How To Build A Chippendale Railing

Years ago we added a small porch to the front of our house with a Chippendale balustrade. After years of exposure to the elements, both the balustrade and one side of the Chippendale have rotted due to rotting. Instead of hiring someone to do this project, we took care of it and did it ourselves DIY Chippendale Railing.

DIY Chippendale Railing

The Chippendale balustrade on the right was heavily rotted, mostly at the bottom.The left side of the balustrade is not rotten, we don’t know why one side is rotten and the other is not. The right side faces east, not a reason we can blame the rotting.We removed the damaged part of the balustrade and started the process of building a replacement.In order for the faces to wear evenly in the future, we decided to remove the undamaged side and replace it. Our awnings had no railings for several months as we built the replacement panels.

How to build Chippendale balustrade

We purchased pressure treated 2x4s and 2x2s for the project.The 2x4s were cut to length and sawn on the table to the shape we wanted, with the crowned top often matching the original patio railing shape.We start by framing in the balustrades with the end column, shown on the right of the photo, and a sacrificial panel on the left – which will eventually be attached directly to the porch columns. like to square the corners. The center diagonal braces are cut to length and notched so that they fit together in the center.The main cross pieces are temporarily clamped in place, and the intersection is marked with a pencil line. wood at the intersection where the pieces come together.After the main diagonal braces are in place, the intermediate pieces are cut to length and the cutting angle is marked on the pieces.After cutting, the corners are checked for tightness and then glued in place with waterproof wood glue. It’s important to have a bunch of clamps on hand to hold everything in place while the glue dries.A spare 2×4 plank was temporarily clamped to the top of the railing during this process to keep it straight during construction (the photo is deceiving as it looks curved).Below you can see that the top/bottom are identical, so are the left and right sides.After both balustrades are built, we prime and paint two coats of paint.Read more: How to drive traffic to a span shop Once the railings are painted, we attach them to the tiles with concrete screws and to the vinyl poles with deck screws.Removing old railings and installing new balustrades removed some of the paint on the vinyl poles. Then, lightly sanding and applying a little coat of paint fixed this problem. The screw holes are also filled and repainted.Scatter in all necessary areas, seal the balustrades to prevent future rotting damage.We’re both excited to check out this DIY Chippendale railing project on our DIY list!Chippendale doors and railings are very popular in our town. When I go for a Sherman walk or a jog, I love to look at the many types of Chippendale doors in our neighborhood. on our porch.This project took a few months longer than expected due to its occasional implementation. The wait is worth it! I hope to get some potted flowers this week.Are Chippendale doors and balustrades popular in your town? My guess is it could be a southern thing!Read more: how to change the way you talk