Exterior Wood Choice for Post Covering

[suds]

My wife is tired of the skinny 4x4 post supporting our deck railing.  It runs verticle running from deck floor to ceiling of porch and has a railing attached for the deck and a railing attached for the stairs.  She wants something more "beefy" and I think I can simply cover it with 6" lumber.  My question is, since it is at the entrance to our house what type of lumber should I use?  We live in Eastern WA (home of the ZAGS) and get hot summers and cold winters.  My back deck is a combination of Cedar and Redwood.

 

[tjbnwi]

Boral.

Tom

 

[mkasdin]

Whatever looks good with the exterior architecture and will wear for exterior applications?
I would personally fir it out and make the past larger? Hard to make an opinion with seeing a photo. You're talking about aesthetics and personal taste.

 

[suds]

I'm wondering what would wear best in our climate and since the house is sided in Cedar.

 

[jeh]

Stick with the cedar for wrapping the post to bulk it up. No worries of rot.

 

[suds]

Would redwood have any rot problems?  I've heard that Cedar shouldn't but I have some cedar decking that did rot.

 

[tjbnwi]

Again---Boral.
http://www.boralamerica.com/TruExterior/About/boral-truexterior®-trim

Tom

 

[suds]

I looked at the Boral but not sure it would be able to match up color wise with what I have stained now. 

 

[tjbnwi]

I looked at the Boral but not sure it would be able to match up color wise with what I have stained now.

Any good paint store should be able to match the stain to an exterior paint.

Tom

 

[suds]

I'll ck Boral out. Never seen it here.

 

[tjbnwi]

I'll ck Boral out. Never seen it here.

Get product. Impervious to just about anything. Work with it as you do wood, except always carry it on edge, very fragile on the flat until installed.

Tom

 

[kdzito]

I recommend the Boral too.  Plygem is another one.

 

[suds]

Strange. Can't find Boral in Spokane WA.

 

[antss]

I like Boral for painted trim.

But there is no way it's gonna pass muster next to real wood no matter how competent your painter is.

Rotting wood is caused from poor or faulty water management.  Seek out Gary Katz for the proper way to clad a post.  Your cedar or redwood will look great and last your lifetime.

 

[Naildrivingman]

The company I work for uses Boral almost 100% of the time for all exterior trim. I personally don't care for it.

It has less durability than wood for abrasions. It is almost impossible to handle a 16' piece without a second person.  The dust is incredibly hard on tools.  It cannot be mitered and joined to another for a sharp outside corner unless that corner is assembled in a vacuum away from any intereference from any person or object.

Having said the above, I would use it for applications that are 5' above grade or higher, but I would only cut it with tools I don't care about or cheap tools bought expressly for Boral use.  If sliding saws or table saws are used, you can expect the slides to get gritty and table saw trunnions to seize no matter how much compressed air you blow on dust coated parts.

Even though I don't care for the product, there doesn't seem to be a cost effective alternative, so I will have to suck it up and continue working with it.

This thread reminds me that it's time to hit my boss up for another disposable miter saw and table saw!

 

[nickao]

For that home IPE 100%. You can hand pick a color to match what you have, I have some in the shop appears to be the color you show. And I have at least 10 shades off it though most is similar .

Some might say Cedar and I would use that if your home  already uses cedar. Actually, if your home uses a natural wood already why not match it. Otherwise I am firm on ipe. I wish I could afford it for my entire renovation, decking,  posts even exposed structure I just cant afford it. But for here and there anything outside I use it.

Of course you arent painting ipe, I was thinking you had a natural wood type home from the pic.

 

[Naildrivingman]

Would redwood have any rot problems?  I've heard that Cedar shouldn't but I have some cedar decking that did rot.

The problem that I have experienced with any natural wood is finding any dimensionally tolerant product (I.E. something with some age to it). The demand for natural wood is so high that trees are harvested younger and younger every year and consequently cannot grow strong enough. Having said that, you may have access to better quality because you are closer to the source.

IMO Redwood is better than cedar for both rot and insects, BUT there is not much that can be installed flat that will withstand the beating that elements give it. I live in MN and we probably have very similar climate challenges.

For your post wraps, I would say either match the material with the railings or intentionally contrast the material. The above reply referenced Ipe.  I've used it on a number of occasions and the only problem with it is that it is hard on cutting edges and fasteners.  Other than that, I love it. It seems relatively tolerant and ages beautifully.

The final comment I will make regards joinery. Regardless of how tolerant the material is, I would recommend lock miter for the corners, relieve the hidden side with a saw kerf every inch, and whenever possible turn the "smile" of the grain towards the post.  It's a lot of work to go through this process, but it has produced lasting results in my experience.

Good luck.

 

[kevinculle]

I will second the vote for ipe.  I've redone two 30 year old decks with it and the results are very nice.  I built a total of 35 post wraps for 4x4s using a nominal 1x6 (3/4x5.5) for two sides and a nominal 5/4x4 (1x3.5) for the other two.  Glued with Titebond III and screwed every 8" through the 1x6 into the 5/4x4 and plugged.  The inside cavity is 3 5/8"x 3 1/2" so the posts needed light shaving with a power plane on two faces in till a slip fit was achieved.  Just finished the 2nd deck but the first one is two years old with no issues.

 

[bobfog]

No comment on the choice of wood, but I would advise going bigger than 6".

If it's already 4" and you want to create a noticeable visual difference from more than a few feet away I'd go for at least 8" to make it worth your time and effort.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Ipe works great as decking, I'm not a fan of it for trim.  Checking and warping can be an issue.  The bigger issue is the ipe doesn't hold a finish.  You're fighting an uphill battle with any semi-transparent finish on wood outdoors.  With ipe that hill is more like an insurmountable mountain.  Expect to reapply a finish every year, or maybe every other year if you want to maintain the look.

I've replaced far too much exterior wood siding and trim to ever own a house like the OP.  Brick and synthetic for me.