column bases – best wood and orientation
I have a 100 year old plus house with round wood columns and square tops and bases. I’m planning on replacing the bases (9×9 by 1 3/4 on the bottom, 8×8 by 1 3/4 on the top) with mahogany as I believe they are weight bearing and I have some mahogany stock available.
question is do I install them “flat” so the grain runs parallel to the ground or laminate the stock and have the end grain “up and down”
I heard years ago that standing up the stock so the weight is on the end grain was “better” but I never got much more information than that “thought”
any thoughts or advice from here?
the blocks will be painted so that’s not a concern
Just thinking about them getting crushed over time (of course the original ones are over 100 and are only failing due to water damage )
thanks in advance
Replies
End grain is for sure stronger, but it is also more absorptive to rain and such. If you install the blocks “flat” with the grain running parallel to the ground they will better shed water. The mahogany you are proposing is a very dense and strong material, and probably stronger than the wood in the original blocks, so I wouldn't worry about it being crushed in the flat position. If it were my house I would install flat, then come back in a hundred years to see how I did!
thanks for the response - I was thinking if I did the end grain blocks, I was going to seal it with abatron liquid epoxy.
I think the original blocks are Doug fir so hopefully the mahogany is at least as good.
in terms of checking back in another 100 years, the house is a rental that my great uncle bought in 1969, my plan is to keep it in the family and have it provide income or shelter for the next generation.... so maybe somebody in the family will be checking on it...lol