Replacing Porch Post

[alldodge]

This winter I'm replacing the decks on on the rental with concrete. Currently have painted 4x4's for the porch's and wanting to replace with something more maintenance free. They make wraps and full load bearing. Don't want to spend a fortune either.

Anyone do similar?

 

[JimS123]

Replace with cedar 4x4s. Coat with Flood UV every 3 years. If you want even less maintenance, cover them with vinyl wraps.

 

[alldodge]

Thanks, the ones that are there now are treated pine and still straight. Home was built in 07 so not bad

 

[aspeck]

A vinyl wrap around the existing posts ... inexpensive and power wash from time to time and you are golden.

 

[Scott Danforth]

how maintenance free do you want to go?

a galvanized 4x4x1/8" wall steel tube with paint over it will last about 100 years.

treated pine with paint over it will last about 50 years

 

[alldodge]

Maintenance free to me means no painting, but only painting post every few years isn't bad. I've already used my break and covered everything else with aluminum

Think I'm going to put original post back and then look into a vinyl or aluminum wrap. Current color of everything else is a musket brown

 

[redneck joe]

have a gutter/soffit place and have them wrap in aluminum ONLY after you have put in a spacer underneath the current 4x4's. Home Depot et al will have them in plastic or galvanized. Water wicking from contact @ the concrete up will kill them and the spacer ensures that will not happen and should last many decades as long as roof / soffit structure does not allow water infiltration. Also be sure to cault the top joint well when finish wrapping.

 

[alldodge]

I have a 10 brake and can bend the aluminum around, but in most cases it won't look as good as a factory snap around kind of thing

Agree, would use spacer between wood and concrete

Thanks

 

[redneck joe]

we had our 8x8 post wrapped on our sunporch. dude did it on one piece and the seam was an inch in from the corner, looked fine for the couple years it was up until we closed it in to make the sunroom.


of course it you are going to lift roof to cut spacer in just remove the whole thing and sleeve it with a factory piece. If you are into the fancy columns that is the time. Funny, just helped one of the kids take off the pre-wrap. He (read: she) wants a crappy paint job for an old farm house look. Too much HGTV in her life now that she is working from home.

 

[alldodge]

Current plan is to cut flush at the top and below deck level at the bottom. Support roof angled outward to give room for building of forms.