As strong vertical supports, porch posts hold up the porch roof but are also dominant visual elements in a home's exterior. Refashion existing porch posts that are unattractive or add more girth to skinny porch posts by using cedar boards as cladding. Cedar is well-suited for covering posts, as it is attractive, grips fasteners well and is naturally impervious and resistant to water and insect infestations. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Set the blade on a table saw to a 45-degree angle, for creating miter cuts. Move the rip fence toward the blade to a distance that will create a cut that matches the width of the posts. Keep in mind that the inside edges, not the outside edges, of the miter cuts need to match the width of the posts. Rip four boards for each side of each post.
2. Cut the board lengths to match the height of the posts by making cross cuts on the table saw, or with another type of saw such as a chop saw.
3. Sand frays from the cut edges of the boards with 220-grit sandpaper.
4. Dry-fit the boards onto the posts and drill two pilot holes each near the tops, at the centers and near the bottoms of the boards. Use a drill with a countersink bit.
5. Apply beads of outdoor silicone sealant to the mitered edges to ensure watertight seals.
6. Screw the boards in place with corrosion-resistant wood screws and the drill. Wipe off any silicone that oozes out with a damp rag.
7. Conceal the screw heads and fill the countersunk holes by gluing in matching wood plugs or by filling them with wood filler, using a putty knife.
8. Paint the boards with outdoor wood sealer and a paintbrush.
Tags: porch posts, boards with, miter cuts, width posts
