Excellent. I was planning on hiring a contractor and replacing my entire post but this seems far more cost effective and something I could do myself. my deck is exactly like this too. Extremely helpful!
@@Homemaintenancesolution I really appreciate the video! What do you think is the minimum height of a sono tube you can mount to the existing pier? yours looks about 9-10 inches? I am dealing with a short Post height. I am working with about 12" of space between the deck and the pier. Would 4 inches of height be enough?
This video it was very clutch because I have a porch that I have to replace a Masonry pier and your videos showed me what I need to do and how I need to do it thank you
Hi this is the only video I’ve found on UA-cam that kinda addresses my concern for my deck. The posts are rising and I don’t want to have to replace the whole deck. Anyhow, thank you for this video.
I think the most difficult part is cutting the existing post so the the bottom is completely flat and square. This is an interesting alternative to replacing the entire post which would be my preference.
What type of Jack can i use to jack up my deck as I have the exact same problem you demonstrated here except that the concrete base on mind is 6 inches above ground, and the whole base goes down to a depth of 1 foot. Not sure if I have the jack hammer the top 6 inches to make it flush with the ground. Can i use a regular car jack or one of those car jacks that comes with the 4 wheels and solid based. What type of jack did you use in this video? Thanks!
I have 12 x 12 deck with three posts, the concrete bases are 4 to 8 inches below ground level, and barely larger than 4x4 wood post. They may probably deep enough to or below frostline, can I rebar and pour new concrete over to make new base above ground? Thirty years old house so the base should be settle down good, I wouldn't mind to leave them alone and rebar on top.... will that be appropriate way to do it? A million thanks from all of your input.
My method that I show on the video is to extend a properly sized pier above grade. If you pier is undersized, then extending it will not help with that. You will still have an undersized pier, but at least you won't have a rotting wood post on top of it! 😊
@@Homemaintenancesolution thank you for your reply. Illinois frostline is 36 inches, if all met the Illinois codes when they built, then I think I will just take out old 4x4s, clean the old piers real good, rebar through the old piers, pour concrete up to 4 - 6 inches above ground and 8 inches diameter. Do you think that would be decent enough? I really don't want to rebuilt my deck, just want to correct rotten posts. Am going to replace the old deck wood with composite after that. Edit: I meant new 12 inch diameter (cylinder), there is no 8 inch :)
I have a screened porch (12x16) that has 6x6 support posts at the front of the porch and a support beam (16' wide) with notched 6x6s and 2 2x10s that is 3' out from house under the porch. The ground under the support beam has sunken and the support beam pulled away from the porch. How would you tackle bringing the support beam up to make contact with the porch? The porch is not high off the ground (3-4') but you can get under it and do some work. Just trying to gather some ideas on a method to fix this. I really don't think the support beam is needed because the porch is so low to the ground and have less risk than those 2 story decks of pulling away from the house from lateral force but the support beam is code. I am thinking of doing the same as what was done in this video, but would like to see what others may have done with a similar problem. Has anyone had the same or similar problem? If so, what did you do to fix?
Great video! Thanks for the help. Question: You said elevate porch quarter inch above where you want it to rest. Did you leave the post base unbolted to the post until after the concrete had set and you had lowered the post? I'm wondering if failure to do this would cause anchor bolt to prevent lowering of post after the concrete had set up and shrunk. Is this an issue? Thanks again!
Thank you so much for this video!!! I have to deal with a 15 foot high deck and I'd like to add a nice red brick footing attach my posts to. I will use concrete blocks about 3 feet high with red brick. I will have to adjust my footings. Thank you so much for this video!!!
Thanks for the video. Exactly what I am doing. Although I don't see anything about digging out the old post from the cement. This is what I'm trying to do but having a difficult time. Using a drill and chipping with chisel. Is this not needed?
That's a good question. This is meant to cover how to correct the height if the post is on the concrete. If you posts are in the concrete, then I suggest breaking the entire pier out and repouring it. The wood post in the concrete will weaken it and it is most likely not deep enough or large enough at the bottom.
I have deck piers that have a hole where the post used to be. I don't see enough concrete to put the rebar in. Do we need rebar or can we pour the new concrete into the hole left by the post and into the concrete tube to recreate a better pier?
We have 3 post that is on one concrete strip. One post is rotten on the bottom. The concrete is sagging and sinking. How do you fix this problem? Love your videos. Thanks
Perfect. Exactly what I was looking for. My option is a bit different in that I do not believe my posts are sitting on concrete pylons although the bottoms are starting to rot out.
