Author Topic: It fell off...how do I fix it?  (Read 2400 times)

skeeder

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It fell off...how do I fix it?
« on: October 16, 2017, 09:30:27 AM »
Hi Everyone,

The corner of my porch kinda...well, fell off


I think (thus the reason I am here) I can create a wood structure and fill it and call it good, but its location (and my newest to cement) makes me stop and bring my question here.

Anyone have suggestions on how to fix this?

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2017, 09:36:49 AM »
Secure plywood forms to remaining concrete with Tapcons.  Pour new concrete.  Wait a couple days and remove forms.  Patch Tapcon holes.

skeeder

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2017, 09:43:40 AM »
would C-clamps work to secure it?

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2017, 09:54:00 AM »
I'm not sure what you the other side of the c clamp would attach to? With that method it would also be difficult to make sure the form is at the exact plane as the existing concrete.  The finished product is going to look like crap if it's not

Louisville

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2017, 10:01:38 AM »
would C-clamps work to secure it?
Drill in to the remaining concrete and stick in some rebar. Or your patch may fall off. I speak from experience.
I don't see how you could use C clamps, unless they're big enough to span the whole thickness of the porch.
Take the aluminum off the post - it will get in the way.

sokoloff

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2017, 11:19:06 AM »
What looks to have happened is the wood swelled (from rot/water) which created enough hoop stress on the concrete to blow out the corner. Since that part is not normally loaded, I wouldn't bother with the rebar suggestion. (If you already have a hammer drill, go ahead and do it; it adds <30 minutes to the job. I wouldn't buy one just for this job, though.) I'd pad the post with some compressible material that won't hold water [think a closed cell foam product] to allow for some further deterioration of the post without loading the concrete patch.

Then, provide some bond with the existing concrete (the suggestion for TapCons into the existing concrete would work well enough here; for load bearing applications, I'd use rebar, but here, screws are probably good enough), build a form underneath [at least] and on the sides [probably], and go to town. Use the edge trowel when the concrete is half-set. Don't expect the repair to be invisible. The patch concrete is finer and probably whiter than the existing concrete you have.

I've then used the following with good effect (and mine was on the loaded front edge of stairs that we use everyday in and out of the house, in a climate where we get freezing. The first repair (without TapCons) failed after about 2 winters. The second repair, where I used TapCons and paid more attention to not letting water get into the joint [with careful grading], has lasted 6 years and counting.

Patch product:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-10-lb-Vinyl-Concrete-Patcher-113311/100318504

Flat trowel:
(Pick one. I'm not an expert and used the brick [diamond shaped] trowel I already had.)

Edge trowel:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Marshalltown-6-in-x-3-in-Steel-Hand-Edger-HESG63-HD/202091765

If you have the piece that broke off, you could try to pin it together with rebar and concrete patch, but you'd need to drill pretty good sized holes with decent alignment to each other and you might not have the [practically] needed hammer drill. I would consider that, but if doing that, would chisel away some of the base of the wood post and still provide the closed cell foam padding to allow a bit of play in the future to prevent it being forced off again in the next freeze or when the wood further rots/swells.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2017, 11:20:54 AM by sokoloff »

Louisville

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2017, 11:27:15 AM »
Hmm, yeah. Why does the post go down into the concrete? I don't think I've seen that before.

Fishindude

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Re: It fell off...how do I fix it?
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2017, 02:11:14 PM »
Near impossible to repair that and make it match nicely plus last long term.
I would drill some holes into the existing concrete each side of post, then insert a couple runs of 1/4 steel pencil rod to act as reinforcement and tie things together.  Then I’d apply a little bonding agent to existing concrete surfaces, form, then re-pour the missing piece with a high strength patching mix. 

If you don’t bump it, it should last a while.  Color probably won’t match real good.