Hi,
I’m purchasing a 1930 home which has some settling on the left side (see attached photo). If you look at the right side porch post, it is banana shaped with the stone pillar leaning to the right, and the post leaning back to the left. The issue also continues into the front room of the house immediately inside the porch. The funny thing is, and you can maybe not see it in the photo, there is a fireplace and chimney in that room which appears not to have settled with the rest of the foundation. I don’t want to go the route of foundation remediation , so I was planning on taking up the wooden floor on the inside, shimming and leveling the floor and reinstalling it. I’m wondering the best option for the porch post. If the porch was braced, would it be possible to remove the banana post and base, pour a new footing for it, and place the stone base back and reinstall the post? I know it would be extremely heavy to move, but would it be practical, or should I just get a mason to rebuild it?
Thanks in advance,
Jon
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Not an uncommon problem for houses from that era. For some reason, they didn't think they needed footers for walls, but recognized the need for footers for chimneys, posts, etc. So the walls gradually sink while the chimneys, etc., stay put.
I'd bet a dollar that's what you're dealing with.
As for the plan to fix the floor, that should work, depending on how much settling you've had, provided you don't run into problems with floor levels at doors, etc.
As for the stone column, I'd be surprised if you could move it any cheaper or faster than just rebuilding it.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA