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Front porch column help

3K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  JumpinJW 
#1 ·
I live in 1920's bungalow. The front porch used to have brick columns but at some point they were torn down and the porch was closed in. I want to turn it back into a craftsmen style porch. The structural pillars were crumbling and I have Poured 5 2'x2' footers and built new pillars on the footers with 1'x1' concrete block to the bottom of the girt beam. This was a few years ago.

Now I want to finish building the brick columns. Does any know of online guide or reference. I have an idea, but need to know the particulars.

I was planning on cutting the next block around the girt beam, then continuing on up with full bocks to my desired height. I'm not sure if it is ok to have the PT girt beam in direct contact with the concrete or if I need a termite sheild or something?? Next I was going to build a wood form around the top (to form a concrete cap), fill the whole column with concrete, and set a 6"x6" bracket into the pour. Set a PT 6"x6" vertical to the header. Finally brick the exterior while periodically tying the brick veneer to the block.

I'm not sure how to run the hand rail from column to column. Is this fitted into the brick or is there a bracket I should use?

I want lattice from column to column under the girt beam. I am unsure of how to properly finish this. Do I just tapcon a vertical PT 2x4 to the to column to nail the lattice to?

Any help, tips, suggestions welcome. I will post some pictures in a day or two of what I have, and what I am looking to build to clarify.
 
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#2 ·
Great ideas

This old house has an episode you may enjoy:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2172681826/

Tom is working with wood, but I like the way he uses sticks instead of tape measure.

I don't think you need to fill the columns with concrete, if your blocks are well built. It sounds like they are, based on your descriptions.

You can buy or build precast capstones.

Anchoring the rails to the brick is no big deal. Tapcon screws through galvanized brackets on the top & bottom rails; tapcon directly through the side rails. The side rails can hide the brackets.

Use tracks for the lattice, usually available where you buy lattice.

I'm attaching a pic of the porch I'm building. Just a copy of another house in town.

I hope it helps.
 

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