So, in my epic quest to actually GET STARTED on the front railings…I’ve begun to tackle the structural issues on the front porch. I want this stuff to be straight when I add railings.
Here’s what I’m up against…the porch header is a box-beam that’s suffered damage over its lifetime and been poorly repaired. You can see its minor case of “wompy-jawed-ness” (that’s a technical term). No way I can just add braces or repair rot and call it good/straight.
The old box beam.
I’m basically jacking up the roof, cutting out the box beam (it’ll actually probably mostly fall out), building a new box beam, and installing it. I’m doing this in sections (once column set at a time) for manageability and so I don’t have to buy a couple thousand bucks worth of jack-posts.
That’s 10 feet, center to center on the columns.
I didn’t want to remove all the old stuff till I had the new ready to go back in, so that the least time possible is spent with the jack-posts being the only support. Just being cautious.
The beam, minus it’s coverings, is 15″ tall by 5-1/2″ wide. I figured it would be easiest to replicate that size so I don’t have to replace or modify the curved section to match it when I get there.
I built a new box-beam…this is for the first 10 foot section. I wanted something a little beefier, without getting carried away since what was there actually held for 100 years or so. “Beefier” helps me pull everything back into line and get it all straight.
New Box Beam
I hope to insert this beam tomorrow. Then I’ll do the next 10 foot section.
The curved beam actually looks pretty solid…I’ll know more when I get to it…but it is over 4″ down in the center and will take some work to get it all leveled back up. That will for sure test its “okay-ness”.
A preview:
The curve…some interesting work is gonna happen here…
So far I’ve not broken anything, killed anybody, or found anything I can’t handle.
…but there’s always tomorrow!
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer
