How to Install Porch Posts
Porch posts serve cosmetic and practical purposes on your property. A classical wooden post with an ornate design can make your porch look like a blast from the past. These same posts provide support for handrails that are needed by guests who have difficulty getting around the outside of your home. You need to install porch posts properly to avoid surface damage, as well as nasty spills by your guests. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Mark out locations for your porch posts with spray paint and chalk before installation. Use paint on the dirt to mark out the position for each post, and use chalk on the hand rails to line up your posts.
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Cut your porch posts to the right height to avoid problems with your porch roof. You can measure the desired height for your roof and preexisting hand rails to install posts of the correct size.
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Excavate holes just outside of the perimeter of the porch before you install your posts. With a shovel, dig uniform circles slightly larger than your posts to avoid wiggle room.
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Spread a few layers of primer to your porch posts in an effort to maintain the color of the wood. You can find large amounts of primer from Jamestown Distributors and other home improvement suppliers to help you protect your posts from discoloration (see Resources below).
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Use a sledge hammer to install porch posts into the ground with sufficient pressure. A stable footing on a ladder or scaffolding is advisable if the post is beyond your reach.
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Create concrete piers to install porch posts without excavation. These piers are concrete blocks with slots for your posts that possess enough weight to stay in place without digging any holes.
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Screw your posts at several points, running from the ground to the top of your porch. You can drill several screws at the porch floor, hand rails and cover to stabilize your posts.
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Finish the installation process of your porch posts by applying an outdoor paint. Hunt down a color that matches the rest of your home exterior by finding paints designed for the outdoors by Pittsburgh Paints and other retailers (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
Replace notches and holes in your porch posts with wood putty before installation. The use of a neutral color of wood putty helps you avoid uneven spots as you apply primer and outdoor paint.
