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Porches & Decks

Building/forming a concrete front porch...

16 years ago

How to do...

House is a 1 and 1/2 story craftsman style with a front overhanging hip and center protruding entry, all supported by columns. Home is to have a wainscoting of brick from the foundations integrated brick ledge (same elevation as mud sill) up to the window sills. The homes wood floor framing on the mud sill is 2x8's with 3/4" plywood sheating.

I would like to have a full length concrete porch. Poured to the entry doors threshold height and up-to the homes front wall/sheating. It seems there is a couple ways to accomplish this. Either build the brick wainscoting up from the existing brick ledge and then concrete up-to the face of the bricks, or install the bricks after the concrete pour on top of the new concrete porch. In the later, the concrete porch itself would become the new brick ledge. Thus allowing a normal wall flashing and weep hole installation.

My existing grade is 4 inches below the foundation top. Add the thickness of the floor joist and sub-flooring (8") and that would give the proposed concrete porch a thickness of 12 inches.

Can anyone elaborate on the correct/desired method of installing the concrete to the homes front? (pre-brick vs. post brick)

Is a 12" thick concrete porch approx. 16' x 9' to much concrete in one slab for such an install?

Anything I'm not addressing here I should be?

TIA

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Comments (3)

huskyridor
16 years ago
I"m not getting a clear mental picture of what your describing, you should post a pic.

What I can tell you is that you don't need 12" thick solid concrete. If the need is there on the perimeter for the additional thickness fill in the center with form fill (sandy clay dirt) and dig a footer beam around the circumference then use additional steel to reinforce the beam. Inside of the form all you need is 4" of redimix for the floor. Dirt is a much cheaper filler. You can use plywood and/or dimensional lumber with kickers for your form setting. I would also say to take some post hole diggers and place some post holes down through the topsoil to some harder dirt beneath your outside beam.
If the elevation of your finished floor is at a level equal to or below your existing brick ledge it doesn't matter when you pour the concrete. You should also drill into the existing concrete and use a two part epoxy to place some dowels into it across the cold joint (the spot where both concretes poured at different times meet)

This is work a DIY'er homeowner can perform himself.

See ya,
Kelly
mlo1
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you kelly,

You're description and others I have encountered are similiar in procedure. I will need to find a way to support the top of the porch while it is being poured. Possible some details will need to be addressed into the poured walls to support channel or pipe.

I really feel this detail should have been addressed on my drawings, like with the foundation, it was not.

Thanks!
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hendricus
16 years ago
With the dimensions given of 16'x9' that equals approx 5 yards of concrete. Better to pour it 12" thick and not mess with rebar or fillers which would need to be compacted. The $ savings, if any, would be less than $100

3 yds concrete @$100 yd = $300

2yds fill for $20 + $80 delivery charge = $100

Rebar and compactor rental ??

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