Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Porch roof posts

I decided to replace the railing on my 5 year old porch due to some miner rot and low and behold I found that the contractor that built this porch did not use pressure treated lumber on the roof post or the trim he use fir. So now I have to do a complete porch do over. I need to replace rotted post's, the current posts are attached to the decking with nails and to the roof in the same fashion. The deck does have a good doubled 2x10 front beam and 4x4 posts every 8 feet on cement posts into the ground. I was going to use a screw post similar to what sometimes is used in a basement to take the weight off the existing post when I replace it. I need to know if this is a safe method, I figured I place the post about 6 inches from the existing post and screw up on it until the weight is just off the existing post then replace and move on down to the next post. What is your opinion of this method or what method would you use?

dt05034,

Welcome to the forums.

The posts are NAILED to the decking and NAILED to the beams supporting the roof?? Where was the inspector when this was being built?? If Sleazy Construction did that, I wouldn't trust ANYTHING about the way the porch was built.

The posts need to be attached, at both top and bottom, with the appropriate Simpson connectors so that they can't move. And they need to be attached to the framing, NOT nailed to the deck boards.