Removing 1894 Rot
The front porch, 1999. Four original columns are visible. The others are later replacements. Note the one to the very left side. Photo by Bob Rodak.
These are the two north 1894 columns. They looked pretty good in 2014. Note the beam above. We will get back to that.
Over the years though I noted that the base of one column was rotting away. Far right. Oh dear.
Today, it was time to do something.
So, Godsend Eric came down from Heaven to help. Note my GORGEOUS column capitals. With a jack and a 6×6 post, the porch roof was lifted up a tiny bit so we could…
….tear out the rotted base. It proved MUCH worse than it appeared.
An exciting discovery was the 1894 tie-rod. This has not been seen in 130-years!
The upper base also proved a mess. I will retain this as a template. In 1894, it was made in two sections to fit around the tie-rod. Cool.
And…drum roll, please…a new upper/lower base was installed. This was made in 2014 by Dr. Doug as a Just-In-Case base.
Working away. The stunning man to the left is…me. Photo by Brad Hartzman.
I realized that the damage was not being caused by normal weather conditions (as I had assumed) but rather from water getting (somehow) into the column from the porch roof beam. The adjacent column is also damaged so an investigation is needed to figure out HOW water is getting inside the two hollow columns from the porch beam and how to stop this.
Old houses ain’t easy.
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How fortuitous Dr Doug made you a back up. But now you have no more backups. That is worrying that water is getting in there. And from where?
I have two very simple short columns on my front porch. I suspect they are hollow. I am lucky as there is no damage aside from a chunk or two missing from a raised ring. I was able to sculpt some on with automotive patch. It took paint just find and you cannot tell there is a repair. They are due for another paint job which I have been avoiding as I had them faux marbled when the house was painted. I’m not sure what I would do if they needed a major repair as I have no Dr Doug or Godsend Eric.
Looking stunning, Sir Ross!
Thank you as always for the fun updates. And thanks to Dr. Doug for that spare base!
I love the extra pieces! I need to repair some trim on my stairs. I have decided to get a little extra made a squirrel it away. Now you just need Dr Doug to make a new “extra base”…….I love it!
Cool beans. I’m sure you’ll figure out how the water flows.
What a repair, to raise the roof juuuuuust enough to remove the damaged base and place a new one. Thank you, Dr. Doug and Godsend Eric. Also Ross is looking handsome as ever.
Bless you, Leigh!
You are welcome, Ross. Big hug, Papa Bear.
Oh man, seems like a tricky and complex issue! I hope you find the source of the leak soon, Ross! As an aside, seeing that metal scrollwork up close is so nice–it really is so pretty!
Late to the party, here, but I wonder whether you might lift the porch roof a tiny bit again and install flashing between the column capitals and the porch beam. That would protect the columns at least until Sherlock MacTaggart deduces and solves the case of the hidden leak.