I discovered that one of the supports for my deck has rotted off at the point where it enters the concrete base that it is sunk in. The concrete base has been surrounded on two sides by a paver patio which I would like to disturb as little as possible.
Any suggestions on how to make this repair?
Thanks for your advice.
John
Replies
Any chance you can post a pic?
Hi John
Without seeing it or knowing much more I would proceed as follows
-Temp support the deck above with "L" shaped 2x4's or 4x4's back away from where you are replacing the post.
-Get a "standoff" style post base (Simpson ABU 44 I think) and hold it by the existing post and mark a line where to cut to slip the post base in.
- cut post with sawzall, remove as much rotted below you can dig out of the conc.
grout the hole with anchor setting cement and put in a short bolt where the post base will sit
-Install post base but do not tighten the bolt much. slip the old post over the base, wait a day and tighten the bolt in the post base.
-If the post is rotted further up then you will need to cut it higher up and do a lap joint.
Then install post base as above with new section of post. after it is done you could add 2x6 splice boards around the cut area to add strenth.
Hope this diatribe makes sense...
Nuvue
Get some scrap 2x12 to lay down nearby and fit tightly a cou0ple of 4x4 in strategic locations to hold the deck up, braccing them in place.
Now cut the bad post out.
Dig the concrete out
Pour new crete with a simpson post mount bracket in the right place.
Set a new post.
DO NOT place a post in the concrete. That almost always CAUSES rot prematurely
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"DO NOT place a post in the concrete. That almost always CAUSES rot prematurely"
Pif,
Although I agree with you, one of my employees is currently building a deck and the county he is in REQUIRES that the posts be set into the concrete :( I tried to tell him there must be a misunderstanding but he brought me the booklet that the county gives homeowners when they apply for a permit and it clearly states that is the only permitted method of doing the support posts :(
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Yeah, I hear that now and again. Another thread here last week about it in New Jersey.I'm just reporting the facts though as I see it.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Well, requirements vary a bit from county to county, but I've put up decks in Somerset and Monmouth counties, and they don't allow this. You're expected to use the standard metal post supports.Now, if the deck isn't attached to the house, that might be a different matter.George Patterson
That is where one must approach the building department and convince them of the supperior method with respectable drawings and coroborating evidence if need be.
on edit: OOOPs, long story but this is Pete Draganic
Edited 5/13/2007 11:20 am ET by CBuck
hey, cbuck... that you, jeff, or cathy ?
whatup ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Last nite ...
'er Sat ... it she was Pete.
he was checking to see if he could log on as any of us.
This time ... me ... as in .... not her.
got an email from taunton to try again ...
so I did ... as her ... it worked.
as me ... looked like it worked ...
Till I saw I was still ... she.
same deal Pete went thru ...
did a test run ...
tried to swap back ...
and couldn't.
I'll see if I can go be me.
?
Jeff
Hey Mike ...
thinking I'm me now.
that can't be good ...
'though Pete told me Cath came in and pissed everyone off!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
ha, ha, ha......
try getting a full nite's sleep !Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
on that sleep thing ...
gonna try in a coupla minutes.
just put Hannah down ... again.
kid's got a sore belly I think ...
but I'm pretty sure we just regulated the correct ratio of food in the belly and food thrown up on my shoulder ... so I'm thinking we might be good to go.
still not gonna let the silence and little smile on her sleeping face fool me ...
again!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Put me down, willya? I got a sore belly today.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Well, if you want a put-down you've come to the right place.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Actually, Pete is Jeff's alter ego.
yup.
we're like the new spiderman ...
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Is it a free standing deck - as in not attached to the house? One way to get adequate lateral support for a free standing deck, or a tall attached deck is to imbed the posts into concrete. Another way to get adequate lateral support is to install enough diagonal bracing. Personally I wouldn't imbed posts in concrete but if for some reason I had to, I'd use .60 PT posts or even .80. They should be available around where you live...
But how woulde you sink it into the hole in the concrete when there is a deck above?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Not sure what you are asking other than the obvious... My message was in reply to Bill K.'s posting above about imbedding posts into concrete. My post was not meant to answer the OP's Q. I thought you all did that just fine. Besides I don't have that crystal ball that some of you have to decipher certain vague questions. :-)
If you were indeed refering to Bills' friend who is being required to imbed the posts into concrete the idea is that you dig the hole, suspend the post over the hole, (and probably build at least the framework of the deck) and then place the concrete around the post.
This wouldn't work for the OP's situation.
Matt,
It is free standing but only 20 inches off the ground. However, the county book does not differentiate between free standing or not, just says that the supports have to go into concrete down to frost depth :( Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Around here anything lower than something like 18-20 inches (the height requiring a railing) isn't even required to be permitted/inspected, even if attacked to a larger deck, and isn't subject to footing requirements. When we did ours the BIs didn't even want to see the stuff for the lowest level.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Thanks Piffin for taking time to respond.I agree with everything you said but digging out the concrete is going to be a real problem. It will tear up my patio big time. What do you think about putting a stainless steel plate on top of the existing concrete pier with SS bolts into the exiting concrete to keep the plate from sliding off and mounting the simpson post mount bracket on top of the plate. I would think that the existing pier is OK as it hasn't moved in 25 years.Is this a viable alternative?Thanks again
jrk1
get you an auger bit and drill the wood out of the concrete, leave the concrete alone. once the wood is out, fill the void with new concrete and an anchor bolt for a simpson tie. fasten the new wood to the simpson tie.
There are probably a dozen alternatives like that, but I have a hard trime analising which would be best without being there. I think somebody else mentioned cleaning the wood out of the cavity by drilling or buring it out, then pouring a high load grout to fill in and the anchor to that. I lean that direction
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Can you get the remnants of wood out of the the footing? If so, fill the hole with concrete and then set a pin or use those ugly simpson brackets. I always set a pin.
on edit: OOOPs, long story but this is Pete Draganic
Edited 5/13/2007 11:20 am ET by CBuck
I won't get in to how to get the new post into the hole, but thought I'd suggest a way to splice the new post onto the existing if need be: Make an angled cut at a shallow angle on the ends of both pieces (so the length of the cut runs maybe 18 inches and the two pieces meet at a scarf). Glue (eg, Gorilla glue) the two posts together and tack together with some deck screws.
After the glue has set a bit, drill several holes (eg, 3/8") through the face of the bottom piece, through the joint, and into the other piece (though not all the way through). Angle the holes to be roughly perpendicular to the angle of the scarf. Glue in pieces of dowel. (Drilling up from the bottom piece produces a hole that won't catch water.)