# Forum Home Renovation Structural Renovation  Verandah Posts - DIY?

## Sargie

Hi All.  First post on here, what an amazing forum !  
Just bought a house which has concrete block for front verandah and metal verandah posts - yes, look awful !  We're pulling up the concrete to restump the front and are looking at installing 4 verandah posts (its a double front Victorian).  
Is this fairly straightforward to do myself? If so, anybody's suggestions on the following are much appreciated; 
- How far down do I have to dig to support the posts? Do they need setting in concrete?
- Would I build decking 'around' the posts, or vice versa? 
- Are Acro props fairly cheap to hire to support the roof while under construction? 
If not, is this a simple job for a general tradesman or for somebody who specialises in this? I'm probably getting a friend to do the decking.... 
Thanks!

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## SilentButDeadly

Welcome..... 
First suggestion is to grab yourself some books.  Go the www.skillspublish.com.au and avail yourself of a couple of the Allan Staines books.....they're not the last word in Australian building & renovation but they are very helpful. 
As for your posts....depth depends on soil type (so I'm told (: ) but anything more than 400mm deep and round would be fine. Timber posts can sit on Pryda stirrups (Go google for more info) embedded in the concrete. 
Decking....can go either way.  Personal preference really.  Pryda has a fitting to bolt posts to decking. 
No idea how much an acrow costs to hire but it can't be hard to ring Coates or Kennards to find out.....or try their websites.

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## DvdHntr

The posts need to go down 400 and set in at least 200 of concrete (not quickset) but that is provided the area of roof supported is no more than 10 square metres 
Decking would be built around the posts. 
Acro props are around $18 a day each but check with the hire place.

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## gpkennedy

Do you need to remove the existing steel posts before you install the new timber ones?  Would the old ones be in the way?  Or could you place the new posts in a  new position while leaving the steel ones to support the veranda roof? This would save the need for additional supports and the hire of supports.   I used two parallel posts fairly close together which I believe looks great.  Could send more pics of detail if you want.   The plastic cover things in the attachment are available at Bunnings and make the job easier for a DIY.
George

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## Sargie

> Do you need to remove the existing steel posts before you install the new timber ones?  Would the old ones be in the way?  Or could you place the new posts in a  new position while leaving the steel ones to support the veranda roof? This would save the need for additional supports and the hire of supports.   I used two parallel posts fairly close together which I believe looks great.  Could send more pics of detail if you want.   The plastic cover things in the attachment are available at Bunnings and make the job easier for a DIY.
> George

  
Hey mate. Here's a piccie.  I think the posts at the moment are right in the position we'd like to place the wood posts unfortunately. The whole order/timing of decking and posts etc is my main concern at the moment - the concrete verandah at the moment needs to come up for reblocking so a perfect opportunity to lay wooden decking. However, we need to support the roof during this process anyway, then the logical next step would be wooden posts I guess? 
Thanks for all your suggestions btw.

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## gpkennedy

I appreciate that you want to get the job done in one go and that you would need to cut the existing concrete deck if you wanted to follow my suggestion of leaving the existing steel poles in the concrete.  However consider the idea of *twin posts*. They could frame the front door really well. I'll take a nighttimes pic  and attach.

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