These alder stair newels were turned for a customer in the Colorado Springs, CO area. They measure 5 1/2 inches X 44 inches. The newel cap is not shown but will match the handrail sample sent to me (below). Obviously the newels are over-the-post newels. The newel cap (with matching handrail profile) will be mitered to receive the handrail.
These columns (porch posts) were popular in the US in the 18th and 19th century. The chamfered edges terminate in a “lambs tongue”.
By the way, a chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees (def. from wikipedia).
You can see the lamb’s tongue in the still image at the end of the video.
The chamfer and lamb’s tongue were not only commonly used on porch post but also on exposed beams.
I suspect that most of my readers are more prone to traditional stair design because that is more of what I have posted about here and at Architectural Turnings. You may, however, like to see what others are doing (other architects and designers that is) in the design arena. At the least, you may have yourself a good laugh and “make your day”. Or you may see something you like or come away with a few good ideas. You see some of these “minimalist” stair designs here: Modern Stair Designs
If you are really into stair design and stair ideas like I am you will get a “fix” on your addition at pushpullbar.com. This site is about architecture and design but has quite a huge number of posts related to stairs. Most of the stair posts, I should add, are “modern” in style and will turn traditionalist off. But even traditionalist should come away with a few clever ideas that will work into the traditionalist mind set. You can see their site here: Pushpullbar.com
I occasionally have customers that request a staircase with large balusters. The challenge with creating a staircase with extra large balusters is two fold:
The solution to using larger balusters is also two fold:
The image below is a cross section showing the handrail with the large base which enables it to “receive” the large 3 1/2″ baluster.
In my last post I discussed column mantel surrounds and a few specific related ideas. In this post I would like to discuss the pilaster style mantel surround and some of the possibilities related to pilasters. Defined, a pilaster is: a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall most commonly flattened or rectangular in form. Pilasters are commonly designed to simulate the column on a building. As such many are designed with the same sort of fluting you would see on a Greek or Roman column. Some of the ornamental elements used in pilaster style mantel surrounds include corbels, scroll centers, drops, rosettes. Plinth blocks and capitals are useful for completing the pilaster columns. They help to simulate the Greco Roman classic look.
The mantle above displays the simple pilaster type mantle surround, The pilasters are capped with bandsawn brackets though carved corbels could be used here.
What is neat about the pilaster mantel surround above is that the bracket (or corbel) overlays the pilaster quite a bit unlike the first image where the bracket overlays just the top of the pilaster. The corbel below would make quite an impression mounted on this style mantel surround.
36 inch high X 9 inch deep X 10 3/4 inches wide
And lastly the pilasters on the mantel surround below are offset by 45 degrees. Note also that the top of the opening around the firebox is an “eyebrow” arch – a nice touch I think.
OK this is really my last design: I thought I would add this wrap around style pilaster mantel surround. It is similar to the column type wrap around in the first article except the pilasters make up the corners instead of the columns. Lots of possibilities here as well for ornamentation including fluting, carved appliques (or wood onlays), recessed panels, etc
wrap around pilaster mantel surround
Hopefully if you are indeed in the beginning stages of designing and building a mantel surround then these brief articles have been a help. If so let me know your thoughts.
Fireplace mantle surrounds provide one of those settings in a residence where your creative imagination is put to good use. Fireplaces, like stairways and cabinetry provide a unique place to focus the attention of both homeowners and guest. With this is mind, I have put together a series of graphics to help my customers with design ideas for their fireplace mantels. I have listed these mantle surround graphics in three different categories and so will post these in separate posts.
In this first post I will illustrate a few design ideas for the mantel surround with columns. Remember to observe your local fire codes for the clearances necessary for home safety.
Column Mantel Surrounds
Column Mantel Surround
The mantel surround shows a full round column or leg (It happens to be a Greek type column but many turning profiles are possible). This type is possible if you have a lot of room to work with. Since the columns are full round, the mantel shelf will accordingly protrude out into the living space quite a bit. Makes for a beautiful show doesn’t it.
