
Watching these videos really inspires me to...
watch more videos and drink my coffee.
"Well that's the eyedear"
-Tom Silva
Wow this the cleanest work I have seen
Thank you tommy Nice to see you at work
He always has a great ideaer not even a word
Wow. Cutting it at those angles was really clever! I wouldn't have thought of that. You are truly an artist.
Scott_T you should look into the term "end joinery" then, it's typical carpentry work for real craftsmen that do more than just make plywood cabinets
The Japanese are the masters of scarf joinery. So many different scarves for so many different occasions. Mostly horizontal and vertical though.
@@JaredCzaia Ship builders the world over were and still are the masters of scarf joints and everything else wood, not only the Japanese.
scarf + half-lap
That's far older than Tom. They've been doing timber frame joinery that way for hundreds if not thousands of years.
That cut was awesome
Tom Silva, the Master.
I'm repairing my porch posts that are hollow 4 x 4's with rotted bottoms. The hard part is not having all of the portable tools that Tommy uses, such as the planer, orbital sander, and reciprocating saw. I tried using my multi-tool with both a metal blade and a nails-in-wood blade, but they didn't even cut through a single screw before being dull and useless. My first one is cut, screwed, and glued. It's going to dry overnight. I need those tools I mentioned though to do a clean job.
No one gets all those tools at once, you build them up little by little over time. Buy the tools that are useful for the most projects first and start obtaining the lesser used/specialty tools as your able.
I love that there isn’t high production to these videos, just good information and hard work
i have no porch
i have no post
but don't know why i am watching this video
but honestly after watching it i fill relaxing!
M J same
Same
Same
Most of the time I just dream about doing things like this, they are so satisfying once accomplished. In the meantime, I have to expend my days running around delivering mail.
Josue Nieves I’d enjoy delivering mail more than my current profession. The grass is always greener....
Not messing around. Way to go, Tommy. #Mastery
I looks perfectly done... but when he said he couldn't see where the old patch was he was lying through his nose. :p
Idunno, the quality of the video isn't good enough to be able to tell for sure. But after two or three layers of oil paint, given that he filled all gaps, it would absolutely be possible that the joint is not visible at all. I use the same finishing technique on edge-glued boards, and you never can tell where the joints are, after painting.
+Florin Jurcovici i clearly see the joint on my tablet screen
+matanuska high excellent execution but he probably either did not see that joint or did not care ..lol
If you're in the trades or have a good knowledge of wood, you'll always see a seam like that...No biggie, beats the shit out of that ugly rot! :) If I'm doing that job and someone complained about that seam, I would fix it with my chainsaw...:)
+godbluffvdgg ,haha, no doubt bro
That rot is no good. Let's build you a new house
Excellent video. My question is what direction the scarf cut should face when I replace the repaired porch post? I read from another online forum that "the plane of scarf should be perpendicular to the deck ledger or deck beam".
Wow! Skill and artistry at its best. Nice work Tommy!
I really love these videos and you make it look easy. Is there a video on replacing T1-11 siding? The siding on my house is rotting and I want to replace it the same time I replace the windows. Thank you
Such a job takes a lot of courage and skill. Failure is no option when you start on this. Also funny how he jacked the whole roof up lol. Where i live all houses are bricks and concrete.. If you jacked a roof up like that you would demolish the whole house.
Yeah, I definitely can't repair my posts by myself. Tough job
I followed these directions to repair a solid cedar porch post, and it came out perfect. I made up for my lack of skill with (1) careful planning and measuring, (2) milling the bottom weeks before disassembling anything, (3) milling a second bottom for practice and to gauge their fit, and (4) clamping angle aluminum guides to the post to limit my hand saw. Probably dulled the hand saw, but I'll sacrifice a handsaw for a working porch. Saved me huge money, and now I know how to do it again if another post needs it. Thanks TOH for brilliant and practical advice.
Impressive
but i saw where the old patch was...
They just have to sand down the seam from the spackle and paint over it again.
What Cat Man said. They only put a thin coat of primer on, not finish paint. You wouldn't paint it before install, what if you had butter fingers and scratched it? :)
How was the bottom of the column attached to the deck? I did not see anything fixing it in place!
Looks easy but only for a pro. Beyond the capabilities of the average homeowner; beyond the capabilities of most handymen and most local carpenters. Likely, an expensive job.
