The concrete piers supporting our deck have sunk in inconsistent amounts and I’m going to need to shim the support logs to level the deck.
The 16″ piers end 2′ out of the ground and the 14″ dia. logs that aren’t secured to the piers, should be secured. We’re talking 24 posts here.
The piers will be dressed up with something (wife hasn’t made up her mind with what) and the logs are part of the detailing.
So, what’s the best way to tie the logs to the piers and to the deck framing and do I just drive in wedges to level the whole thing? thanks a lot!!!
Replies
Lot of thoughts chasing themselves around my head on this one....
Depends how these logs are connected at the top. I might simply replace each pier and post one at a time. The fact the crete piers have setteled out tells me they were no done right - placed on uncompacted soil which is now in the process of settling - probably no finished yet. Concrete piers- I like to have no more than a few inches out of the soil. Otherwise they conduct the heat out of the ground and need to be deeperthan frost line to stay put lonmg term, so you wife could use soil to disguise them..
The easiest way to pin something like this is to leave a rebar sticking up 2" out of the pier when you pour, then dril a hole in the post when you set it, located to align with the pin. That would call for removeal of the posts. If you are ;eaving the existing crete in place, you can drill and epoxy pins in. stainless would be nice.
depending again on how much settling you are talking about - and how the posts are attached at the top, a small amt of shimming could be done easier at the top of the post, rather than the bottom.
Another comment is that you do no want to level the deck. There should bea modest pitch away from the house.
The size of what you indicate tells me this is a pretty big place. My biggest concern is knowing whether these have finished settling...
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The piers stick out that far to keep the log posts out of the snow. These posts are between 2' long in front and 10' long in back. It's actually more of a covered porch than a deck (5' wide and wraps around the house). The piers have been in 3 yrs now and go 5' below ground so I don't think there will be any more settling. I am allowing for slope away from house but must correct side to side. Some piers have sunk 1" and it looks like a lake on a windy day. Right now the logs are held in place by the roof system and the log posts atop the base, no fasteners of any kind. This is a 14" dia log home with log post and beam upper floor and roof system, lots of weight.
I can't jack the deck more than an inch. Would that be enough to pin the posts or is there another way?
You got me...For only an inch, cedar shims and a jack will strighten you out, but I'm ata loss for connecting
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It wouldn't look as good as hdden pins, of course, but couldn't you have some brackets welded up, side bolt them on, and try to hide them on the back side of the logs?
There's a guy in La Veta who does some very fine blacksmith work. Makes fancy gates and such for people. If you want something that looks really good you could call him. Name's Mark Petrie, IIRC.
If you are going to shim, you may want to set up a water level or you could follow a string from corner to corner if the corners are close enough to where they should be. I wouldn't use cedar to shim with. I"d recommend steel shims. Like you said, that's a lot of weight (then add six feet of wet snow!) and cedar crushes too easily.
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