Building a back porch - advice needed

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:02 pm

Just to throw something else in the mix... I often prefer to use 2"X stock laminated together with screw shank nails and exterior glue than to use a solid post like a 4" X 4" or a 6" X 6" post. Solid post are quite prone to twist and warp before you can get everything all anchored together. Three properly laminated 2" X 6"s are far more stable than a 6" X 6" solid post especially when you look at some of the really soft crap they are calling post these days.
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Something else I wanted to mention I could not find a picture of (I guess I was not using the right words to search). It was common at one point in pole barns etc.
Picture cutting a bunch of pieces of maybe 2" or 3" EMT about an inch long. Then you use a hole-saw to match it and cut a ring groove in each side of a wood joint (like joist/sill and post) about 1/2" deep. Then you slip the metal ring in one of the grooves and using the center hole bolt the parts together. The bolt holds them together and the steel ring seated in the grooves on both sides provides remarkable shear strength added to the shear strength of the bolt. Some contractors like them because they could be left a bit loose until everything was together so the structure could be all aligned and then braced and all of the joints tightened when it was all together.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:07 pm

robinson46176 wrote:Just to throw something else in the mix... I often prefer to use 2"X stock laminated together with screw shank nails and exterior glue than to use a solid post like a 4" X 4" or a 6" X 6" post. Solid post are quite prone to twist and warp before you can get everything all anchored together. Three properly laminated 2" X 6"s are far more stable than a 6" X 6" solid post especially when you look at some of the really soft crap they are calling post these days.
-
Something else I wanted to mention I could not find a picture of (I guess I was not using the right words to search). It was common at one point in pole barns etc.
Picture cutting a bunch of pieces of maybe 2" or 3" EMT about an inch long. Then you use a hole-saw to match it and cut a ring groove in each side of a wood joint (like joist/sill and post) about 1/2" deep. Then you slip the metal ring in one of the grooves and using the center hole bolt the parts together. The bolt holds them together and the steel ring seated in the grooves on both sides provides remarkable shear strength added to the shear strength of the bolt. Some contractors like them because they could be left a bit loose until everything was together so the structure could be all aligned and then braced and all of the joints tightened when it was all together.

Laminated 2x? - another way to create a shoulder.

Ya can compensate for warp by opposing the warp of individual pieces.

Those 'rings' provide greater surface area for the stresses to be transferred from 'piece' to piece. Years ago they were patented and required a special 'circle' cutter. Those rings were hardened. The 'joint' increases from the bolt diameter to the ring diameter thus providing far greater surface area.

Another example of the bolt not providing the support, but merely maintaining position.