Inadequate garage support post?

One 4x4 post for the side of the garage. Post is a turned porch-post type.

Considering its size, I think it’s inadequate by itself. Any thoughts?

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Taking into account for the lathe work, in effect, it’s a 3x3 at best !!! :shock:

No matter how I look at it, and consider all the possible construction techniques, there is only one answer… RUN !!! :stuck_out_tongue:

:D:D

Don’t overlook the support from the downspout. :stuck_out_tongue:

Joe,

You forgot to take into consideration the additional strength added by the downspout.

So yea, I would say its a little weak. Put that on the “TO DO” list for the homeowner.

Sure hope they don’t miss the entrance to the carport on their way in. :mrgreen:

My thoughts exactly!

P.S. I walked the roof and it didn’t collapse. :smiley:

The post may well be structurally adequate. Some manufacturers of turned columns will specify the maximum axial load they are capable of carrying. One could easily calculate the load on the column if one knew certain key dimensions. The comments posted tend to support my opinion that people other than licensed and qualified design professionals ought not give opinions about structural adequacy of construction elements. There is no reason to believe that the post is inadequate for this application.

My guess, absent enough dimensions and information to perform calculations, is that the post carries very little load, and is perfectly adequate.

If it were a cement-filled six-inch diameter steel pipe column, or even a sixteen inch square block pier, I would STILL be concerned about someone missing the entrance to the garage.

I hope your kidding

Agreed…

Ehhhh!

That is called a carport and nobody needs a structural engineer to say the multiladder will support more weight than that little thing.
(hate the multi ladder) top heavy and back breaking.

It looks more decorative that supportive.

Here is a good instructional…

Could it possibly be a vinyl post with an aluminum core if so they are rated for carrying 1800lb load (The one I purchased) but I don’t see any method of fastening to the brick

Definitely wood.

Meanwhile, that poor little column doesn’t know that it cannot support the weight of a garage roof in a southern climate, so it just goes ahead and does it anyway.

Yes, it’s a carport, but it is, unlike the one in the linked article, attached to two walls of the house, not one. I wish I knew the dimensions and the exact roof framing conditions, but say the garage is 18x18. That means that the column is carring perhaps 9x9 x 30 PSF total load…that’s 2430 pounds. In structural terms, that’s a tiny load. There is no need for knee bracing, because the two house walls brace the roof structure in both directions.

No, I was not kidding.

You guys who say its fine, here’s a question: if it were supporting a deck, instead of a house roof, would you be OK with it? A deck of the same dimensions attached to structure at 2 sides with one of those at the corner is perfectly fine? Right?

Bet you sody pop joe thats a steel or aluminum beam hidden under what you see. I also bet it’s embedded deep in the ground hopefully sitting on a footer.

http://www.ci.broomfield.co.us/building/patio04.pdf

With all due respect… and I am trying to learn from this, also…

Billy,
No way in heck!!! take a closer look at the photos.

Richard H.,
When was the last time you observed a 9x9 carport? The average “small car” is close to 12ft long. Judging by various visible indicators, that carport is closer to 10x16. Using **your **(questionable) equation, that equates to **4800 lbs. **

The following links are from a quick search online… this manufacturer recommends a design load of 2600lbs for a solid core 4x4… we have here a solid core “turned” 4x4… closer to a 3x3…

http://www.coxwood.com/woodproducts_residential_columns.shtml

http://www.coxwood.com/pdf/Column_Design_Loads.pdf

Nice try… but try again…

Richard figured it as 18 x 18, that gives a tributary load of 9 feet on each side, 9 feet of each side are supported by the house (half the distance).

Look at the age of the house, that is how they did things then, I would report this as a potential issue for sure.

Decks have even higher potential loading so no comparison there unless you specify sizes and design issues for the comparison.

How many of you have seen a bulldozer knock one of those posts out during a demolition? The one I saw was very similar the dozer whacked it away and the roof only sagged about 6 inches. If left alone it would have been sagging more the next day but there is some overkill built into houses.

My guess is that the post performs as it is intended to, (hold up the roof)
Looks like a newer roof on a older home, it probably has been doing its job for quite a while.
Did you notice any sign of sag in the beam to indicate that it was not capable of carrying the load
I would be more concerned about the block the post is sitting on, is it a solid concrete masonry unit, or a solid cinder block (not good, they deteriorate) or is a hollow 4 on its side?

Have a great day
Tim

A turned post may be made of a higher quality wood than plain old framing lumber, so comparison to a 4x4 may be irrelevant, and thank you, Mr. King, for explaining how loads are distributed, for those who were trying to learn. Absent clear evidence to the contrary, I stand by my opinion, which comes from almost 50 years in residential architecture, including successful structural design on literally hundreds of projects. I cannot see why an inspector would even make an issue of such a condition, but maybe I can make some cash writing an opinion letter on behalf of the seller to assuage a worried buyer, as I’ve done in dozens of cases over the years.

You owe me a ‘coke’. I went back to the house this afternoon to pick up the radon test kits. Definitely wood (you’ll see in the photo where I carved on it). Sitting on a metal plate that isn’t attached to anything as far as I can tell.

Carport size is 13 x 20.

Here’s another view of the side of the home. Seems like common sense to me: the post is not substantial. A center post would be a good idea also (why wait till it sags?).

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