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Home Repair Porches & Decks Design Dilemma

Porch Post Load Bearing?

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Hello,

I have a ranch house built in 1969, the roof over the porch extends out from the house about 3.5 feet and is about 7 foot wide. The street view pic shows the black metal post I had in there previously, before the snow flies (I am in WI), I am looking to see if this post is required or not.

When I removed it 2 days ago it was loose in there, not supporting any weight.

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Comments (5)

beesneeds
2 years ago
Rather difficult to tell from the photo, but possibly if you get snow loads.

Get yourself a structural engineer in to give you a solid yes or no on that.
suezbell
2 years ago
Not a pro but I'd be very surprised if it is not needed to prevent a long term sag of the roof such as under the weight of ice/snow. Even if it isn't needed structurally, some kind of post is needed for symmetry .

My suggestion would be to replace it with whatever kind of post you want as soon as possible.

Just as a precaution, if you're not replacing it immediately, I'd suggest you brace / support your porch roof with a couple of boards set beside where you would want to put its replacement while you decide what kind of replacement post you want so it doesn't have a chance to sag.

Your picture has a limb obscuring the roof edge but if the overhang is sufficient to do so, you might consider replacing the post with a support BESIDE the concrete stoop rather than atop it, giving you a bit more clear sheltered space in front of your door.
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PRO
Flo Mangan
2 years ago
Get a porch and roof specialist in to take a look. You need some support there I am quite sure. Without it, overtime, the unsupported weight will pull away from main structure. Then get the tree trimmed or removed. I would wait because it’s only a matter of time before you could have a bigger problem.
PRO
Flo Mangan
2 years ago
I would NOT wait or delay. Sorry spellcheck changed my meaning.
HU-356884214
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks everyone! I already have the material specified for the post/wrap, so I will tackle that project this weekend.

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