Since purchasing a 120-year-old house, I had windows installed on the sun porch, about eight years ago. Since then, one corner of the porch has gone down approximately two inches. Years ago, I saw a porch similar to mine fixed with two hydraulic jacks and a level to place a “piling” under it.
Now, I hear the whole porch would need to be leveled. True?
Help! What does this entail and can you give a guesstimate of the cost of a 15-foot by 8-foot porch or just the corner?
Thanks so much!
Glissen
Dear Glissen,
Your first concern needs to be for the windows in the sun porch. As structures shift, they tend to apply an uneven distribution of pressure on the structure’s openings. I suspect this is the reason why someone recommended leveling the entire porch. Frankly, I would heed this advice.
Given that your porch is 15 feet long, I would recommend running a 15-foot-long support beam under the structure. I would support the beam with three horizontal posts. Each end post should be recessed on each end, with the third post being located at the center point, or as close as conditions allow. The three posts should sit atop three concrete bases that are 12 inches in diameter.
As for the guesstimate, I will leave that for the better informed. I would warn you that it sounds like you could experience significant collateral damage if the situation is not corrected. Another resource for you to consult with is your local building inspector. Municipal building inspectors are very experienced with situations such as yours. Plus, they are one expert resource where you get more than what you paid for — it’s free. Be safe and good luck with your project.
Kaile Warren of Windham is CEO/Founder of the national handyman franchise Rent-A-Husband. Kaile is also a national home improvement expert for the CBS Early Show, HGTV and Parade Magazine and appears locally on WCSH’s 207. When not on the road or working he spends his time teaching his white shepherd, Maintenance, how-to ... Send your questions for Kaile to editor@themaineswitch.com.