Porch repair

Log Out | Lost Password? | Topics | Search | Who's Online Contact | Register | My Profile | SO home | MOL home

Thread Originator Last Poster Posts Pages Last Post   Closed: New threads not accepted on this page

Author Message   Daniel M. Jacobs, PP, AICP Supporter Username: Conrail Post Number: 97 Registered: 1-2004 Posted on Thursday, March 2, 2006 - 10:22 pm:        Our rear porch is in pretty good shape, but one of the "face boards" on the side of the porch is showing signs of rot. I think the rot has spread to one of the joists. All the other wood seems to be intact (yes I crawled around under the porch poking the wood once I found the soft spot). Who would you suggest to replace the rotten joist and decorative "face board" that covers it? How hard is this to do? Is it likely that my porch will fall down during the process? Any guesstimates on how much it will cost? I am thinking of using pressure-treated lumber for the repair to prevent a reoccurance -- does anyone think this is a bad idea?   george H Citizen Username: Georgieboy Post Number: 138 Registered: 8-2005 Posted on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 4:12 am:        Assuming that the porch is painted,you might consider using cedar for the fascia,although you might be limited by the size you need.the porch shouldnt fall or shift as long as proper precautions are taken.   Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10856 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 8:25 am:        Are you talking about just a decorative face (fascia) board or is the rim joist damaged? In other words is the damaged floor joist attached directly to the damaged face board?   Daniel M. Jacobs, PP, AICP Supporter Username: Conrail Post Number: 99 Registered: 1-2004 Posted on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 9:10 am:        The fascia board runs along the side of the porch. At the center of the board, just beneath the floor is soft wood. Initially, I thought the damage was minor, so I scraped out the soft wood with the intent of filling it with putty. But examining it, I felt that the rot may have spread to the joist directly behind the fascia board. So I ran all over the porch tapping the wood and other joists to see if they are soft. Nope. That appears to be the only place . . . - Daniel   tb0010 Citizen Username: Tb0010 Post Number: 20 Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 12:02 pm:        My sense is that if damage is contained to a single board, then the solution would be to just replace that board. Of course, that might be easier said than done. I'm actually facing a porch situation myself. It's a screned in porch, meaning it;s exposed, but not totally. The wood seems to be in good shape, but the paint is peeling. Because it's a fairly large area (probably about 50 sq ft or so), I'm not sure if it's practical to sand by hand or using hand-held instruments like a belt sander. Am I'm not sure if I should go the whole nine yards and hire a floor sanding service for this small, fairly unimportant area. Any suggestions would be welcome.   kdm Citizen Username: Kdm Post Number: 82 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 1:25 pm:        I had a front porch which seemed to have a yellow jacket nest behind a fascia board. When I pried the fascia off and killed all the insects I found that 2 2x8 joists were almost completely eaten away near one end. I'm not sure what ate them. I thought about fixing myself but there were other issues with the porch including rot. I had R&G Contractors replace the entire porch. I was please with them.   george H Citizen Username: Georgieboy Post Number: 139 Registered: 8-2005 Posted on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 5:15 pm:        Bob K.makes a good point in regard to the question of whether or not the joist behind the fascia [which is usually doubled up]is also bad.Wood can act like a sponge and wick the moisture from adjacent boards.Theres no way to know,short of pulling off the fascia and checking it out.Removing them,if needed,can be problematic as you don't want damage the decking which is fastened to the joists.Best to make a series of relief cuts with a sawzall,and then with a metal blade, cut the nails that hold the decking down by running the saw along the top of the joists but below the decking.You might want to use a product like Vycor to wrap the new joist to prevent a repeat problem.It would also be advisable to try and identify the source of the problem,and remediate it.Remember,the new pressure treated wood[ACQ]is highly corrosive and proper fasteners and joist hangers must be used.ie:Z-Max or stainless steel.