If you don’t have enough room for a full column mantel surround you might want to consider the split column
mantel surround. See below. This design doesn’t protrude as much into your living space. I should add here that these drawing are very simple and really no ornamentation is included but certainly possible. For example, hand carved scrolls or centers would look really nice in the center section of the mantel.
split columns mantel surround
Corbels would also be a possibility particularly on the split column mantel surround.
A variation on a theme which I particularly like is the wrap-around mantel surround. See below.
corner-column-mantel
You need a lot of room for this surround. Note that the columns in this version are three quarter turns. Or another way of saying the same thing is that a one quarter section is cut out of the columns.
And lastly, another variation of a theme is to leave the surround part off altogether with the face (brick, stucco, etc) of the fireplace exposed. The connecting points on this surround is the mantel shelf and the plinth blocks of the columns.
double_column_mantel
This surround has double columns which is a possibility for the other surrounds as well. Are your creative juices going yet?
And finally this column mantel surround is one I built for a friend several years ago. The columns are six inches in diameter X 50″ high. They are salvaged cypress turned with a barley twist. We first wrapped the old unsightly brick with plywood panels and then added the mantel shelf and columns afterward.
spiral column mantel surround
For further reading you may find these resources helpful:
Fireplace Surrounds
The Balanced Mantel: 10 Ideas
I should add at this point hat there are highly ornamented moldings that are made of wood. See below. These are not made in a molder (at least not the final product). They are hand carved – typically overseas. And therefore they are quite expensive. Which brings us to the last comparison that I will discuss.
carved-crown
Polyurethane moldings are quite a bit less expensive than wood moldings. This is more true as the moldings become more wider. The difference is more pronounced too if the comparison is made with hand carved wood moldings. An 8 ft piece of hand carved wooden crown (see above) would go for about 300.00 on the retail market. A similar size in polyurethane would cost around $50.00.
One last obvious difference that I should mention is finishing. Wood is certainly more suitable to staining than polyurethane. Polyurethane can be stained but the grain pattern must be simulated during the finishing process. As good as your finisher might be it is doubtful that he will be able to make a stained piece of polyurethane molding look as nice as a stained wooden one. Of course, if you are going to paint anyway this is a moot point.
Installation of wood and polyurethane moldings is very similar except the latter is usually installed with construction adhesive and a few finish nails. Caulking, painting and puttying is the same for both.
And so what are the differences? A high degree of ornamentation is possible in polyurethane moldings that are not possible with wood moldings because of the the fact the the polyurethane is poured into a mold. However, because of the physical constraints of the polyurethane molds, shorter length moldings are the norm. Polyurethane moldings can be had at most 8 – 12 feet in length, whereas sixteen foot wood moldings are not uncommon. On the other hand, where wood moldings can be purchased at longer lengths, polyurethane moldings can be had in wider widths.
This is due in part to the fact that wood molders are typically not capable of molding wood wider than about 9″. Wood moldings become much less stable in those widths anyway (probably why molders are not made any wider). Wood has a tendency to cup, warp, twist and check. The wider the wooden piece, the more apt is wood to do so. Polyurethane, on the other hand, is much more stable and so widths of over sixteen inches are possible. It is less likely that polyurethane moldings will “move” after installation. Wood moldings can – especially wider pieces.
16 inch wide polyurethane crown molding
So in summary at this point:
Since I sell both ornamental wood moldings and polyurethane moldings on one of my e commerce sites, I thought I should write a comparison review of them. If you are considering purchasing one or the other perhaps this will help you in making a decision.
Wood has been the material of choice for moldings and other building products for centuries and really millennium. Wood has been plentiful, durable and easily shaped. In agrarian societies it has been the material of choice for these reasons. With the advent of industrial societies and technological innovations, however, other materials have presented themselves to capitalist as an alternative to wood. This has been the case in particular for polyurethane moldings used in residential applications.
The distinct advantages and disadvantages of wood and polyurethane becomes clearer by understanding the respective manufacturing processes for each.
The process for making wood moldings begins with a “blank” length of wood typically square on all sides. This blank is fed into a molder (apply named) which is simply a series of cutting “heads” that cut the blank into the final shape. The cutting heads have the final shape of the molding ground into them cutting head knives.
Polyurethane moldings, however, begin with a liquid composite being poured INTO a mold. And so the manufacturing process dictates the basic differences of both types of molding.