Dan Peoples, glad to help! The process is basically the same, just do a little more digging. Make sure the bottom of your new hole is below your local frost line and flared out at the bottom. Also, be sure to tamp the dirt at the bottom of the hole before you pour your concrete. Best to you!
Exactly what I need to do to my back porch deck. It has a roof over it attached to the house. The pier holding up one corner is on a slope and has slipped about 2 inches. What tonnage size jack should I use ? It's a 12' X 12' deck.
I'm not sure, but probably not as heavy as you think it is. Just try a decent sized jack and see how well it lifts it. If it won't then you know you will need a bigger one.
Great info. thank you. I've been looking for this exact info. for a while. Can you please tell me if the sonotube diameter needs to be the same size, bigger, or smaller than the old pier on which it will sit?
Kathy and Steve Moelter, thanks for feedback. Glad the video helped you! The size of the pier extension should be about the same as the existing one. Please subscribe to our channel if you haven't already done so.
Hi, I like your video. My questions to you is what if I have the posts sitting on a concrete flood and the woods are rotten. What is your suggestions for this matters. Thank you
Thanks for the great video. My situation is a little different so curious how you would approach my issue. The corner of my deck has lifted an inch or 2 due to the cement pier lifting out of the ground. It’s also the corner of the deck near the stairs but I don’t think the stairs lifting due to frost were cause of the problem. It clearly looks like the cement pier lifted raising the corner. Thinking I could level off by cutting off some of the 6x6 but my fear is now that frost has moved that pier once I’m afraid it will be an annual event of moving due to frost now. Am I better off trying to fix the position of the cement pier that lifted a couple of inches and if so how would you go about it?
We'll, ideally you would replace the entire pier with a properly designed pier that has a large enough footprint and is below the frost line in your area. You could try cut the 6x6 off and see what it does first though. If it settles back or moves in any way then you know you need to dig that pier out and replace it.
Thanks for the info! So I'm guessing the old post was just anchored to the top of the pier? If a post was buried down into the concrete footing, would you just dig out the footing and pour a new one once you cut off the rotting part of the post?
Yes, except I would try to get as much of the wood post out of the concrete first. That will help the new concrete lock on to the old better. Best to you!
Great vid! How old was that deck? I just had one built and they put in a metal post base (like yours) but its all below ground and now buried. My 6x6 PT posts in partially buried. How long will it take to rot?
Thanks! I'm not sure how old that deck was.. Your pressure treated post should last 5 years or so before they start rotting, but I but I would clear out the area or raise the pier height to prevent it if I could.
How big and deep of the holes would u drill if I am using a 1/2 inch #4 rebar? Do I need to blow the the concrete dust n clean the holes after drilling? Great tips, thank you.
I would clean out the holes a little, but it's not important since the rebar is only to prohibit lateral movement. I would drill them around 4" deep, if you can. Thanks for the reply. Please subscribe!
I know the video is older. How long does it take for the cement to set before you can lower the post for load bearing? Approximately how much concrete is needed? Thank you for the informational video.
You'll have to figure your volume in cubic feet and look at the bag cubic feet amount. A good rule of thumb is wait 24 hours before bearing on it. If you have a large amount of weight concentrated onto one post, then give it 48 hours
Thanks for the comment, Mark! Actually, it isn't necessary here, because the bearing weight will keep the pieces together. The rebar just keep lateral movement from occuring.
Did you ever get an answer to this question somewhere else? I’m planning on replacing my 4x4 deck posts with 6x6. Existing posts are below the grade (in the dirt, sitting on sonotubes. I want to extend the sonotubes so they r slightly above the grade, and can support 6x6 posts. Trying to figure out if it’s possible or if I should just dig them out and pour new
@@martinpersaud1319 No, but I removed the rotted posts from the concrete under the deck and porch (Pain in the ass job) and drilled holes in the existing concrete (3-4) and installed rebar and used the appropriate sized sono tube (12" in my case) and poured/bonded concrete to the existing concrete footer. The existing concrete was in good condition with no cracks. I used Simpson Strong-Tie ABA 6-in x 6-in Zmax Wood To Concrete Base to place the 6x6 post on to keep wood off the earth and concrete.
I have a similar problem but rather than exposed grade I have a brick paver patio that surrounds the deck posts. The posts run through the paver patio to poured posts, but the lack of maintenance over the years to keep the pavers sealed (previous owners) has led to the decay of the wood. Any suggestions you have are appreciated.
Wonderful video, My post is loose but I don't see rotted wood, the wood is inside the soil though, after looking at your video, I feel this has to be fixed anyway to avoid quick rot. How to fix it, would be useful if you have a video for that.
