DIYbanter - View Single Post - Need to lift a 12x8 foot porch up 15 feet.

Stormin Mormon[_10_]

On 11/7/2013 5:56 AM, wrote:
I'm trying to think of a way to raise a 12x8 foot porch up 15 feet. Let
me explain: The trailer house was moved to a new location. The porch
came with the trailer house. The porch was free standing, only
connected to the trailer by a few screws and some flashing to join the
roofs. (This is a porch with walls and a roof, which has six 4x4 legs).

The former location of the trailer house was flat, the trailer and porch
both sat about 30 inches off the ground. The new location of the
trailer house is on a hill. The front of the trailer is 14 inches off
the ground, the rear of the trailer is seven feet off the ground. This
porch goes where the trailer is about 6 feet off the ground.

If it was just a matter of raising the porch up six feet, some jacks and
railroad tie cribbing would work. However, there is a catch. The side
of the trailer where the porch needs to go, is another hill and a rather
steep one. The side of the trailer where the porch must go, is right on
the edge of that steep hill. Thus, the porch which now sits at the
bottom of that steep hill, needs to first be raised up the hill, which
is about 8 to 9 feet up. Then raised the six feet to be level with the
door. In other words, when standing at the base of the steep hill, the
door on the trailer is about 15 feet up.

I should note that the trailer was put on this hillside in order to
build a large deck over the hill. However, this porch was supposed to
also be put there and a deck built out from the porch. This porch is
supposed to be placed by the trailer door, and those short 4x4 posts
under it be replaced by long 6x6 posts, which will be 8 foot next to the
trailer and 12 foot on the hillside (including portion dug into the
ground).

Someone suggested hiring a crane operator, which I'm sure would work,
but the cost is prohibitive. However, available are a farm tractor with
a loader, and a skid loader, plus chain hoist and come-alongs. So far,
I can only think of trying to slide the porch on it's side up some
boards laid against the hillside, using the chain hoist and comealongs,
but then to tip it upright onto the posts (placed in the ground after
the porch is at the top of the hill), seems near impossible. This
wooden porch is fairly heavy, which adds to the problem.

I've moved a lot of buildings, but this has me puzzled.

Any ideas????????

At the moment, I don't have the mental picture of what
you're doing. But, the obvious question. Can you break
the porch apart, and rebuild it "up there"? Not really
practical for shingle roof, but who knows. another
line of thought.

--
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Christopher A. Young
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