Enhance Your Home With Columns

Whether you use columns as an aesthetic design element or give it a supporting role—your home will be greatly enhanced by fitting columns into your architectural plans. Since ancient times columns have graced private homes as both decorative and structural—supporting a wall or roof.

Although the classical designs of ancient Greek and Roman columns are as popular today as ever, don't feel bound to build the expected, since manufacturers of pre-made interior and exterior columns offer homeowners many different shapes, styles and sizes to choose from. In addition to a plethora of off-the-shelf designs, you can have your columns custom made.

There are three main classic styles: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric was the earliest. These were the heaviest and thickest of the columns made by the Greeks. The first to use decorative bases and ram horn capitals were Ionic columns. Slender (most often referred to as 'female' columns by architects) were the first complex columns created in the Corinthian era, topped with an ornate decorative capital and entablature. These columns also have a base and plinth usually with a tapered ledge that meets the floor. Remember that you can choose any of these to start with and have them customized to your specifications.

Wooden Columns
Wood columns add a sense of class and overall distinction to your home's appearance inside and out. They can be carved to any size or shape with easy installation. They can then be painted to match the decor of your home or to stand out from your homes decor.

Wood columns can be carved with ridges or left smooth to suit your specific taste. Manufacturers can carve them into round or square shapes and create the sizes and diameters to be consistent with classic style proportions or customized for special projects. A wood column should only be made of the finest woods, though; woods such as mahogany, poplar, cherry, pine, oak, maple, and redwood.

If you choose to use hollow wooden columns, be sure they are well vented to prevent moisture buildup and wood-rot. To be properly vented they should be vented at both the top and the bottom with a copper screen (to keep out insects and small critters). You can determine the proper ventilation amount by dividing the column's diameter in half then convert it to square inches. For example, a 10-inch-diameter column needs five square inches of vent opening at the base and another five square inches at the capital.

Fiberglass Columns
Most builders and architects prefer fiberglass because it allows for attractiveness and impact-resistance. Similar to wood, they can be made round or square with smooth or fluted ridge surfaces. Today, fiberglass columns are not only able to replicate classic column styles, but also structurally, load-bearing columns.

With an abundance of suppliers available to purchase from, it is wise to know a little about fiberglass. It may make it easier to choose which manufacturer makes a quality column.

Little glass threads are spun into thin strands and woven into strong durable material, becoming fiberglass. It can withstand heat, rust, and many other extreme elements. The columns are made of a compound of combined fiberglass and plastic, and are then heated and molded into shape. The plastic makes the column structure and the fiberglass adds the strength and durability.

The benefits of fiberglass columns are:

• The ability to shape and paint to your taste.
• Weather resistant.
• Resistant to insects and critters.
• Impact resistance is better than wood.
• Lifetime warranty (but check with your manufacturer).
• Easy installation.
• Moisture is not a problem.
• Can support up to 30,000 pounds.
• Lightweight.
• Require very little maintenance.

Pre-cast Stone Columns
Pre-cast stone columns replace the traditional classic natural stone today. With the new technology, manufacturers have the ability to create the look of classical beauty of ancient Roman columns without the drawbacks of using natural stone. The most noticeable difference between pre-cast and natural stone is the cost. Natural stone must be chiseled from a giant stone slab, but pre-cast is poured into a cast.

With pre-cast you won't have to worry about hidden cracks or crevices either. If you don't want a smooth column, you can have it designed to appear weathered. The columns can be made in one-piece shafts or halves and sections to surround steel supports.

Interior Architectural Columns
Greeks and Romans used the columns for support first and then for appearance. Today, builders and designers have the luxury of applying columns just for decoration. Most constructions are built to support the weight of the roof without columns every six feet now, which means the columns can be placed where ever you want and as often as you want. Columns can be placed carefully in the interior to give the illusion of more space or separate rooms without closed walls.

Architectural Millwork
The easiest and least costly way to give your home a unique look is to use architectural millwork. Traditionally, this is considered woodwork like doors, window casings, and baseboards. They come ready- made from a lumber mill. Today, millwork refers to many other prefabricated architectural products, particularly those made from polyurethane and fiberglass to create unique columns, balustrades, arbors, crown molding or any other design element you might want to create or re-create. Using millwork, you can give your home the appearance of your favorite era. If you like Victorian, Greek revival, Colonial or even re-creating a room from "Gone With the Wind", millwork gives you the option to do it.

Corbels
If you want to add to your exterior or give a room a new look, consider corbels. These are becoming more popular than ever with so many designs to choose from. They are available in solid wood, polyurethane, and stone. Wood is most preferred since it is hand carved and easily painted, stained, or glazed. Most companies have a line of corbels to choose from, but they can also be custom designed. Corbels can be used pretty much anywhere. But most people use them as a stand alone for cabinets, furniture, pilasters, door panels, or over doors. They can even be used as support for shelves and mantels.

Ceiling Medallions
Ceiling medallions are a popular way to add class and sophistication to any formal room. Unlike ceiling domes, which are larger and recessed, a medallion is smaller and usually edged with intricate patters that resemble moldings and capitals. Medallions are available in fiberglass, plaster, or wood. However, fiberglass is fast becoming the preferred material because it easily mimics the look of wood or plaster, but without the worry about it cracking or splitting. It is lightweight so it doesn't require extra reinforcement in your ceiling structure like wood and plaster may. While you may love the grand look of a medallion, be sure your home can handle such an extravagant piece.

Moldings
Molding detail can truly add to the exterior or interior look of a home. Most moldings are made of either polyurethane synthetics or simple wood. Most designers will choose polyurethane over wood. They look exactly the same, but polyurethane has the advantage of being long term. It will not split, rot, or peel like wood. When it comes to base moldings, it is very durable and can handle daily wear and tear. Even though polyurethane is more durable, many people will still choose wood and the burden of caring for it. If you prefer wood, it would be to your advantage to use a high quality wood that is treated to help prevent rot and insect damage. There are an abundant amount of sizes and shapes available, so there is no limit to your decorating options. A good tip to follow is to always try to match your moldings with the architectural style of your home no matter how tempted you are to choose something else. If you are finding it difficult to make the right choose, don't be afraid to consult your designer.