Thanks for the great video. I also need to raise my sono tube footings about 8 inches. I would also like to increase the diameter. Do you see a problem putting a 10 inch diameter cap over an 8 inch diameter pier that goes down well below the frost line? My current situation has the piers about 3 inches below ground level and 6x6 post on an 8 inch footing barely fits.
Thanks for making this video, I have to do the exact same thing. Question: how do I know the old peer is deep enough to use, how deep should it be? Thanks again
That's a hard thing to know for sure. The pier should have a wide base (the diameter of that is calculated by the load by an engineer) and be below the frostline in your area. Here's an article that might help in your area. www.decks.com/how-to/264/deck-footing-frost-depth-map The standard way of checking the depth of you footing or pier, is to use a long metal rod with a point on it. You can push it down into moist soil and project the depth of the footing by where you are hitting it or not. All that to say that this is not an easy thing to determine. I usually use a different test. IS THE PIER SETTLING OR HOLDING IT'S OWN? Some piers will be crooked and/or settling. If that's the case, then I wouldn't add to that. If the pier was low to start with (or the ground has been added to) but is stable OR settled a couple inches and has stabilized, then I would consider it to be a good candidate to add to. Hope that helps!
@@Homemaintenancesolution Yes thank you for your help I appreciate it. I did some digging, I can't believe the previous home owner set a 6x6 on top of a cinder block and buried it. It's a raised deck about 12' off the ground. I'm no expert but I'm reasonably sure this is not only dangerous but it's also against code in every state.
@@Homemaintenancesolution I fixed (3) 6x6's deck posts. I dug 2 ft deep, 6" of packed gravel, loaded with re-bar, poured a 2'x2'x7" footing. I used (2) 2' sections of re-bar pounded all the way through but protruding up about 8" for the sono tube. The next day I filled the 12" sono tube and used an integrated 6x6 strong tie galvanized cement anchor. After another 36 hrs of dry time I drove in the 1/2" galvanized lag bolts. 2 weeks later I'm finally finished. WOW! It was a a lot of work. Thanks for your help.
Thanks for the video! My balcony wood deck is sagging on one far side. I cannot figure what is causing it, but I suspect it is the 6 x 6 support pillar which seems to have twisted out of alignment and the horizontal brace beam above it is also sagging downwards. while the other pillar and horizontal support beam are perfectly aligned. the support beam on the sagging side is not plum or perpendicular to the bottom of the deck. Do you think it shifted or may be rotted at the base? Maybe I need to do what you did here. Thanks for any suggestions!
I suggest getting a professional to look at it. It is hard to diagnose without seeing it. If your pier is settling or shifting out of alignment, then a new pier is probably in order.
@@Homemaintenancesolution Do they sell pre-made tiers that come with the support base bracket and pre-drilled anchor? Maybe If I jack up the deck with some support blocks, and dig underneath, I can better access the damage. Thanks for commenting!
Itsme Forsure, you're welcome. Hope it helps you take better care of your home! Please subscribe to our channel so that you can get notified when we post new videos!
Where exactly did you support the overhead structure so it was safe and solid? That critical factor is why I came to this channel. I guess you didn't think that was important.
Good question. It will be different on every deck. Look at how the weight is transferred to the posts. If the posts are supporting a beam, then jack under the beam. If they are connected to the outside rim joists, then jack under those. You just need to get under something that is supporting a broad amount of weight. Don't jack against a deck surface board and expect the nails or screws in it to be strong enough to lift the deck.
What is the best way to move back a post six inches from your house? I will be getting siding install and would prefer having the siding go straight across
I would dig down next to it and pour a larger pier that would attached to the existing pier with rebar. Then set a new post base on top of the new larger pier.
So the top of the tubing needs to be even with the bottom of the post. Must be precise or the concrete will come up into the wood post if tube too high
Similar situation with my deck which currently has two, 4x4 posts. They could come up a good 5-6 inches. If I’m going through this process, would it be valuable to move to a larger post?
It could be Jason. There are lots of variables in this decision, so I wouldn't want to steer you wrong because I can't see your situation. I guess if you aren't sure, it wouldn't hurt to go to 6 x 6s. Best to you!
How do I do what you did because all I have is small cement blocks under my post that are starting to rotten. I have NO peir base .The cement blocks is all I have under my post that set on dirt.
That makes it a lot harder, but it can be done. You will need to dig a full pier down to the frost line in your area. It needs to flare out at the bottom before you pour the concrete.
My deck has 5 buried posts like this one had. Only two of my 5 posts are starting to rot. Is it alright to have a mix of buried posts and ones like you did here? I assume so. My plan was to only replace the ones that are rotting, and do the other ones when needed.
