How to Level a Porch

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Whether your family will be comfortable on your porch depends on whether you've built it at a proper level. A level porch helps furniture stay in place and keeps glasses from sliding off your table onto the ground. You need to know how to find and maintain a level porch throughout the construction process for a perfect final product.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Concrete mix
Soil inspection
Gravel and sand (optional)

Step1

Lift your porch above ground level to determine the obstacles to a level surface. To avoid larger problems, separate the utility connections between home and porch before you use a hydraulic jack.

Step2

Track down valleys in your concrete slab to find the best way to level your porch. Walk along the slab and note any changes in elevation for quick repairs while your porch is jacked up during construction.

Step3

Mix a large batch of quick-setting concrete to fill in low spots on your concrete slab. You can purchase bags of concrete directly from manufacturers like Quikrete if you want commercial-grade materials (see Resources below).

Step4

Spread out a smooth layer of concrete over your initial slab to ensure a level porch. Fill in low points in your slab, allow these spots to dry and apply an even layer of concrete to keep your porch level.

Step5

Test out the reliability of your porch posts and other support mechanisms to figure out structural problems preventing a level porch. An old post sinking into the ground due to weaker structural integrity leads to a simple solution to your level problem.

Step6

Request soil inspection services from a private company to determine causes for a slanted porch. Soil experts from a firm like Soil Consultants Engineering can look at regional soil patterns as well as issues unique to your property to help you level your porch (see Resources below).

Step7

Insert gravel and sand beneath your porch if you plan a major renovation project ending with a level structure. Packed layers of gravel and sand keep your porch steady as your home settles on the property.

Tips & Warnings

Manipulate the outlets, electric lines and vents to your porch as you readjust its level. A closed porch that is leaning heavily in one direction can cause electrical and HVAC problems unless you adjust it accordingly.
Play around with the drainage on your porch as you find an acceptable level. You may need to add new gutters to your porch roof to keep water flowing away from your home.