# Repainting Columns on front porch



## bob the builder (Jan 17, 2006)

If you tear off the metal do you think you would expose more wood. Most likely it's just steel that was used to protect the base from rotting, flashing it from the elements. If that is the case, caulking it wouldn't be bad as long as you don't trap water that infiltrated from above. Then paint it and make the steel look nice again...

Bob


----------



## R Parker (Apr 13, 2006)

Not really sure. It's been there since before I was born and I'm afraid to find out. Am afraid if I mess with it too much, I will not be able to repair it. Caulking and repainting and maybe some woodworking is the limit of my knowledge. That part of the house is two story. The three columns support an overhang from the roof and what I'm afraid of is if water has gotten under there and rotted the wood of the columns. Dad isn't around to ask if I need to have the columns inspected and if the columns actually support that part of the roof. If the columns support that part of the roof and they have rotted due to water damage, what if they collapse  ? <yes, I know, I'm paranoid! I get it from my Mother!>


----------



## Darylh (Jan 2, 2006)

Can you post some close up pics, This might help us out determining your next step. Bob is right, that metal should come off or be loosend off a little so you can inspect it .


----------



## R Parker (Apr 13, 2006)

Sure. Am at work right now. Will take some pix when I get home and post them this evening. So far, I've only been browsing this forum while at work <s******************>. Mom usually keeps me too busy at home..


----------



## R Parker (Apr 13, 2006)

weird...it doesn't like smirking?


----------



## R Parker (Apr 13, 2006)

ok. Am at home now. Have the pix posted on my site on webshots. Addy is:

http://community.webshots.com/album/549523408Tvmwrp

Figured this would be easier than trying to post individual pix here, since I haven't reinstalled my graphix software on my computer to edit my pictures after I download them from my camera . As you can probably see, it looks like they've been caulked before and then painted, just rust is bleeding thru the caulk. That's why I think I can scrape & re-caulk it to seal it. I'm just worried if water has gotten underneath and possibly damaged the wood. As you can see from the 'far' view pix, it supports the overhang roof for the second story. (doesn't look that high from front, since it's partially underground, but ground slopes back and is steeper in back)


----------



## redline (Mar 5, 2006)

I did notice that you do have a gutter on this roof to capture the water from the roof and direct it away from the posts. Where the downspout drops the water, does the water have a way to move away from the porch?

Picture 308 looks good. Sand down the rust and prime with rustoleum or other metal paint.

Picture 309 looks good. sand down the rust and prime with rustoleum or other metal paint.

Picture 310 looks good. sand, prime and paint.

Picture 311 looks good. sand, prime and paint.

Picture 312. What post is this? Left one of from door, middle post or right of front door near driveway?

Picture 313. Is this the same post is 312?

Both picture 312 and 313 seem to show that when the post was built that they used some angle iron to raise the wooden post off the the cement of the porch. It may not even have wood underneath the metal but the wood starts above this metal stand. To see if there is wood underneath the metal, you can drill a small hole into the metal and see if wood comes from the drill.


From the main picture it appears that the roof is level and is not sagging. This is a good sign.

The lower part of the posts seem to just need to be scraped, primed, caullked and a finish top coat of paint.


----------



## Darylh (Jan 2, 2006)

redline said:


> I did notice that you do have a gutter on this roof to capture the water from the roof and direct it away from the posts. Where the downspout drops the water, does the water have a way to move away from the porch?
> 
> Picture 308 looks good. Sand down the rust and prime with rustoleum or other metal paint.
> 
> ...


I'll second what Redline said . Take a good look and do a little pokeing to make sure theres no rott.


----------



## R Parker (Apr 13, 2006)

the first three pix, 8, 9 & 10 are from the right column if you are facing the house (see wide view house). Pix 11, 12 & 13 are from the middle column. I didn't take any pix from the left column since it was almost identical to the other two, maybe not quite as bad. The right column has a pipe running down from the gutters that empties into a grate near the bottom of the column (about 1.5 ft away). The water from the grate is piped under the porch/walkway along the length of the front of the house downslope away from the house with the outlet about 8 feet past the end of the house. We don't have a problem with the water overflowing the grate, but water does sometimes overflow the gutters. We have water oak trees and even with the leaf guard meshs in place, the gutters still get filled with those tiny water oak leaves. With Mom being 73, I won't let *HER* get on top of a 2 story house to clean them out. As for me..I'm scared of heights... :/.

Any suggestion as to what kind of caulk would be proper to buy? I know what kind to get to go around a bathtub, but I've never done something like that. I know I would need an all-weather caulk..and something that can be painted.


----------



## Darylh (Jan 2, 2006)

Quote:* I know I would need an all-weather caulk..and something that can be painted*.
I use DAP and MONO Exterior latex caulking with good results.


----------