RockCh4lk, sure. That's a great plan! Often times small steps towards the end goal is the best way to get it done for Do It Yourselfers. It won't be a problem for your deck to do a couple now and the rest later. Please subscribe to our channel so that you can get notified when we post new videos. Thanks!
Bob Marley, the determining factor on that is how deep the original pier is. As long as it is below the frost line and your new pour is connected directly to the old, then I think you will be fine. Please subscribe to our channel so that you can get notified when we post new videos. Thanks for your question!
Depth differs by area. I'd google to find that out, as it depends on the weather. This solution assumes there's already a footer here. There are a lot of videos showing starting without a footing already there.
Ecra Handy All, sure. That should be plenty. Best to you on your project! Please subscribe to our channel so that you can get notified when we post new videos.
malagabee, thanks for the feedback! We'll work on that one in the future. Please subscribe to our channel so that you are notified when we post new videos. Also, check out our blog at www.houserepairsyourself.com
Great video! We have a 6x6 post with an old 8-10" footer holding up the upper deck corner and corner of roof. The corner area is about 7 ' away from a slowly disintegrating railroad tie retaining wall on a slope. Engineer says we need to install two helical piers at $8K. We think this is a cost effective way to stabilize this corner post and could add a second post. What do you think?
Stephen Hiatt, glad to help. Hope your project goes well! I raise the jack slightly to account for the fact that the post will drop a little before it hits the hardened concrete.
Looks like a Hydraulic bottle jack but can't tell the capacity. But I would expect if you take a piece of wood under the jack that a 3 ton mechanics jack would work in a pinch.
First, thank you so much for sharing this video. I'm thinking of adding about 4 inches of concrete to my 6 existing deck piers. Right now, they're at the surrounding soil level. In your opinion, how thick the added concrete piece should be to prevent it from crumbling in the future? I live in Minnesota where the weather is fluctuating big time. You mentioned using high strength concrete, this is to prevent the added and exposed concrete piece disintegration in the future?
Are you sure the pier did not sink, your suggestion of replacing the pier sounded better than attaching to the exsisting pier. It would have been nice to see the finished product. You never mention how long to allow for curing. 3 to 28 days? .Either way your advice was good.
video is still relevant after 6 yrs , great job
Excellent. I was planning on hiring a contractor and replacing my entire post but this seems far more cost effective and something I could do myself. my deck is exactly like this too. Extremely helpful!
Douglas Kennedy, glad to help!
Please subscribe to our channel so that you are notified when we post new videos. Hope all goes well!
@@Homemaintenancesolution I really appreciate the video! What do you think is the minimum height of a sono tube you can mount to the existing pier? yours looks about 9-10 inches? I am dealing with a short Post height. I am working with about 12" of space between the deck and the pier. Would 4 inches of height be enough?
@@JetSetBaroni I think so. That should work.
@@Homemaintenancesolution I appreciate your reply. What thickness rebar did you use? 3/8" or 1/2" ??
@@JetSetBaroni either is fine, but I used 3/8".
This video it was very clutch because I have a porch that I have to replace a Masonry pier and your videos showed me what I need to do and how I need to do it thank you
Great video I discovered the rotted post on my deck this morning, you showed me exactly what to do. Thanks
Hi this is the only video I’ve found on UA-cam that kinda addresses my concern for my deck. The posts are rising and I don’t want to have to replace the whole deck. Anyhow, thank you for this video.
Just wait I needed to see. Thanks for the video sir!
I need this done to my posts. Thank you for the extra strength concrete tip
Next time set the camera up in the same county, might be able to see what you are doing.
Thanks for the video, I have the exact situation with my deck and will use this method to repair
I think the most difficult part is cutting the existing post so the the bottom is completely flat and square. This is an interesting alternative to replacing the entire post which would be my preference.
What type of Jack can i use to jack up my deck as I have the exact same problem you demonstrated here except that the concrete base on mind is 6 inches above ground, and the whole base goes down to a depth of 1 foot. Not sure if I have the jack hammer the top 6 inches to make it flush with the ground. Can i use a regular car jack or one of those car jacks that comes with the 4 wheels and solid based. What type of jack did you use in this video? Thanks!
Would it be an idea to treat the sawn end of 🪵 wood preserve , bitumen paint etc
Perfect video I was looking for. About how much would this jib cost?
Materials would be about $60. To hire it out would be about $500.
This video is gold. So I have 12 inch cement piers and I need to make them larger .. how would you do this ?
