Columns are one of those architectural details that can be used in a wide variety of materials and styles. While all columns are lovely, wood has benefits no other material can give. Today we want to focus on the benefits you receive when using wooden columns inside your home.

The vertical support that holds up your porch roof should not be taken lightly. Porch columns are an important feature of a home. They come in all different shapes and sizes and with that comes all different prices. Because of that, it should come as no surprise that prices are all over the place!

There are so many different things that can affect the price of porch columns. Here are a few...

The fiberglass column is a structural element that not only supports your roof, but also lends extra character to the overall aesthetic of your home.

Fiberglass is lightweight and both water and rot resistant with a class A fire rating. There are multiple choices when it comes to fiberglass columns. Which one is the best choice for your home?

Round tapered fiberglass columns

These fiberglass porch columns, additionally known as cast columns, is one of the most popular designs today. Reminiscent of the old Tuscan order of columns, but with a wider base and a slimmer top, this column draws viewers eyes upwards. These regal columns could be ideal for a home porch and are most widely used on most projects.

Handed down from the ancient Greek and Roman empire, the 5 Orders of Architectural Columns are still used in modern architecture. The Greek supplied us with the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian designs while the Romans introduced us to the Tuscan and Composite look. Each of these elements are unique in their own way. They are used in specific structures at precise times to bring together a stunningly designed building.

Worthington’s delivery process guarantees that you receive the right product at the most affordable shipping cost. Here are some of the most common questions that customers have after placing their orders.

Our column builder tool has allowed us to monitor which column material is the most popular. To our surprise, wood is chosen quite often. Wood is not always the best solution for most projects however. Fiberglass columns have become the most widely used column material in todays building industry and here is why.

Are Fiberglass Porch Columns Hollow?

Yes!

In fact, all porch columns, no matter if they are round, square tapered or non-tapered fluted or plain are all hollow. Also when you look at the different materials: polymer stone, fiberglass, PVC and even wood they are all hollow. This has to do with the way each of them are made. The fiberglass and polymer stone porch columns all come from a mold that has the shape of the part. The fiberglass mixture is poured into a closed mold, rotated very quickly, and then then the columns dry while they are spinning leaving the column hollow. FRP porch columns are made in halves by spraying with fiberglass strands similar to the manufacturing of a fiberglass boat. The halves are glued together in the factory or on-site creating a whole column once assembled, glued and after Bondo is applied. A wood porch column is made by gluing staves together in a circular form and then turning and cutting them on a lathe. Lastly, PVC porch columns are made from a cut out of a flat sheet of PVC and then assembled in our factory (or on-site) to make the finished square product.

You would think that selecting the architectural columns you want for your home would be just as easy as it sounds. But that couldn't be further from the truth. When it comes to columns there are so many different choices and options - from material, height, diameter and capital decoration to whether you want the column split or whole.

Buying architectural products like molding, columns, railing systems etc. can potentially put a big dent in a projects budget; but it does not have to! Small little changes can add up to big savings in the long run if you stay consistent with them.