Why don't you just temporarily leave things the way they are maybe just put some blocks under the posts and secure them in place to make them functional for now. Then from your other posts regarding the property just go and fell a couple of those 100,000 pines you've got growing on the spread, cut then to length plus a foot, get a draw knife and debark them and let them dry for a couple months. If you put them outside for a couple weeks they'll turn gray. Use these to completely replace the ones you've got that need it!

Sounds like you've got virtually unlimited raw materials might as well make use of them!

Engat- looks really good.

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

I know in the old days galvanized could react with the PT chemicals (copper, Arsenic). I don't know if there is any issue with the new chemicals.

And 16 feet seems kind of long to span. It should not be too hard to add some support. It could sag after a while, which could affect drainage. Just make sure it never slopes toward the house.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

The 16' span is how the house is constructed and based on how quickly I get up to speed on my masonry skills I may well add a foundation support on some of the future ones.

I have considered felling some trees to cut and use for the columns and may well do that. I'm kinda/sorta intimidated when I walk up to one with the chain saw and have only cut down smaller trees to date. Most of the trees are around 100' tall and I can't reach around them. On the other hand I do have a couple light poles on the property which I may take down and use. They are closer to being the correct diameter.

I do plan on selling some of the timber to raise money to put into the house.

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Jim

If you leave space between the boards no need to slope the framing.

The point about the spacing of the steps is a good one. They should be done according to a formula...lets see..... rise plus run must equal between 17 and 17.5", IIRC. No two steps can be more than a certain amount different from each other and there is a maximum difference which is slightly different. Check your local code.

This is a subtlty that an inspector is unlikely to catch but you will regret if you ignore. The biggest thing is for guests...they will trip, you will get used to whatever is there.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I think you do well to approach expanded logging with caution. While in high school, our church hit on a scheme to make money by cutting down some less than first rate timber for firewood on some land they had access to. The trees weren't real attractive commercially but they were still half-way big.

One guy sustained a broken leg from some mishap, tree fell in an unexpected manner, and he had a drama with a leg that wouldn't heal until his death several years later at about age 60 IIRC.

One should get some experienced help for that stuff. IMHO.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

IMHO a 16ft span is asking a lot from a 2x8. I'd use 2x10's.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I meant to mention - ya'll should have seen my face when we were trying to install the 2nd column and two columns and all the supports fell out. Thank goodness the porch roof did not move.

One the pieces of deteriorated lumber that I removed measures 2-3/8" as shown on the attached pic. It is 8-1/4" wide. I have not been able to find these at Lowe's or Home Depot. The house sills are larger still. I think all the original 2x's measure 2-3/8" thick.

Keep in mind that the man that built this house had a steam driven sawmill about 3/4 mile away where he sawed the wood for it.

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Jim

Thats old rough cut lumber.

We tore down an 1870's vintage house that had some neat lumber in it. Probably cut at some local sawmill to. Back than a 2x4 was a true 2x4. The stuff you get these days is all farm raised trash, its hard to get decent lumber.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Looks like your sawmill owner was cutting some beefy lumber.

We used to have an 1860's wood frame townhouse in Brooklyn NY, and I was a regular dumpster diver whenever I saw another house in the area undergoing renovation. The main target of the diving was to get full sized studs or joists that were being tossed out, as well as door and window hardware. Having to rip a 2x6 down to get a full sized 2x4 wall stud just goes against my grain, and full sized 3x12x20' are effing expensive. Having lift off hinges on all the doors was kinda handy, and a house where all the door knobs and plates match gives me quiet satisfaction.

The 8" to the weather straight grain cedar clapboards were whole different nightmare, as was the lead abatement on the interior trim.

Old house means becoming real friendly with a real lumber yard, not Home Despot.

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95 E300D working out the kinks
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, gone away
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 145k miles, summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k miles
12 VW Jetta- 160k miles

Unfinished rough sawn lumber is usually designated by the number of 1/4"s, 4/4 is 1" thick, 5/4 is 1 1/4" thick etc. Looks like your construction was done when wood/raw timber was cheap looks like the boards pictured are 10/4 that have worn or shrank a little over time. That southern pine will amaze you at the resin content it still has fifty or a hundred years later. Many moons ago when I lived in south Florida and did some restoration of a 75 year old straight lumber framed stucco sheathed house, the Dade County Pine was so resin filled you would have a hard time cutting it with any circular blade saw. The saw blade would heat through friction and the resin would gum it up where it couldn’t keep up its speed. The corners of the boards where so sharp and hard that you could split your shin if you banged it on the edge. These boards probably weighed more than five times what an equal sized modern matchstick piece of lumber. This stuff was mostly red with yellow/orange grain it was so resinous

Any real lumber yard should be able to cut what you need, but it won't be inexpensive. If you need a couple hundred dollars worth it might be time to check out the Alaskan Chain Saw Lumber Mill or a similar tool. Bolts to a chain saw and all you need is a good straight plank to start cutting your own rough sawn lumber!

We have been getting alot of rain here lately and one of the 60+ yr old pines fell so now I have some new columns. I've got to research and see how best to prepare them for use. Any thoughts/comments?

I got another few feet down the porch today and best of all I've got it sorted out how to raise the porch roof enough to remove/install the columns safely.

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Jim

Cool. I'd be hald inclined to leave the bark on. It might look good with the house.
I jacked up my two story porch with a couple of hydraulic jacks when I worked on the posts. There was a lot creaking and I had a lot of doubts but it worked.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

The rain and full time job have been slowing me down some. On top of that I have the head off of the silver E300 putting a new head gasket on it. I'm working on it out of a shop that I hung around in (and called myself working) when I was 15 years old.

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Jim

wow, you have a pond/lake/river in your front yard? beautiful.

porch looks good too.

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