I have 12 x 12 deck with three posts, the concrete bases are 4 to 8 inches below ground level, and barely larger than 4x4 wood post. They may probably deep enough to or below frostline, can I rebar and pour new concrete over to make new base above ground? Thirty years old house so the base should be settle down good, I wouldn't mind to leave them alone and rebar on top.... will that be appropriate way to do it? A million thanks from all of your input.
My method that I show on the video is to extend a properly sized pier above grade. If you pier is undersized, then extending it will not help with that. You will still have an undersized pier, but at least you won't have a rotting wood post on top of it! 😊
@@Homemaintenancesolution thank you for your reply. Illinois frostline is 36 inches, if all met the Illinois codes when they built, then I think I will just take out old 4x4s, clean the old piers real good, rebar through the old piers, pour concrete up to 4 - 6 inches above ground and 8 inches diameter. Do you think that would be decent enough? I really don't want to rebuilt my deck, just want to correct rotten posts. Am going to replace the old deck wood with composite after that. Edit: I meant new 12 inch diameter (cylinder), there is no 8 inch :)
@@nghichlanli1152 seems like a good compromise. You can't be any worse off than you are now.
I have a screened porch (12x16) that has 6x6 support posts at the front of the porch and a support beam (16' wide) with notched 6x6s and 2 2x10s that is 3' out from house under the porch. The ground under the support beam has sunken and the support beam pulled away from the porch. How would you tackle bringing the support beam up to make contact with the porch? The porch is not high off the ground (3-4') but you can get under it and do some work. Just trying to gather some ideas on a method to fix this. I really don't think the support beam is needed because the porch is so low to the ground and have less risk than those 2 story decks of pulling away from the house from lateral force but the support beam is code. I am thinking of doing the same as what was done in this video, but would like to see what others may have done with a similar problem.
Has anyone had the same or similar problem? If so, what did you do to fix?
You're the man ! Saved me alot of time and money.Thank you
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback! Please subscribe and click the bell icon so that you will be notified when we post new videos.
Great video! Thanks for the help. Question: You said elevate porch quarter inch above where you want it to rest. Did you leave the post base unbolted to the post until after the concrete had set and you had lowered the post? I'm wondering if failure to do this would cause anchor bolt to prevent lowering of post after the concrete had set up and shrunk. Is this an issue? Thanks again!
Yes. I would wait to add the fasteners until after the concrete sets up and you remove the jack.
@@Homemaintenancesolution how long should you wait to let it set up?
@@102wingnut 24 hours is good.
@@Homemaintenancesolution awesome thanks! I may be using this method this weekend!
Thank you so much for this video!!! I have to deal with a 15 foot high deck and I'd like to add a nice red brick footing attach my posts to. I will use concrete blocks about 3 feet high with red brick. I will have to adjust my footings. Thank you so much for this video!!!
Eric J Simmons, you're welcome. Hope it helps you!
Please subscribe to our channel so that you can get notified when we post new videos. Best to you!
My post is far shorter. Can I use epoxy/ bonding agent to join the old and new concrete instead of using rebar?
Thanks for the video. Exactly what I am doing. Although I don't see anything about digging out the old post from the cement. This is what I'm trying to do but having a difficult time. Using a drill and chipping with chisel. Is this not needed?
That's a good question. This is meant to cover how to correct the height if the post is on the concrete. If you posts are in the concrete, then I suggest breaking the entire pier out and repouring it. The wood post in the concrete will weaken it and it is most likely not deep enough or large enough at the bottom.
Great job. I see the emphasis that the finished pier is above ground level and a gap exisits between post and concrete via Simpson tie..
Yes, that's the important result! Thanks for following. Please subscribe if you haven't already.
love it! thanks for making the video!
I have deck piers that have a hole where the post used to be. I don't see enough concrete to put the rebar in. Do we need rebar or can we pour the new concrete into the hole left by the post and into the concrete tube to recreate a better pier?
We have 3 post that is on one concrete strip. One post is rotten on the bottom. The concrete is sagging and sinking. How do you fix this problem? Love your videos. Thanks
Perfect. Exactly what I was looking for. My option is a bit different in that I do not believe my posts are sitting on concrete pylons although the bottoms are starting to rot out.
Dan Peoples, glad to help! The process is basically the same, just do a little more digging. Make sure the bottom of your new hole is below your local frost line and flared out at the bottom. Also, be sure to tamp the dirt at the bottom of the hole before you pour your concrete. Best to you!
How much was the job to do this one pier? Thanks Tavis
Exactly what I need to do to my back porch deck. It has a roof over it attached to the house. The pier holding up one corner is on a slope and has slipped about 2 inches. What tonnage size jack should I use ? It's a 12' X 12' deck.
