The Gull's Call - Apr/May/Jun 2025

ArchitecturalNews

Our Homes Are Getting Older By Joe Wlad, Woodbridge A RECENT RENOVATION ON OUR HOME IN in Harbor Bay are now between 30 - 40 years old. We recently replaced all the siding and pillars on our home and I’m going to share what my wife and I learned in that process. PORCH PILLARS Since our house is in Woodbridge, our plan 4 model comes with 3 brick-faced pillars that support the porch roof. Desiring a more modern look, we removed the brick fascia and replaced it with wood. The brick facing was about 17 inches wide and covered a 6” by 6” post that supports the edge beam of the porch. We found that the top area of the facing (Photo 1) where the inside post attaches to the beam is actually open. There is a 3-4” gap inside between the post and brick facing making this area a convenient living space for critters. Woodbridge allowed me to rediscover that older homes do need a lot more attention. Most homes

you have them. While total failure of the posts may not be a catastrophe, it could cause damage to the roofline that the posts support.

We also found the posts were not pressure treated and submerged below the ground line resulting in decay from the bottom (Photo 3). We remedied this by creating a concrete base foundation above the ground line and used pressure-treated posts. Another vulnerability we observed was that the support beam for our porch was in two pieces, connected by a miter cut secured with screws. We installed a large-span support bracket to cover the miter cut so that it has adequate support during an earthquake. Photo 2: Post Damage

Once we removed the brick facing, we were surprised by what we saw (Photo 2). A racoon or rat had made a home inside the brick facing on the corner pillar. To create more living space the critter had gnawed away at the 6” post to the point it was almost completely eaten through. The middle pillar also had similar damage. We ended up replacing all 3 posts and sealing up the top area so that no animals can get inside. The new facings are now 12” by 12” with a 6” post inside. This is not to say that all homes with brick-faced pillars have openings in the top areas, but it may be worthwhile to inspect the pillars if Photo 1: Top area of brick facing

Photo 3: Wood rot at the base of the posts

24 April | May | June 2025

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