Getting Columns right. How-to fix tapered columns. 

Excellent analysis. I love how you tie designing and building together. They are two distinct skills. Your suggestions and information are very helpful.

Brent Hull is the architecture ultimate badass and a true hero!

Such little details make such a big difference. You said some lady didn't like Arts and Craft because it was masculine, interesting, I'm a lady, and Craftsman is my favorite style.🤔

Very helpful Brent. I hadn’t noticed the three primary craftsman column variations. And your visual examples once again hammered home the importance of classic proportions. I cringe at how many things I’ve built aesthetically incorrect. Appreciate you!

"Old House Measured and Scaled Detail Drawing for Builders and Carpenters" by William A. Radford is a really nice book that supports your points nicely.

So good. We have a lot of these style homes in melbourne where the brick is Tuck pointed, And the stucco columns are in rough cast. Just beautiful. Thank you Brent. Loving the content!!

This is a really good lesson. Thank you. I am rebuilding a porch and columns. It did not have the divider for the ceiling and I want to put in cedar, so I will certainly need that protection. I just yanked a nice looking column that was rotted out in the base, and going to rebuild the whole thing. I will make sure it is proportionally correct.

Brent thanks for taking the time and sharing your 6th sense. That’s a gift, I’m a “shade tree” builder, I work a lot off my gut-feel and observations. I cringe at the cracker-box mass developers. A home should have a vibe, a personality. Your videos are inspirational.

I discovered your videos yesterday and have not been able to stop watching them! Thank you for making these! The information you provide is so valuable. I have columns inside my home that have always looked off to me. Do you have any videos or advice on interior columns?

Brent, so love this video!! I made plywood life size Template, on my 1917 house, when i renovation !!

I like to draw my columns out in full scale on a piece of luon when I can so I can make the adjustments needed for the proper look.

This is very educational.

Was this just posted today 6/18? I'm subscribed so this just popped up. I just found out yesterday I may have one of these to do. Unfortunately I feel it is the wrong choice for this house which more of a Victorian bungalow 1890. The owner is leaning toward wanting it. I think the better choices are a round column (over-used in this neighborhood) or straight square. Thanks!

I think your comments apply (way) beyond tapered columns. “Toothpick” supports are jarring because they make you subconsciously feel unsafe. Likewise, the wrong proportion (height, width) on a pedestal looks laterally unsafe (wobbly). And then there is the incongruity of a massive looking support for a relatively light weight (popular around here) - where heavy columns support a tiny cover over a front door. Lots in this video to consider. Thanks for the video.

I’m about to rebuild my columns because they are rotting on the bottom with no structural support in the center. I’m looking forward to it!!!

I've read that the tapered column is an Egyptian influence and part of the Egyptian Revival of the mid 1800s, obviously resurrected for Arts and Crafts. The obelisk shape for the Washington Monument is also part of that Egyptian Revival influence, suggesting permanence but not relying on the Greek/Roman influence as a way to distinguish the new U.S.A. from European styles.

Hello. I'm looking for solutions on fixing a leaning porch column on my 1916 home recently purchased. The column is located on the right corner. The porch, which is wooden, is attached to a wooden beam inside (the brick part of) the column. The top half of the column is a tapered wooden piece, and the bottom half is brick with a wooden beam in the center as mentioned above. The top (of the brick part) of the column leans out to towards the right. The bottom of the wooden tapered column leans to the right and it's lifting up on the right side, about half an inch or so. The top of the tapered counter is separating from the porch roof on the left side as well. There is no concrete base seen above ground at the bottom. There is a concrete slab separating the brick part from the wooden part of the column. There are three (3) columns total. The wood part of the middle column is missing, leaving only the concrete cap and brick part of the center column. There are columns on the left and right corners of the wooden porch. Also, the tapered wooden columns are square shaped and hollow, if that helps. Any ideas on how to handle this? Any advice given is much appreciated!

I have this type bungalow home with the same type tapered columns . The porch roof is cantilevered and the wooden columns are not supportive. In renovating the home I had structural engineer evaluate it .He didn't believe me when I said columns were not the roofs support and he climbed in the attic to see for himself. So do not assume columns are supportive. The house is in southeastern Tn. so no snow or ice load problems and is only 25x35 ft . at the most.

What if there is a metal beam inside and the stone and wood columns are just decorations

I had a home built recently and one of the columns isn’t straight. They are saying it is and that they can’t check to see if it’s level bc it’s tapered. Can you please share how I can check to see if it’s level?

I am getting ready to change my posts-- I need your input! I have brick base with round white metal wrapped posts (22 years old) I want to rock the bottom and change the top to them-- I have a wrap around porch with 11 total columns. I want the tapered ones--- put based on this-- I think I need to go with the squared ones all the way up. I am afraid based on the size of the posts- the tapered ones will look too thin at the top -- wish I could upload a pic!

Are these columns hollow?

Roman/ Mediterranean style with columns seen in colonial India.

Never use to see this bad of mistakes going on. I blame it on either builders that never actually worked in the trade or south of the border cheap labor guys that barely speak English