Load bearing posts settling over the years

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Load bearing posts settling over the years

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#282740 9-Mar-2021 08:52

I've started DIY renovating my house since last year. A lot of work to do. Two piles on the kitchen side were replaced but when I did my kitchen after a couple of months of re-piling, the floor was still unlevelled and I had to put up with it. The kitchen cabinet installation was really a pain but I finished it in the end. My biggest question is how to fix my posts on the deck now. I have four posts that are connected to the beam of the house and standing on the ground. The house is built in 1980s and it's started to worry me. Any idea is appreciated.

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#2670382 9-Mar-2021 09:35

The photo doesn't show the problem. What is wrong?

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#2670518 9-Mar-2021 15:40

Look closely. The post moved. There's a gap.

gbwelly

1243 posts

Uber Geek

#2670524 9-Mar-2021 15:45

chez:

Look closely. The post moved. There's a gap.

Was there no gap when you purchased the place?

Looks like there wasn't enough timber available on the middle plank for a cutout so they just rounded it up to the next plank over?

neb

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#2670530 9-Mar-2021 15:49

Bung: The photo doesn't show the problem. What is wrong?

Left gumboot has a hole towards the front. As you point out, it's not visible in the photo.

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#2670568 9-Mar-2021 18:09

Posting another photos. There's a gap when it was bought but over the years, it's become noticeably out of centre and slanted.

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#2670571 9-Mar-2021 18:14

I'm worried to wake up one day that the house sank. If there's nothing wrong with these piles, why my beams are separating from the wall?

SATTV

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#2670574 9-Mar-2021 18:31

What you are showing us in not a pile, it is a wooden post, without looking properly it should not be load bearing as it is too small.

It looks like it has twisted due to the timber dry out, this is very common.

If you wanted to replace it, use a LVL, I have just learned about these for fencing , the guy who did our gate wont use anything else and says they will not warp and twist.

https://www.diydirect.nz/shop/prolam-and-building-materials/structural-glulam-laminated-timber-beams-and-posts/laminated-h5-and-h3-2-posts-pl8-visual/

John

I know enough to be dangerous

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Jase2985

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#2670581 9-Mar-2021 18:45

SATTV:

What you are showing us in not a pile, it is a wooden post, without looking properly it should not be load bearing as it is too small.

It looks like it has twisted due to the timber dry out, this is very common.

If you wanted to replace it, use a LVL, I have just learned about these for fencing , the guy who did our gate wont use anything else and says they will not warp and twist.

https://www.diydirect.nz/shop/prolam-and-building-materials/structural-glulam-laminated-timber-beams-and-posts/laminated-h5-and-h3-2-posts-pl8-visual/

John

@ about 10x the price of a standard post

neb

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#2670583 9-Mar-2021 18:46

Alternatively, given the soggy ground in front of the deck, it's the deck that has shifted, not the post.

mattwnz

20163 posts

Uber Geek

#2670590 9-Mar-2021 19:01

SATTV:

What you are showing us in not a pile, it is a wooden post, without looking properly it should not be load bearing as it is too small.

It looks like it has twisted due to the timber dry out, this is very common.

If you wanted to replace it, use a LVL, I have just learned about these for fencing , the guy who did our gate wont use anything else and says they will not warp and twist.

https://www.diydirect.nz/shop/prolam-and-building-materials/structural-glulam-laminated-timber-beams-and-posts/laminated-h5-and-h3-2-posts-pl8-visual/

John

Don't LVLs de laminate over time? I would have thought they were next used when under some sort of cover. I have't had too many problems with fence posts twisting or warping, but have noticed that those that do tend to be thicker ones.

SATTV

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#2670612 9-Mar-2021 19:40

@ about 10x the price of a standard post

Yes that is true, but it is true, and stays true.

I have probably more than 50% of my fence posts and rails that have badly twisted and it bugs the hell out of me and when it comes time to replace the fence I will not be using sawn timber but LVL.

I also will use dressed pailings but that is another whole discussion.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

Bung

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#2670855 10-Mar-2021 07:40

chez:
I'm worried to wake up one day that the house sank. If there's nothing wrong with these piles, why my beams are separating from the wall?

You need to look under the deck at how things are attached. The veranda posts shouldn't be doubling as piles but it happened. Piles should be 125 x 125mm minimum and H5 treated. Posts are usually 100 x 100mm and only H4. The posts could be rotting at ground level. Any bearer attached to the wall or to the posts should be bolted not nailed. The connection should not be pulling apart even if the posts are sinking for any reason.

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#2671161 10-Mar-2021 17:05

I had a look underneath the deck. My deck is L shaped and the posts are serving as piles. There are 5 posts overall. And 3 piles underneath the whole deck. Bearer on the top are bolted and I can see that the connection aren't pulling apart.

Jase2985

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#2671384 11-Mar-2021 06:33

time for a new one done properly

wellygary

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#2671471 11-Mar-2021 10:00

I'm guessing the deck was built subsequent to the house. and instead of digging new posts for the deck they just hung them off the existing ones..

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