We have turned posts holding up the roof of our covered porch. Too Victorian for our taste, and we want to screen in the porch with a Screen-tight system.
Can I simply attach 1x material to the existing posts to square them, or am I asking for problems in the future? All posts are in good shape.
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Replies
Maybe you should think about removing and selling the turned posts and have posts made to accomplish what you want-- then doing the screen work.
Thought about that, but just covering up the old ones seemed easier for a 1-woman-with-a-helper work force. I was particularly concerned about how hard it would be to get the old posts out. Thanks, I'll look into this a little further!
Susie,Is it an old porch? If it's an original victorian porch, I would cover rather than remove in the event that future owners might want to restore. If removed I would store rather than toss. If it's a newish porch with pseudo-victorian posts, I would do whatever is easiest. No real structural reason not to just wrap them.Steve
House is about 17 years old; people who built it were just trying for the country/Victorian look. I'm more Craftsman/Bungalow, like a simpler style.
I think I'd probably move rather than cover up a original detail on an old house; I just like them too much to do that.
Thanks for the info - sure will make my life easier!
Sure , why not?!
No reason why you can't. I'd make a three-sided post enclosure first, put it in place, then attach the fourth side. Or even two subassemblies of two sides attached together, then joined together around the post. The devil is the details, and just how much of a finished product you want.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
I was thinking along the same lines. Do you have an opinion on some of the engineered wood or composite products available? All the rain, wind, sun and weather come from that side of the house so all the finishes take a beating.
There should be no problem simply wrapping the existing posts.
Since they're already structural, I'd use Azek, or Koma, to wrap the posts. Glue the joints with PVC cement, and the joints will never open. Plus the Azek won't ever rot, and doesn't really even need paint.
The only area I'd be concerned about is the tops. They need to be closed somehow so water won't be able to get in, and rot the turned columns.
What Shep said. I've wrap numerous porch posts in Azek. The stuff machines well, takes paint better than wood, and looks good, too. The down side is the expense and working with the stuff; it's not cheap, and the static charged dust will cling to EVERYTHING!
It's a great opportunity to make the posts that you feel belong to the house. Flutes, champhers, roundovers, plinths and capitols. Whatever strikes your fancy and fits with the house.
Good luck.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Thanks to you and Shep for the advice.
I've seen the Azek ads in magazines, but haven't actually seen the material. I believe my favorite building supply here has it. For a 2-piece enclosure, am I going to need to mitre the corners or can the material be cut well enough that a butt joint is acceptable?
While we're on the subject of composites....I'm going to have to replace the flooring also. The house joists extend all the way out under the porch, meaning that wind and some rain gets in under the house. I'd like to use a tongue & groove deck material so that I can prevent that. What are your thoughts on a material for that, and what do I use to flash the joists?
I think this porch construction is bizarre, but so was the guy who built this house!!
There are several methods for pvc corners. You can miter them, though the table saw tends to leave a somewhat ragged edge. A router bit can deliver either a mitered edge, or a locked mitered edge. I have also just butted the edges, being consistent on construction. Usually, for the butted edges, I will champher the edge for decorative purposes, and to lead the eye away from the butted seam.
Tendura makes a fairly good composite t&g decking.
Flashing cantilevered joists would require a 2-piece flashing system. The bottom piece lies under the top flashing, the top under the building wrap. I would wrap the joists with Grace first, then follow that with the 2 piece flashing. Notch the flashing to receive the joists.
Hopefully the sketchup drawing is available and understandable."I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Thanks again for the help. Can't access the drawing right now, but I may be able to get to it after some trail and error.
Sketchup guys, you can export drawings as .jpgs Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
I've mitered and glued Azek corners and have been less than ecstatic about the results. I don't really care for butting the joints because of the Azek core that stays exposed. Next time I will use a lock miter bit in the router before gluing:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30119&cat=1,46168,46174
Great!! Thanks a bunch - haven't see this one before. Sure will eliminate any popping along the joints.
Thanks a bunch!
Most seem on point to what I would suggest. I might add leaving the 'wraps' a bit above the porch floor, and designing some kind of 'opening' at the top of the 'wrap' so air can circulate and moisture can drain out - to protect the existing post.
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
Yeah, I was thinking about that myself. Thanks!