Fix post without digging it out

Years ago, it was common practice to embed porch and patio posts in concrete. It was simple: Dig a hole, set the post and pour concrete around it.

The idea was to enjoy the added strength provided by the concrete while at the same time creating a barrier between the post and the earth – all in hopes of improving lasting quality.

Whoops, it doesn’t work. If you discover that you have this condition, don’t go for the jackhammer. You have a flat – not a blowout.

You have two repair choices and neither one requires concrete removal, you can fully replace the post, or you can trim an inch off the very bottom of the post and repair it using a metal post bracket. In either case, you will need to temporarily brace whatever it is that the post supports – like a porch beam, for example.

Measure the distance between the porch and the beam, add a half-inch to your measurement and cut a 2-by-4 to that length. Next, snugly wedge the 2-by-4 between the beam and the porch. Don’t try to get the brace plumb. It was cut too long so it could be “wedged” into place. When snugged up, it will be at a slight angle.

Tack the top of the 2-by-4 support to the porch bean with one or two 16d box nails. For safety, lay another 2-by-4 on the porch and wedge it between the base of the 2-by-4 support and something solid like the front of the house.

A couple of connectors will make either job quick and easy. The first hanger is a post base and is a surface-mounted connector. The second one, the column base, is designed to be embedded in concrete. This is the one you would use if you were to dig out the old post and replace it with concrete.

Now it’s time to determine whether to replace the entire post or just the lowest inch or so. Use a screwdriver to prod the suspect area of the post. Wherever the blade easily penetrates the surface, you can be sure rot exists.

If the rot is confined to the area immediately adjacent to the concrete, simply cut off the lowest inch of the post. Here’s how: First, cut the post off at the concrete. Lay a handsaw on its side right on the concrete and cut away. Next, tack the post in place with a couple of nails or screws (you’ll have to toenail here). This will hold the post in place while the second cut is made.

Making the second cut is easy when you use the following technique: Lay a 1-inch thick spacer on the porch. Lay the side of your handsaw on the spacer using it as a guide to make a perfect second cut that will remove slightly more than 1-inch of material between the porch and what is now the new bottom of the post.

Now, insert a post base bracket and a spacer into the void.

Push the post to the side just enough to mount the bracket over the existing hole. Nail or bolt it in place, insert the 1-inch spacer and swing the post into the connector and nail it to the bottom of the post. If the wood in the post hole is completely disintegrated, then dig it out and fill it with concrete. In this situation an “embedded”-style connector can be placed in the wet concrete patch.

If the rot is excessive and travels up the post, then install a new post.