Like most projects, when choosing porch posts, material matters. There are several factors that may determine which post best fits your needs such as cost, aesthetics, and required maintenance. Below we’ll go through the pros and cons of 3 different types of porch post materials.
Pressure Treated Lumber
Most treated lumber comes in the form of pressure-treated pine. It’s quite durable and usually the least expensive, but over time it tends to warp and bow. Like most wood, pressure-treated pine will require staining, painting, or sealing every few years to extend the life of the posts.
Cedar Porch Posts
Some people will tell you that cedar has an oil that naturally repels insects, but it doesn’t take long for that oil to dry out and make these porch posts a favorite food of wood-eating insects like carpenter ants and termites. They are also prone to soaking up water at the base making the conditions just right for wood rot to grow. However, cedar posts don’t warp and bow as much as treated lumber and you can fight off the insects with oil-based stain. You’ll also need to keep staining every couple of years to prolong the life of the porch posts and keep the insects from eating them out from the inside.
Steel Porch Posts
Steel posts are extremely durable and long-lasting, however, they may not be the look that you’re going for. It doesn’t appeal to everyone and you will need to keep them painted and sealed to avoid surface rust, but they do the job and they do it well. We at Butler Contracting like to use thick 11-gauge square tubing for porch posts. There are smaller options as well if you prefer something that doesn’t stand out as much.
Butler Contracting Can Replace Your Damaged Posts
If you’ve got wood rot in your porch posts or need to replace or repair them for any other reason, we can do the job for you! Get in touch with us by calling (844) 628-8537 or get a quote by clicking here.
