Porch railings are everywhere and almost on any house that has a porch or stairs on the exterior of their home. When purchasing a porch railing system it is important to determine first what materials are available. A decision can be quite difficult especially when you have narrowed it down to either aluminum or PVC. The front porch is always one of the first noticeable features of a home so it is important to make sure you have the right railing.

Old houses endure, but not so much the porches that give the home character. If left unpainted, even first-growth millwork will eventually splinter and rot, especially if it's been fancifully scroll-cut. So if your porch is in good shape, count yourself fortunate (and keep a paintbrush handy). For those longing to re-create a period porch, you're in luck: Recent innovations in building materials make it possible to hit all the architectural high notes - often without requiring the kind of skilled construction that's been hard to come by since World War II.

Did you know there is a big difference between restoring a house and rehabilitating one? Restoring your home involves faithfully repairing and re-creating a building's original architectural elements so that it closely resembles its appearance at a previous point in time. Rehabilitating your home is more interpretive - it involves making the structure sound and usable again and retaining whatever original features are possible to save, but not necessarily restoring things that have gone missing. For new owners of old houses, deciding which approach to use is the first logical step in helping map out repairs. These basic rules for sensitive historic rehabilitation - based on the secretary of the interior's standards used to enforce the Federal Rehabilitation Incentive Tax Program - office sound advice.