I'm not sure, but probably not as heavy as you think it is. Just try a decent sized jack and see how well it lifts it. If it won't then you know you will need a bigger one.
You did an awesome job.
Great info. thank you. I've been looking for this exact info. for a while. Can you please tell me if the sonotube diameter needs to be the same size, bigger, or smaller than the old pier on which it will sit?
Kathy and Steve Moelter, thanks for feedback. Glad the video helped you!
The size of the pier extension should be about the same as the existing one.
Please subscribe to our channel if you haven't already done so.
Hi, I like your video. My questions to you is what if I have the posts sitting on a concrete flood and the woods are rotten. What is your suggestions for this matters. Thank you
What would you do differently if the post was rotted on a concrete slab instead?
Thanks for the great video. My situation is a little different so curious how you would approach my issue. The corner of my deck has lifted an inch or 2 due to the cement pier lifting out of the ground. It’s also the corner of the deck near the stairs but I don’t think the stairs lifting due to frost were cause of the problem. It clearly looks like the cement pier lifted raising the corner.
Thinking I could level off by cutting off some of the 6x6 but my fear is now that frost has moved that pier once I’m afraid it will be an annual event of moving due to frost now. Am I better off trying to fix the position of the cement pier that lifted a couple of inches and if so how would you go about it?
We'll, ideally you would replace the entire pier with a properly designed pier that has a large enough footprint and is below the frost line in your area.
You could try cut the 6x6 off and see what it does first though. If it settles back or moves in any way then you know you need to dig that pier out and replace it.
Thanks for the info! So I'm guessing the old post was just anchored to the top of the pier? If a post was buried down into the concrete footing, would you just dig out the footing and pour a new one once you cut off the rotting part of the post?
Yes, except I would try to get as much of the wood post out of the concrete first. That will help the new concrete lock on to the old better. Best to you!
My whole pier sunk a couple inches but my post is fine. Would the process be the same?
Great vid! How old was that deck? I just had one built and they put in a metal post base (like yours) but its all below ground and now buried. My 6x6 PT posts in partially buried. How long will it take to rot?
Thanks! I'm not sure how old that deck was.. Your pressure treated post should last 5 years or so before they start rotting, but I but I would clear out the area or raise the pier height to prevent it if I could.
get a cameraman for closeups
How big and deep of the holes would u drill if I am using a 1/2 inch #4 rebar? Do I need to blow the the concrete dust n clean the holes after drilling? Great tips, thank you.
I would clean out the holes a little, but it's not important since the rebar is only to prohibit lateral movement. I would drill them around 4" deep, if you can. Thanks for the reply. Please subscribe!
I know the video is older. How long does it take for the cement to set before you can lower the post for load bearing? Approximately how much concrete is needed? Thank you for the informational video.
You'll have to figure your volume in cubic feet and look at the bag cubic feet amount.
A good rule of thumb is wait 24 hours before bearing on it. If you have a large amount of weight concentrated onto one post, then give it 48 hours
@@Homemaintenancesolution thank you
You need to secure your short pieces of rebar to your existing pier by using concrete anchoring epoxy adhesive. Important step!
Thanks for the comment, Mark! Actually, it isn't necessary here, because the bearing weight will keep the pieces together. The rebar just keep lateral movement from occuring.
Question. I see you used a 12" sono tube. Is that the same size as the existing concrete post or is it wider or narrower?
Did you ever get an answer to this question somewhere else? I’m planning on replacing my 4x4 deck posts with 6x6. Existing posts are below the grade (in the dirt, sitting on sonotubes. I want to extend the sonotubes so they r slightly above the grade, and can support 6x6 posts. Trying to figure out if it’s possible or if I should just dig them out and pour new
@@martinpersaud1319 No, but I removed the rotted posts from the concrete under the deck and porch (Pain in the ass job) and drilled holes in the existing concrete (3-4) and installed rebar and used the appropriate sized sono tube (12" in my case) and poured/bonded concrete to the existing concrete footer. The existing concrete was in good condition with no cracks. I used Simpson Strong-Tie ABA 6-in x 6-in Zmax Wood To Concrete Base to place the 6x6 post on to keep wood off the earth and concrete.
I have a similar problem but rather than exposed grade I have a brick paver patio that surrounds the deck posts. The posts run through the paver patio to poured posts, but the lack of maintenance over the years to keep the pavers sealed (previous owners) has led to the decay of the wood. Any suggestions you have are appreciated.
