For those who are considering a makeover for a porch or deck this summer, there is a set of little-known vinyl post, floor, and railing, there is a set of little-known vinyl porch renovation products that can make a porch look like new and improve the architectural detail without a major structural renovation. Even if an old wooden porch or deck is structurally sound, the posts may have vertical stress fractures, chips, or weather discoloration that cannot simply be painted or stained. Chad Galbreath, President of Penn Fencing, Inc., which has been selling and installing vinyl products for over 30 years, suggests “rather than replacing everything, it is faster, easier, and cheaper to simply cover the weathered areas with vinyl, replace the railings, and finish the railing posts with stylish post caps”.
Major issues like rotting lumber may or may not mean replacing the entire porch or deck. Consider having an independent home inspector check the existing structure before investing in a complete replacement. According to Galbreath, “inspection may reveal that only a few bad spots must be repaired to make the existing porch or deck safe and secure”. Once any damaged components are replaced, remove the old wooden railing and pickets, cover porch support posts with vinyl post wraps to hide the repaired, fractured, or weathered areas, and install new matching vinyl railings and pickets. Vinyl covering is not a replacement for support posts, so ensure that supports are sound before covering them.
Three Vinyl Makeover Products That are Easy to Install and Maintenance-Free:
- Vinyl Post Wraps: Vinyl post wraps are designed to cover 4 X 4 inch, 6 X 6 inch, or 8 X 8 inch posts while keeping the major porch or deck structure in place. It saves money because there is no need to buy new lumber or dispose of any old treated lumber as with a full porch or deck replacement.
- Vinyl Post Sleeves: Post Sleeves are designed to slide over new posts before installation. To build a new porch or create a new addition to an existing porch or deck, use vinyl post sleeves for the latest posts and then vinyl post wraps to cover old sections of the existing porch or deck to match. The whole project will look completely unified and new.
- Vinyl Railing Kits: Many matching styles of vinyl railings, pickets, and rail posts are available to give a porch or deck project a new style and professional look. Railing kits consist of the hand rail, pickets, and hardware to mount the railing. Additional rail posts may also be needed to attach the end of the handrail where there are no existing porch columns, like at the bottom of a staircase. Vinyl post caps fit on top of each railing post to give the post a finished look. The caps come in interesting styles and can even be solar post cap lights.
These products are maintenance-free, so they eliminate bi-annual painting or staining projects, making these five makeover products of great value now and in the future. A full selection of vinyl post wraps, vinyl post sleeves, and vinyl railing kits can be found on the Penn Fencing website by clicking the links above.
