Classically styled columns have always lent a certain grace and dignity to American homes…

…that is until the paint peels, decay sets in and they look more like the crumbling ruins of ancient Rome.
That is how Bill Durden felt when he assumed responsibility for the care and maintenance of his family’s home in McDonough, Gegoria. The Scamozzi capitals of his front porch columns were crumbling away and one decayed Attic style base looked more like a flat tire. But Mr. Durden’s real worry was one shaft, which was loose and threatened to fall. Local tradespeople came by to poke at the soft decayed wood with their pocket knives and recommend column replacement. Mr. Durden began calling column manufacturers to determine the replacement cost for four of his twenty-three foot tall columns. Then he realized that repairs might make more economic sense, as well as preserve some of the historic character of his family home.
In mainstream building construction and remodeling the usual reaction to deteriorating columns is complete replacement. In the field of historic preservation we have a tenant to save original material if possible. When parts are ripped out of a building and discarded it often results in a significant loss of the building’s historic character. Effective repair methods and procedures have been developed to save wood columns. Sometimes these methods can be implemented at a lower cost than replacement.

This 5-page article with 4 illustrations guides you through the repair/replace decision of 23′ tall columns and 8′ columns, with the following topics:

Assessing Conditions, structure of surrounding area, column conditions, wood decay
Develop Options, costs, new materials, saving authentic historic materials, worker and contractor experience
Decide & Implement, comparing projected costs & intangibles, an immediate completion or phasing work out over a few years
Decision Matrix, for you to fill in based on 8 criteria:
- - Cost
  - Schedule
  - Preserving History
  - Practical Function
  - Historic Appearance
  - Labor Available
  - Removal of Column
  - Extent of Damage