Posted: 9/14/2016 9:21:11 PM EDT
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My back patio area was an addition from the previous owners and they made a flower box type thing. It was big and ugly and the cheap fiber board they wrapped it with was getting soft and rotting.
Today I started tearing it all off to see what I had to deal with. The 4x4 posts are solid and sitting on concrete blocks. It doesn't appear that they are anchored to the patio foundation, just sitting there with the weight. We're not in a high wind/tornado/hurricane area, so is this OK? What do you guys suggest? 
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4x6 or 4x4 either way, tear out the railing/planter. Knock off the decorative pieces at the top.
looks tricky because it looks like someone poured flatwork around the post blocks, that all has to be cut around so you can dig and pour a real footing. I can't believe the air handlers are on the back porch, I bet that can get loud. On second look it looks like the posts and the blocks are in OK shape and not dire. Not optimum but once you get rid of all of the railing and planter then you can see what you have. |
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Quoted:
4x6 or 4x4 either way, tear out the railing/planter. Knock off the decorative pieces at the top. looks tricky because it looks like someone poured flatwork around the post blocks, that all has to be cut around so you can dig and pour a real footing. I can't believe the air handlers are on the back porch, I bet that can get loud. On second look it looks like the posts and the blocks are in OK shape and not dire. Not optimum but once you get rid of all of the railing and planter then you can see what you have. The posts are solid and don't seem to have any rot. They are just dirty and nasty from spider webs and dirt and other critters. The blocks are just sitting there and not attached to the former slab. That whole overhang was an addition to the house. I would like to secure them though and maybe replace the posts. What do you think about the anchors I posted in the 2nd post or maybe these fancy ones? 
ETA: The plan is to completely remove the planterbox and have the patio space wide open with only the columns. |
| Simpson Strong-Tie post bases are what you seek. There's many versions depending on how you want to do this. The simplest would be a retrofit post base followed by the half base. Both of those should be able to be installed with very little effort. |
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#YOLO.
Ripped it all out. It didn't fall down. The 4x4s are very sturdy and solid. A lot of people have said if it's not broke don't fix it..  But I'd like to dress them up a little bit at least. The SO is very pleased with the more open look and it makes the patio area seem much bigger.
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Those AC condensers under that roof is not a good thing. I bet they run hot as hell. We've only been in this house for a little over a year, so you may be right. But they run very efficiently and the electric bill is the same as my old much smaller house that only had one unit. They don't seem any hotter than another uncovered unit, but I'm not an HVAC guy 
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Is the patio even usable when the condensers are running?
Clear for 4-5 diameters of the fan above the unit is desirable for free air flow. They should also be their height apart from each other as a minimum. The hot air from their exhaust is trapped under the ceiling & roof. |