Porch post: replace or patch?

[dlminehart]

I have a 4x4 post holding up the corner of my porch. Actually, not really a porch, just an overhang in front of my living room and entry. The post is nailed to a 5x5 wooden pad in the top of a concrete pier that sits at ground level. There's some insect damage to the bottom 2" of the post, which doesn't seem to be pressure treated; at least there are none of the usual telltale staple-shaped dents in the wood.

My question is: should I replace the entire 87" post (with PT this time), or just cut off the bottom 3" or so of the existing one and replace it with 3" of PT (I have a lot of scraps)? If the latter, how should I secure the top to the 3" addition? I assume I'll toenail the 3" addition to the pad in the concrete. I'm afraid that toenailing the top piece into the 3" block, as well as toenailing the block to the pad, is going to split it.

[docrowan]

I would replace the whole thing. A 4X4 PT post 8' long is only around 6 bucks in my neck of the woods. A turned post is quite a bit more expensive, but I would still replace the whole thing. I certainly would not piece together scrap wood, even if it's PT. That's just inviting trouble in my opinion.

[cabinetman]

I would replace the whole thing. A 4X4 PT post 8' long is only around 6 bucks in my neck of the woods. A turned post is quite a bit more expensive, but I would still replace the whole thing. I certainly would not piece together scrap wood, even if it's PT. That's just inviting trouble in my opinion.

I would replace the whole thing also with PT. Another plus would be you wouldn't have to have a temp support while fitting pieces together. You might be able to install just the new post and eliminate the 5x5 pad. You may have some damage to that piece that you cant see. If you replace the pad, use PT for the new one.
.

[Russianwolf]

can you post a pic?

What I'm thinking is they originally sunk a 5x5 into the concrete and it eventually rotted. They cut it off and stuck the 4x4 in place of the cut off portion.

If I'm right, you'll want to get that old wood out of the concrete and fill the cavity with concrete, then use a steel spacer to prevent the wood from touching the concrete.

you never want wood (PT or otherwise) in direct contact with the ground or ground level concrete. The concrete will keep the wood wet longer than it should be and cause the rot/insect damage to accelerate. PT isn't impervious rot or insect damage, just takes longer.

[gjat]

I've actually done this on a number of houses. Definitely replace the entire post. If you re-use the old, you may not cut off all the insect damage and have to do it again in a few years. That's a lesson learned the hard way.

Also, use a steel stand-off bracket to keep the post off the concrete. Dig around the peir and fill it with larger river rock to make sure it drains. I'd seal the concrete peir with a water seal to help keep the moisture from wicking up. You can always add a decorative trim around the post to make it look similar to the 5x5 pad, just be sure to use PT and caulk the joints before painting. By the way, not all PT will have the 'dents'.

[dlminehart]

Thanks for all the comments. I went to HD, looked at their wood. They had 4x4 PT, very heavy and wet, for about $9. Doug fir for $6. Redwood for $15. I figured I could go with the redwood, soak the ends in that green Jasco termite-proofer, and soak the pad in same. Somehow the PT just seemed too wet to paint any time soon, and the doug fir not likely to hold up as well as the redwood.

[iceman61]

Before you cut that new post to length, I would advise against measuring off the old post. As you stated the old post has insect damage. This damage could have caused the post to have compressed against itself. Put a level on the bottom of the soffit or fascia board, then take a measurement to whatever it takes to resupport the porch back to plumb. I just replaced six posts on a house & four of them were too short due to foundation piers settling. Two of the old posts were 2-3 inches too short. Jacked it up to plumb, took a new measurement, & cut the new post to the corrected height.

For what it's worth at this late point, PT comes in two catagories: direct ground contact & non-ground contact.