I would definitely have my number of curses way into the triple digits if I tried to do this project... which I really need to do but with a standard 6x6...
Tom is the man. Getting those nice scarf joints with a skilsaw and a reciprocating saw is pretty slick.
how many degrees angle are the scarf cut done in? it appears to be 23 degrees,
is there "an ideal" distance to keep between the 2 scarf cuts?
"Can't even tell it was patched"
I mean, don't look at it from our angle. It's clear as day where the joint is. Excellent fix but it will need some fine tuning for a perfect finish.
What angle are you using to cut the two parallels ???
I asked the same thing, it appears to be 23 degrees
What about my hand rail Tommy?
Figure it out.
😂😂😂
Looks like this video is a repost.
Anyone?......No?.....Okay.
Dowels work even better than screws Tom.
Maybe he could have put some DP membrane down between the floor and the new post.
It is great to see how a master craftsman makes this repair but I know I am not a master craftsman. There is no way I could cut those angles consistantly, or that cut down the middle, without the blade wandering off line.
Now I want a post to fix.
I see several comments saying he made those cuts with the Sawzall. He just used the Sawzall to cut out the middle because the circular saw couldn't make deep enough cuts.
7:15 Can't see the line can ya Russ?
Nope Dad, I can't. 0__0
That is so easy to fix.
The hardest stuff was done right.
Wow amazing
I really don't mean to sound funny but I love you guys. You guys have taught me so much since I was a teenager God bless you for sharing your gifts.
IREALLYDON'TMEANTOFUNNYBUTLOVEYOUGUYSYOUGUYSBABYTAUGHTMESO
its my dream to be a general contractor
Follow your dream, what ever you do never cut corners when you will become general contractor.
welp, guess I better go ahead and call that handyman.
That`ll be $600.....have a nice day : )
If Tom is doing it probably higher than that. I would say $400 for labor sounds about right in my area including painting the column. No material.
He's got to afford those festool
Honestly, $600 sounds like a bargain.
I would pay $600 for a repair like that. True craftsmen don't come cheap, nor should they.
Considering what replacing the whole column would have cost, $4-600 would be a heck of a lot better.
The craftsmanship looks great.However, I would have done one thing to ensure the longevity of the project: Prime the bottom of the base and ad nd deck wood and set it in high quality adhesive sealant before dropping the weight on the post. The pressure will squeeze the sealant out and keep water from seeping into the space between the deck floor and the base through capillary action.
I like that. Im sure I will be using it someday. Thx for the post. lol that wasn't meant to be a pun
Abatron makes a Epoxy resin that you can drill post inject it. It reconstitutes the wood and you can fill all holes and rot with Woodepox. About a 2 hours jov. Sand prime and paint.
This is exactly the video I was looking for to fix a few wood rot posts on an old porch. Great work and as a hobby wood worker I appreciate the joinery method used.
Tommy reminds me of my old design technology teacher. Old school carpentry.
“I can’t even tell where the patch is!” he said, as the camera zoomed in on the obvious patch joint.
Why not use post jacks to support the roof?
Interesting that he used a sidewinder to cut the lumber then used a worm drive to mill it.
Why no measurmentsn, given?
they say tommy is related to chuck norris
L Rodriguez Tommy built Chuck Norris
The only thing I would have done different would be to test fit that railing before setting the weight on the post. No sense is having to force it into place or wind up with a small gap. Might as well secure the railing too, then set the weight down before throwing a few screws into the bottom. As for seeing the slight lump of adhesive at the joint, that can be fine tuned in a few days when it's fully cured and then sanded down before finish paint goes on.
This is tremendously helpful...my problem is the rotting posts I have are 25- foot-tall columns, so everything is about twice the size.
Thanks for this how to video bob.. I have a 2 story balcony on my 1865 home I have to replace the rotted post on.. so this weekend when it stops raining, I'm going to start with the bottle Jack's the 4x6x12 post, and hope I can repair and replace the rotted wood without any problem. IM SECURING IT WITH 6 DOUBBLED 2X4S CUT THE SAME WAY BEFORE REMOVING THE ROTTED POST.. THANKS FOR SHOWING ME HOW TO DO THIS. WISH ME LUCK. IVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. ❤
Mine is 80 ft. Up and is a 2 story balcony did it work for you?
If so, how many 4x6 pressure treated pieces did you use to secure it ? Before removing the post?
