What trade do I need? Possibly One for Piglet John/anyone else who knows about porch supports!

[member]

My porch at the front is supported by two timber posts on top of dwarf walls. The posts are rotting from the bottom and need replacing.

We ideally don't want to replace with timber again because of the maintenance/repainting required. I think our options are one of the following:

1)replace the posts with large gallow brackets in some sort of plastic/weather resistant finish

2) replace the posts with some kind of weather resistant post with load-bearing properties; some kind of acro prop with upvc cladding?!

I've had a look online for solutions but the supports I'm finding are tending to be full height/too ornate/American.

If I were replacing with timber I'd look for a carpenter but not too sure in this instance. Also, do I neccessarily need a structural engineer to tell me whether large gallow brackets would be adequate to support the load?

[member]

Bump for evening crew

[PigletJohn]

ordinary gallows brackets will rust. Plastic is not strong enough.

Wooden posts would be fine if they were installed by somebody who knows that wood rots so (1) ends soaked in wood preservative and (2) fitted using metal sockets so the ends are raised, not in pools of water or in contact with damp brickwork.