Just put this porch in last October (2021) and noticed today that this 6x6 has a substantial split occurring. I know treated lumber will split/check to a degree, but this one makes me a little concerned. Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this post? Anything I can do to help strengthen the post? Thanks.
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KNeiss88
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3,658 Posts
It’s not the rafter-to-header joint, it’s the header-to-post connection that is concerning.
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But you know what ... people who build to code are building to minimum spec.
There is about a 73.6% chance that if they aim for minimum code, they achieved it.
Code compliant or not code compliant. I've seen way worse that has been "wrong" for 100 years and didn't fail.
Which includes a healthy safety margin.
Decks were done thus way for decades, and the major fail was the ledger to house connection, not the ledger to post.
Eventually, the post.to 2X through bolts can rust and fail. If that wasn't a PT post, I'd put eventually as 100+ years.
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I had a customer with a 20 foot long x 8 foot wide porch cover once.
It was literally one flat 2x4 nailed to the top of two 4x4 posts. Then the suntuf was laid on that.
It held up to 2 feet of snow. It bent, but it didn't break.
Lots of stuff done wrong, but last forever.
Not that porch I mentioned, it was too wrong, but lots of other stuff. 2x4 porch rafters held to a house by 7 penny nails. See that all the time.
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It was literally one flat 2x4 nailed to the top of two 4x4 posts. Then the suntuf was laid on that.
It held up to 2 feet of snow. It bent, but it didn't break.
Lots of stuff done wrong, but last forever.
Not that porch I mentioned, it was too wrong, but lots of other stuff. 2x4 porch rafters held to a house by 7 penny nails. See that all the time.
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And for that you get a C. LOL
Was talking to a friend last night that builds a lot of pole barn , and was talking about this kind of deal. He nails lumber on each side of post and uses structural screws or though bolts. pretty much way it is done here.
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8,839 Posts
The girder carrying the load of the roof is improperly relying on the sheer strength of lag bolts... this method was changed a long time ago and the proper way to do this is to make girders bear directly on posts and secured with post-to-beam connectors. Or if this is the road you want to take using a bolts-thru connection you should provide additional "cleats" under it for additional support, something like this.
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420 Posts
10- 20 pipe clamps , 2.5"angle irons , exterior rated glue & screw?.
remove Clamps and pray.
wrap with cure treated mitered 1x 8s?
great stuff foam painted to match treated......
Like original Star Trek faux alien rocks.....
A redundant load path created by using cleats would be nice, especially under deck cases.
The cleats could add some architectural interest with some simple added detailing, maybe some routering?
or knee brace / cleats for multitasking.
remove Clamps and pray.
wrap with cure treated mitered 1x 8s?
great stuff foam painted to match treated......
Like original Star Trek faux alien rocks.....
A redundant load path created by using cleats would be nice, especially under deck cases.
The cleats could add some architectural interest with some simple added detailing, maybe some routering?
or knee brace / cleats for multitasking.
21 - 32 of 32 Posts
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