What's the best...

[Rennie Heuer]

What's the best wood to use for an outdoor railing that will be painted?

Any suggestions?

 

[Bill Satko]

From someone who is just guessing: white oak.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

I'd vote cypress if you can find it, it should pain easier than oak and has about the same level of rot resistance.

 

[Frank Fusco]

My son has an all composite large deck. Originally I thought he spent the extra money foolishly but after 20 years it looks like new. And with friends and kids playing a big plus is no splinters. Ain't wood but if I had to do it over I would go with the composite.

 

[Rennie Heuer]

Composit would certainly last but it just not work for this application. This is a 107 year old craftsman and composit would be out of place. The railings will be painted, probably to matches existing trim. It’s a short run across the top step and down to the first step. Not sure how I will address that short bit.

Western red cedar is readily available here and I was leaning that way. I know white oak and mahogany would also be good choices. Can’t get redwood.

 

[Tom Niemi]

Do you know what the existing wood is?

 

[Paul Douglass]

Rod iron!

 

[Don Baer]

Since it gonna be painted anyhow what about poplar, it straight grained and fairly hard and a lot cheaper than Oak.

 

[Rennie Heuer]

Love the varied opinions - much to consider.

Here's the final choice from the customer. He likes this design.


It's going here.


The distance between newel posts is a bit tight. I'll need to move them out and slim them down a little. Best I can do is about 24".

 

[Leo Voisine]

Just plain old pine has lasted decades on so many old houses here in New England. I painted houses many moons ago. Pine.

To get better than that - Cedar.

White Oak has been used for years on boats going back several hundreds of years.

We had a boat - oak ribs, cedar planking.

Don't use Red Oak.

Use a GREAT primer - 2 or 3 coats.

If you want to get crazy - use a marine grade top coat.

 

[Jonathan Shively]

To gain a little width, how about putting moving the posts to the outside edge of the porch and steps so the railing and verticals are straight up from the edge of the concrete?

 

[Rennie Heuer]

Just plain old pine has lasted decades on so many old houses here in New England. I painted houses many moons ago. Pine.

To get better than that - Cedar.

Fortunately I will not be doing the paining.

If I could get southern yellow pine I would probably go that way. Western red cedar is available here.

 

[Rennie Heuer]

To gain a little width, how about putting moving the posts to the outside edge of the porch and steps so the railing and verticals are straight up from the edge of the concrete?

I was planning on making the posts smaller - from 4.5" square to 4" and moving them from their current 1" from the edge to 1/2".

 

[bill kaminski]

cedar

 

[Ted Calver]

Those narrow steps are the driving factor. Not clear why, but I guess it’s a done deal. It won’t be fun moving anything but people through that narrow opening.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

It won’t be fun moving anything but people through that narrow opening.

Which makes me wonder if it would be possible to make the straight shot in either a gate or a removable section. Maybe over engineering the situation but....

 

[Darren Wright]

Looks like you have a design chosen, but like Jon suggested I was thinking over the sides of the porch, would allow for some design over the sides to be carried to the ground rather than it being a big white rectangle down there. Hard to tell what the overall look is from the one pic though.

 

[Rennie Heuer]

Looks like you have a design chosen, but like Jon suggested I was thinking over the sides of the porch, would allow for some design over the sides to be carried to the ground rather than it being a big white rectangle down there. Hard to tell what the overall look is from the one pic though.

I need to double check dimensions, but I know I am very close. I'd have advised for wider steps, but I wasn't asked. Here's a few more pics.