Hi, I live in Southeastern Michigan and am doing an extensive remodel, inside and out, on a 1962 split-entry. This type of home seems to have many names, like raised-ranch, split colonial or split-entry, depending on who you talk to and what part of the country you are in. My house is built on the side of a hill. I enter the house halfway between the upper and lower level via a small foyer. Rember this, as I have lots of questions and will be posting frequently.
Basically my house is a shoe box, 53 feet long and 28 feet wide. There used to be a decorative (?) balcony across the entire 53 foot frontage that did not touch the ground, but was hung from a 6 foot eave. Not to worry, the roof trusses supported it just fine, but poor sealing caused the balcony wood to rot and it had to be removed for safety reasons.
I would like to replace the balcony with round non-wood columns that DO go all the way from the eave to the ground, which is 13 feet. I have heard there is a formula or rule of thumb used in sizing the diameter of columns so they give the proper “weight” to the front of the house. Can anyone help me here?
Replies
I've done a fair amt of work with interior and exterior columns, mostly the simpler Tuscan style, and I've read just enough of Palladio to keep me confused.
The modern shorthand version is that you need about one inch of diameter for each foot of height. Palladio also moidifies this by what is used for plinths and by how often you repeat the coloumn to create the definition of space in the openning. For thirteen feet, a column 12" at the base should do you well.
As I understand your project, if the ground is uneven, you might consider stone or other plinth bases of varying heights to make the columns all the same at say 11'6" or whatever. I post an example of this with photo of granite plinths and ten foot columns at 12" diameter. The plinths can help 'anchor' the poles and keep it from looking like it will take off.
Doing a scale drawing is the best way to be sure.
Many manufacturers of columns will have advice also on sizing. You do want to be surer to get product manufacturered and gauranteed for exterior use and install according to their instructions. I have come to prefer the composite materials.
Sounds like it could be a nice project.
Excellence is its own reward!
Sorry about the lapse in time, I'm not always able to log in every day. I am going to try to send the picture of the front of my house again. I appreciate your looking at it and suggesting ways to install the new columns (that will take the place of the old balcony) in a way that makes sense and is visually pleasing on the asymmetrical front of my house.
Your photo pretty much shows what I was talking about for location with the doubled columns on the balcony. If they werre still there, I'd say just place new ones directly uinder those posts. Now, use similar locations but by doing a scale drawing with reference to your window and door locations you might be able to balance it out more evenly.
On the balcony, for some reason, you have wide, narrower, wide, narrower great spaces. I would look to balance it by having the two outer great spaces a little wider but both same as each other, then the two central great spaces equall to each other but a little smaller than the outer spaces. Use double columns like shown and don't plant any columns right in front of a window.
Now, FWIW, IMO twelve inchsquare fluted columns would look best with that house unless you did more in terms of an overall face lift..
Excellence is its own reward!
I have seen the 12" square fluted columns you mentioned, and they are nice. My neighbor across the street has something similar, but his house still has the original white aluminum siding on it. I am in the process of changing the exterior to Nailite vinyl cedar shake siding, and the homes of this type I have seen use round columns. I made a 1/4" scale model of my house, and the improvements to the exterior, and the round columns look great.
Homes with cedar shakes also tend to be simpler in design, which we like. We live on a small lake and are going for the "upscale cottage" look. 10 columns across the front seems like too much to me. I will sketch it out and see what it looks like, though.
I have included a photo of the side of the house that borders on the front. This side is finished with the new material.
Flatthumb I see some good advice being handed out here. It's
looks like your in good in hands but I'm reminded of a discussion I started
last summer What
was this guy thinking? I'm thinking you'll be okay just so long as you
DON'T DO THIS.
(click for the big view)
I couldn't help myself I had to post that. There's a real important
lesson to be learned there.View Image
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.- Dwight D. Eisenhower
That's a little bit of what I was getting at with the squarre columns, Jerald. The classical Tuscan or ornate ones don't seem to belong on this house anymore than Madonna type clothing belongs on spreading middle aged women.
The downstairs windows seem to have a low sill so the plinth bases could be done to about the bottom of those sills. that would help keep the scene from looking unbalanced and disproportionate like your photo shows. .
Excellence is its own reward!
Ha Ha! Thanks, Jerrald, your photo illustrates exactly what I am trying to avoid.
Those granite plinths are 18" square. The base trim for a 12" column is about 15".
You could possibly mimic the effect with a poured concrete base or pour a footing and build with brick.
A photo would be nice. See threads in thge photo galery and the sandbox about how to.
Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks for the dimensions. I looked at the photo section, very nice fireplace surround! How do I find the sandbox?
When you first login, before clicking on 'start reading' there is an option somewhere on the page...
To post a photo, click "reply"
scroll down and click ""attach files"
browse to find your photo
click "upload"
Wait
Wait
Wait
Wait
when your file appears in the list, click "done"
then write whatever you want with it.
Then click on "post"
.
Excellence is its own reward!
Pif, you forgot two things: 1 - there is a limit on the number of pictures you can post and 2 - you didn't have enough 'wait, wait, wait' in the sequence.
The old rule of thumb for columns was diameter should be 1/9th of the height. You need to scale out your project and see what is pleasing to you. Some styles, such as using the Temple of the Winds capital look pleasing at lesser diameters.
I installed 16 foot wood columns on the fromt of our house 33 years ago of wood stave construction. The capitals were installed with pure white lead paste and primed and painted with lead based paint. There are vents installed. Still the upkeep is a problem. About 10 years ago I removed all paint and started over but it is still a lot of work to keep them up.
This fall we did an addition to the rear of the house with columns. Their dimension was 9 feet high and 12 inches in diameter (one 9th) which looked pleasing with Tuscan capitals. These are man made fibergalss, load bearing and very sturdy. You can even use them for ducting rain spouts down them (manufacturers suggestion but I don't know how that would apply).
These type of columns can be bought from big box stores but the manufacturer also said that they don't ship the heavy duty bases to them. I suggest that you go to your local lumber supplier. I believe the 4 columns, bases and Tuscan Capitals cost about $1200 for 12 inch by 9 feet.
Lots of suppliers here--------> http://www.traditional-building.com/3-colum.htm a million choices.
Joe H