Im building two cender block posts between cement slab and portico to hold up, hold down and hold against lateral forces. Please dont tell me why I dont need to do this. That is not why Im here. I want to replace the existing metal supports, shown with something stromger, stronger then 4x4s or 8x8s. Something not just to hold up my portico, but to hold it down and hold it against lateral forces during a huricane. The rest of the house has already been stregthened.
Ive done most of the repair and improvemnts to my 1954 home that Ive owned and resided in since 1986. However, Ive never mortared cender blocks. I have in the last few months watched many videos on this and think that I can do it However, I do have a question.
Before mortaring the 1st block to the slab, Im thinking that I need to strip off all the old concrete paint and get down to the actual concrete. Do I or is there a way around this? I will be drilling a hole, using rebar, and filling the 1st few blocks with mortar after mortaring the joints as I stack the blocks.
I will not be using the blocks in the 1st 2 pics, but the ones in the last pic.
Any other advice?
tks,
paul
Replies
The only way to give block lateral and uplift strength is to dowel them to the slab and extend the rebar up to the top, then pour them solid.
Footings
Without decent footings these columns will be worse than the metal ones. They need footings, vertical reinforcing and be grouted solid. You've got a motley collection of blocks. With those bond beam blocks in a column like this grout will just pour out. It should be grouted in 4 ft lifts and not all at once. Mortar would be unnecessary if you could get the blocks to stack nicely. But if you're going to do that why not just use a sono tube and pour a concrete column. If it were me I'd just replace the metal ones.