# can u pour a slab on a pillar 2 make a porch?



## boxofdaylite (Jul 11, 2009)

As a single mom of a large household I have learned how to fix repair and screw up all kinds of things as a do it yourselfer. Not as a preference but as a financial consideration. 

So... I am having a new front door and picture window installed in the face of my house, by a professional. however .... there is a flip flop of placement the  window is going where the door currently is and the door is becoming more centered and being placed where the window currently is. It is my job to tear down the current artic entry, which is almost complete, and get the grounds ready for a new larger front porch, simple, 8x24. 

I am getting a tad bit clever and resoursful at the same time by using the metal spestos pipe that I have just removed, replaced the oil furnace and wood stove with electric so now I am going to use these pipe for the footing for my new porch. did them into the ground and fill them with concrete, then..... what I would appreciate from a wise reader..... and then.... and then.... what I was thinking of was to build a form, plywood on the bottom and 2x4" sides... basically a 8by 24 by 4" sandbox sitting on these metalspestos pillars and then... and then... filler up with concrete to make the porch. 

since these metal spestos pipes are 8" pipes, meaning of course that is 8" on the inside of the pipe and 11 inches outside .... I would think this would be strong enough to flippen drive a truck over. so the weight of the form willed concrete would not be to heavy.   lolol... but I have only ever used concrete to make decrative step stones.

I was thinking that with the 2by 4 sides of the form, I would use screws to make sure it was plenny secure and then leave the form intact as part of the porch. In my big picture I want to ad a railing and roof so by leaving the form intact I would have wood to work with. 


Was that as clear as mud ? lol 

Please advise.


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## glennjanie (Jul 11, 2009)

Welcome BoxofDaylite:
You have a good idea for a start. However, rather than put a plywood form under the porch, I would fill with sand, rock or compacted earth and stake the 2 X 4 around the peremiter using treated lumber and leaving a 16d nail head every foot around inside to be poured in the concrete and add an extra anchor to the 2 X 4.

Plywood left under the floor would attract termites and other vermin, but the floor could still bear on the concrete in the pipes. The concrete should be reinforced with wire and a #4 bar around the perimeter.

Glenn


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## boxofdaylite (Jul 12, 2009)

I think I understand your directives, how about I describe a bit better. Here in alaska you can still build a cabin or there are still many older homes that were built on creosote pilings. My porch idea is simular, I am going to use the metal spestos pipes filled with concrete as my pilings to put the porch on.

I know I can build the frame and cover with decking material as most normal people would. lol. however what I was hoping was to cut some costs and make a form that I could just leave together forever and fill it with concrete for the porch itself. So after I have my posts in the ground leveled and filled I would still make the wood frame of the porch but then cover the framework with plywood or fiber board or other inexpensive boards creating a flat surface only if I added 2x4" around perimiter of the decking, making a tray, fill it with concrete, smooth it out cure it and walaa have a concrete porch sitting on posts. 

my other thot was if I left the 2x4 boards as part of the porch deck then in the future I could add a railing and roof overhead.

I am just not clear if 3.5 inches of concrete is adequate to be a porch. I dont mind buying bags of mix stiring the water in and pouring it in myself. but Iwould hate to spend the money on what sound like a good idea to me only to find that concrete does work like that. 

your suggestion would make sence if I did not have such a big distance from the ground to the door.


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## glennjanie (Jul 12, 2009)

Hello BoxofDaylite:
I understand now, you want a suspended slab of concrete on the pillars. There is a way to do it but it requires more re-inforcing bars, 6" thickness and beams for support. Its like building a bridge and it would require well over 100 bags of concrete mix; that's a lot of mixing and it could not have 'cold joints' (concrete that has set up and more is added to it). Sorry, this just doesn't sound like a DIY job to me.
Glenn


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## slownsteady (Jul 12, 2009)

How high from the ground to the door???


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