What angle did you use?
I'm definitely gonna steal that idea Tom. Thanks for the GREAT TIP.
How about a series strictly about house demolition called " Axe This Old House ?"
Can't fool me, I saw that big ass patch line protruding through.....HAAAAAAA
That doesn't look easy. Ugh!
Great video, would love to see how you would tackle a cylindrical post with the same issue.
A true expert craftsman. Thank for this video. Can't believe anyone would give it a "dislike"?
So glad I found your video as I have the exact same issue with 2 of my verandah posts. I'm curious as to why you didn't prime the underneath of the base plate though.
Probably the best TOH video... I have watched it so many times... Tommy a true craftsman.
This is nice I need something like that.
I have columns similar to that on my 16 year old ranch and one of them is already showing rot on the bottom. I’ve patched it temporarily. There are three columns in total so I’m guessing the other two can’t be far behind. I’m planning on replacing them but I do have one question. These columns are hollow, should I ventilate them by
Installing a vent at the top of the column? The bottom of the column sits on a base that keeps it off the concrete and doesn’t block the hole in the column. I’ve read that installing a vent at the top allows for proper ventilation. What’s your opinion.
Have a 4x4 needs replacing at end of porch. Can I use a car jack to raise roof?
You will be better off using bottle jack . They don't cost alot, and you can use it on your car or truck. Bottle Jack is way stronger
Tommy knows his shit.. Would love for all the crew to build my house.
I love the video man, perfect cuts.
Ya right...that's way above my woodworking/cutting skill level..as it is with 99%of all other homeowners...I'm just going to remove and replace the complete post... pretty much a worthless video unless your a pro
Oh look! All the rest need replacing too!!
I’ll just invest in 8 hydrolic jacks and 8, 4x2 and leave it at that. Problem fixed!
Such strong work!
I'm surprised that post had so much damage, but the bottom plate, had no damage, as they reused the bottom plate!
My post rotted out where the nails attaching the railings to the post got rain water seeping in to the post over many years and rotted the crap out of the inside
TOH saves the day. That angle cut was genius, but that's Tommy
That’s the idear.
@ 1:48 hopefully that's not a crack in the upper portion of the post..or did anyone not see that
Amazing Fix Tom Silva. Great job.
This TOM says a simple block attached to the bottom with large dowel is sufficient. No need to remove the post either. And that is not a real scarf joint.
Having watched his video regarding the speed square, it was great to see it in action.
That guy lives on a busy road.
save the cost. use bondo and sand it and painted it
Someone repairing that in 80 yrs is gonna be like what moron did this??
Nicely done. I would replace that plastic hand rail.
He does such a great job on that... I can't get over it. Like where do you find a rought sawn 6x6 to do the job right? Great job!
Please, what is best paint for exterior wood column? Thank you
If ANYBODY knows a carpenter of this caliber let me know
Awesome job !
Great idea and trick to salvage that post !
Thank you Tom and this old house!
he really is good, love the joint he made
Can you imagine a machine that can duplicate a porch post while it is still installed in the vertical position. I can build such a machine with a little support from "This Old House." However, they are not been receptive to my ideas. I have a video entitled "chainsaw lathe" that shows the basic principle horizontally. But the new machine will cut from the top of the circular section of the post by following the contour of the post as it moves down. The cutting machine will slide down the replacement (slowly rotating square) new post centimeter by centimeter. the contour arm will control how deep the cut can be at each level. Once the amount of time it takes for the deepest cut is estimated, the machine can simply be allowed to cut for the same amount of time at every round level (at every centimeter). But the contour control arm will not allow the cutting machine to cut any deeper than is needed at every level. At the levels where the diameter of the post is larger, the cutting machine will be rotating for a fraction of the allowed time without being able to cut deeper. That waste of time will make noise but will simplify programming the control. I am in the Boston Area. You can also check my lathe design entitled: Haitian Lathe any size (one day project) by "PRPaul1 Inventions"
Mines need to be done. Who can do this for me or what kind of. Company can do this? Someone help
How Come he Did not ADD Any Glue to the ENDS of the Scarf Cut ???
Does anybody knows someone who does like this in St. Louis area? Thanks.
precision cuts with a reciprocating saw like a boss
I wish i had 1/1000 nth of this guys knowledge. I'd be set.
👍 would of used epoxy or polyester filler instead of spackle.