Wonderful video, My post is loose but I don't see rotted wood, the wood is inside the soil though, after looking at your video, I feel this has to be fixed anyway to avoid quick rot. How to fix it, would be useful if you have a video for that.
You should be able to solve your problem by following the same process.
Thanks for the great video. I also need to raise my sono tube footings about 8 inches. I would also like to increase the diameter. Do you see a problem putting a 10 inch diameter cap over an 8 inch diameter pier that goes down well below the frost line? My current situation has the piers about 3 inches below ground level and 6x6 post on an 8 inch footing barely fits.
As long as the 8" piers provide enough footprint to support the amount of weight on them, then it should be fine to make the top bigger.
Thank you!!! It helped me a lot!!!
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Thanks for making this video, I have to do the exact same thing. Question: how do I know the old peer is deep enough to use, how deep should it be? Thanks again
That's a hard thing to know for sure. The pier should have a wide base (the diameter of that is calculated by the load by an engineer) and be below the frostline in your area. Here's an article that might help in your area.
www.decks.com/how-to/264/deck-footing-frost-depth-map
The standard way of checking the depth of you footing or pier, is to use a long metal rod with a point on it. You can push it down into moist soil and project the depth of the footing by where you are hitting it or not.
All that to say that this is not an easy thing to determine. I usually use a different test.
IS THE PIER SETTLING OR HOLDING IT'S OWN? Some piers will be crooked and/or settling. If that's the case, then I wouldn't add to that. If the pier was low to start with (or the ground has been added to) but is stable OR settled a couple inches and has stabilized, then I would consider it to be a good candidate to add to. Hope that helps!
@@Homemaintenancesolution Yes thank you for your help I appreciate it. I did some digging, I can't believe the previous home owner set a 6x6 on top of a cinder block and buried it. It's a raised deck about 12' off the ground. I'm no expert but I'm reasonably sure this is not only dangerous but it's also against code in every state.
@@billveder1071 Yeah, that should be replaced at some point. Not deep enough, not large enough, and not to code.
@@Homemaintenancesolution I fixed (3) 6x6's deck posts. I dug 2 ft deep, 6" of packed gravel, loaded with re-bar, poured a 2'x2'x7" footing. I used (2) 2' sections of re-bar pounded all the way through but protruding up about 8" for the sono tube. The next day I filled the 12" sono tube and used an integrated 6x6 strong tie galvanized cement anchor. After another 36 hrs of dry time I drove in the 1/2" galvanized lag bolts. 2 weeks later I'm finally finished. WOW! It was a a lot of work. Thanks for your help.
@@billveder1071 Congratulations!
Thanks for the video! My balcony wood deck is sagging on one far side. I cannot figure what is causing it, but I suspect it is the 6 x 6 support pillar which seems to have twisted out of alignment and the horizontal brace beam above it is also sagging downwards. while the other pillar and horizontal support beam are perfectly aligned. the support beam on the sagging side is not plum or perpendicular to the bottom of the deck. Do you think it shifted or may be rotted at the base? Maybe I need to do what you did here. Thanks for any suggestions!
I suggest getting a professional to look at it. It is hard to diagnose without seeing it.
If your pier is settling or shifting out of alignment, then a new pier is probably in order.
@@Homemaintenancesolution Do they sell pre-made tiers that come with the support base bracket and pre-drilled anchor? Maybe If I jack up the deck with some support blocks, and dig underneath, I can better access the damage. Thanks for commenting!
@@charronfamilyconnect No. You really need to get a professional in to look at it. It sounds like this is above your skill level.
What is the approximate cost to have someone fix two deck columns like this? Thanks.
It should be about $1,500.
I have the same scenario. Thanks for posting.
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Where exactly did you support the overhead structure so it was safe and solid? That critical factor is why I came to this channel. I guess you didn't think that was important.
Good question. It will be different on every deck. Look at how the weight is transferred to the posts. If the posts are supporting a beam, then jack under the beam. If they are connected to the outside rim joists, then jack under those. You just need to get under something that is supporting a broad amount of weight. Don't jack against a deck surface board and expect the nails or screws in it to be strong enough to lift the deck.
What is the best way to move back a post six inches from your house? I will be getting siding install and would prefer having the siding go straight across
I would dig down next to it and pour a larger pier that would attached to the existing pier with rebar. Then set a new post base on top of the new larger pier.
So the top of the tubing needs to be even with the bottom of the post.
Must be precise or the concrete will come up into the wood post if tube too high
If you use a metal post base, then you would have a gap between the two equal to the height of the metal post base.
Similar situation with my deck which currently has two, 4x4 posts. They could come up a good 5-6 inches. If I’m going through this process, would it be valuable to move to a larger post?
