Replacing porch support beams

Help we have some wooden beams supporting our porch that are rotting. They are held up by stirrups in our concrete slab. How do we go about replacing these?

What do the other end of the posts look like - how are they attached to the beams that are holding the roof up?

The top ends are fine. It’s just the base of the supports that are rotten due to exposure.
Thanks for the fast response 😊

Sorry, but that photo shows me nothing as it is too dark. You cannot replace just the bottom of the post (well, you could, but it’s not advisable and the end result would be ugly). Please take another photo that clearly shows how the post is attached to the beam.

Is it really rotting? Or just paint peeling off.

Timber like this don't easily rot especially sitting on stir up.

Yes. The beams are soft at the base when I touch it and there are cracks in the beams. They are the original uprights from the 60’s

OK fair enough.. From the 60s!

Yup! So it’s quite overdue and supporting a roof overhang over the porch which isn’t ideal. I thought it may be a matter of hiring some supports while replacing the beams but my hubby seems to the the stirrups have a rod footing in the base of the beams which would make it impossible to replace. I’m clueless and thought I’d throw it out there for ideas and advice

It’s not impossible. If you wanted to use the existing stirrups, you would have to prop up the beams, and even push them up sufficiently to raise the poles over and then down onto the rod. Of course, since the verandah ceiling is lined, you would need to remove the lining, but the plus is that there may be space up there so the beams do not need to be raised. You would also want to be sure that the lining is not asbestos given that it is all from the 60s.

The alternative is to cut the stirrups at ground level and replace them with the more standard U-shaped ones that you can bolt into the concrete floor, and that have bolts through the bottom of the post. In that case, you might not need to remove the lining, but cut the posts so that the tops are just at the height of the ceiling. If you use slightly thicker posts, they would even cover over the hole in the lining.

Thank you! I think we might go with the second option. I see the new u shaped stirrups come in different heights. We could potentially cut off the rotten ends and replace the old stirrups with raised ones. Likely to look odd but I dont want to mess with asbestos. I know it was in the roof when that was replaced and likely to be the lining of the porch.

Good advice from arcadelt
If you replace posts you may consider Cypress pine or treated pine for new posts they are more durable
Don't forget oil based timber primer to the bottom and sides of new timber