Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Replacing iron decor with columns on front porch

We have an old house. It has two iron decorative "columns" on either side of the eaves of the porch roof. We want to remove these old rusty things and put columns there. Are these load bearing? How do we know? We hate to remove them and have our front porch roof fall off! Has anyone ever removed the front porch roof (it is a small area) and had an awning installed? Is that a better option?

Since you have no idea whether these columns are bearing or not, I would suggest having a couple of contractors look at them and get their opinions. They could very well be bearing members. They could just as easily be simply decorative.

HollyHomemaker,

If the removal of the front porch is doen properly, temp supports would be installed to remove your iron. These columns are simple to install. You may want to have a professional install if you don't feel comfortable in do it. You may want to check with a local lumber yard for product line and costs.

http://www.millworkproducts.com/Vendors/Fypon/HtmPages/CatalogIndex.htm

http://www.unitex.com.au/columns.htm

http://www.archpro.com/column.html

http://www.superioraluminum.com/ (might be best source - reasonable pricing)

Hope this helps!