It could be Jason. There are lots of variables in this decision, so I wouldn't want to steer you wrong because I can't see your situation. I guess if you aren't sure, it wouldn't hurt to go to 6 x 6s. Best to you!
How do I do what you did because all I have is small cement blocks under my post that are starting to rotten. I have NO peir base .The cement blocks is all I have under my post that set on dirt.
That makes it a lot harder, but it can be done. You will need to dig a full pier down to the frost line in your area. It needs to flare out at the bottom before you pour the concrete.
My deck has 5 buried posts like this one had. Only two of my 5 posts are starting to rot. Is it alright to have a mix of buried posts and ones like you did here? I assume so. My plan was to only replace the ones that are rotting, and do the other ones when needed.
RockCh4lk, sure. That's a great plan! Often times small steps towards the end goal is the best way to get it done for Do It Yourselfers. It won't be a problem for your deck to do a couple now and the rest later.
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I have the same situation with one bad and 2 good posts. I think I'm going to replace the dirt around the good ones with gravel to help keep them dry.
How do you think the concrete fix will hold up to Minnesota winters?
Bob Marley, the determining factor on that is how deep the original pier is. As long as it is below the frost line and your new pour is connected directly to the old, then I think you will be fine.
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how deep should the new concrete base be?
Nick Brother same question I have if no existing footing in place.
Depth differs by area. I'd google to find that out, as it depends on the weather.
This solution assumes there's already a footer here. There are a lot of videos showing starting without a footing already there.
I have a husky 6 tons jack, do you think that will work to Jack up a similar deck like that to replace a 6x6 post? Thanks.
Ecra Handy All, sure. That should be plenty. Best to you on your project! Please subscribe to our channel so that you can get notified when we post new videos.
Thank you so much for the quick response! Your videos are great and of course I did subscribe already.
My deck posts heaved 2 inches per year for last four years, under Minnesota freezing temp. how do I repair piers footings to prevent it in future?
Needs to go deeper. Footings need to go below the frost line which for Minnesota is between 60" and 90" deep!
Nice tips. I'd also like to know how to re-pour a concrete stair landing for the deck. Mine is crooked due to erosion and bad grading.
malagabee, thanks for the feedback! We'll work on that one in the future.
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Great video! We have a 6x6 post with an old 8-10" footer holding up the upper deck corner and corner of roof. The corner area is about 7 ' away from a slowly disintegrating railroad tie retaining wall on a slope. Engineer says we need to install two helical piers at $8K. We think this is a cost effective way to stabilize this corner post and could add a second post. What do you think?
Thank you for the great video. This is a project I am about to start. Why did you raise your jack 1/4" after the concrete pour?
Stephen Hiatt, glad to help. Hope your project goes well! I raise the jack slightly to account for the fact that the post will drop a little before it hits the hardened concrete.
What kind of jack did you use and what's the best way to set it? Anyone can chime in, thanks!
It is a bottle jack.
Looks like a Hydraulic bottle jack but can't tell the capacity. But I would expect if you take a piece of wood under the jack that a 3 ton mechanics jack would work in a pinch.
First, thank you so much for sharing this video. I'm thinking of adding about 4 inches of concrete to my 6 existing deck piers. Right now, they're at the surrounding soil level. In your opinion, how thick the added concrete piece should be to prevent it from crumbling in the future? I live in Minnesota where the weather is fluctuating big time. You mentioned using high strength concrete, this is to prevent the added and exposed concrete piece disintegration in the future?
Are you sure the pier did not sink, your suggestion of replacing the pier sounded better than attaching to the exsisting pier.
It would have been nice to see the finished product. You never mention how long to allow for curing. 3 to 28 days? .Either way your advice was good.
One day of setting time is plenty.
Thank you sir!
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Didn't see if you bolted the steel cap to the concrete. Did you?
You should at least put the metal post base over a stud in the concrete so it can't be knocked off.
I’ve got do this with a 16 ft deck 😬
You should center your post over your concrete pier. It looks a little goofy with that offset base. 😒
How about an occasional closeup?
Thanks for the input! I'll try to do better at that. 🙂
Always Always Always epoxy the rebar into the existing pad before pouring new pad
Good job.
Just don't trust hydraulic jacks. They are unreliable and easy to be broken
Sets a poor example for safety: at 1:35, he operates a power saw without safety glasses.
Yeah, I'm not super big on safety. Feel free to add any safety gear that you want.
Dirt doesn't rot anything.
Water and fungus and bugs ruin wood.
You're absolutely right! I wish more people knew that!!
This intro copulates respectfully
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