Previous Product Reports

RESTORING & BUILDING TRADITIONAL PORCHES

Here are suppliers of porch columns, Victorian gingerbread, decking, brackets, balustrades, and related porch specialties.

The traditional front porch has made an amazing comeback in American residential architecture. For most of the 20th century, people were tearing porches off old houses because they were out of style and required maintenance. Now, it's unusual for a new home NOT to have a porch -- and many people are replacing porches that were ripped off decades ago. Whether the porch is wood or masonry, whether the project is a repair or starting from scratch, this list assembled by the Editors of PERIOD HOMES should provide you with the parts & pieces you need.

A&M Victorian Decorations, Inc.
South El Monte, CA
800-671-0693; 626-575-0693; Fax: 626-575-1781
http://www.aandmvictorian.com
Manufacturer of architectural elements: columns, moldings, mantels, balustrades, wall caps, pavers, quoins, stair treads, planters, urns, fountains & gazebos; gypsum & precast concrete; custom designs & finishes.

Architectural Products by Outwater, LLC
Wood Ridge, NJ
800-835-4400; 973-365-2002; Fax: 800-835-4403
http://www.outwater.com
Supplier of more than 40,000 building products: architectural moldings & millwork, including porch parts; columns & capitals, wrought-iron components, balustrading, door hardware, lighting, tin ceiling tiles, interior/exterior furniture, furniture

AZEK Trimboards
Moosic, PA
877-275-2935; Fax: 570-346-5080
http://www.azek.com
Manufacturer of cellular PVC trim with the look & feel of lumber: standard trim dimensions, sheet sizes & bead board; cut, routed, milled & fastened using traditional woodworking tools; easily bent or shaped; will not rot, crack, split or warp.

Chadsworth's 1.800.Columns
Historic Wilmington, NC
800-265-8667; 910-763-7600; Fax: 910-763-3191
http://www.columns.com
Manufacturer of authentic interior & exterior molded ornament: columns & capitals, pillars, pilasters & balustrade systems; plain or fluted shafts in a variety of sizes & styles; molded polymer & variety of lumber species; worldwide delivery.

CinderWhit & Co.
Wahpeton, ND
800-527-9064; 701-642-9064; Fax: 701-642-4204
http://www.cinderwhit.com
Manufacturer of historically & architecturally correct woodturnings for restoration projects or for new commercial & residential construction; duplication of existing turnings; custom & standard designs.

Classic Architectural Specialties
Forney, TX
800-662-1221; 972-552-9050; Fax: 972-552-9054
http://www.casdesign.com
Supplier of architectural components: complete packages for exteriors, millwork & more; interior/exterior columns & capitals in all Classical orders; mantels & novelty columns in urethane, resin, wood & fiberglass; cornice moldings, door & window surrounds, ceiling medallions, ornamental ceilings, niches & domes, brackets & corbels in polymer; cupolas, benches, weathervanes, gazebos & more.

Classic Heritage
Addison, IL
630-543-9058; Fax: 630-543-1258
Manufacturer of columns, balustrade rail systems, window surrounds & other custom architectural applications: molded limestone & smooth poly-cast composites.

Concrete Designs Inc.
Tucson, AZ
800-279-2278; 520-624-6653; Fax: 520-624-3420
http://www.concrete-designs.com
Manufacturer of more than 1,600 precast-stone, concrete & GFRC items: mantels, cornice moldings, door & window surrounds, balustrades, columns & capitals, brackets & corbels; stock, custom & antique mantels.

Cumberland Woodcraft Co.
Carlisle, PA
800-367-1884; 717-243-0063; Fax: 717-243-6502
http://www.cumberlandwoodcraft.com
Manufacturer of millwork & ornament: balustrades, railings, corbels, carvings, molding, appliques, brackets, gable treatments, casings, paneled & screen doors & porch trim; mantels, paneling & cabinetry; hand crafted; Spanish cedar, poplar & mahogany; non-load-bearing polymer & carved-wood capitals & columns in oak, maple, mahogany & cherry; Victorian trim; licensee of the Victorian Society in America for wood trim.

Custom Wood Turnings LLC
Ivoryton, CT
860-767-3236; Fax: 860-767-3238
http://www.customwoodturnings.com
Manufacturer of custom balusters, newel posts, handrails (straight & radius), porch posts & finials: any wood species; roping & fluting; catalog $5.50.

Fagan Design & Fabrication, Inc.
West Haven, CT
203-937-1874; Fax: 203-937-7321
http://www.fagancolumns.net
Manufacturer & custom fabricator of wood columns, cylinders, rope twists, large turnings, octagons & pilasters: Classical order; load bearing & ornamental; columns also in plaster/gypsum, custom FRP fiberglass & GFRC; up to 42 in. in dia. & 24 ft. in length.

Goodwin Associates
Rochester, NY
585-248-3320; Fax: 585-387-0153
http://www.goodwinassociates.com
Custom fabricator & distributor of interior & exterior millwork: wood, fiberglass, polyurethane, Forton MG, GRG & foamed polymer; ornamental ceilings, cornice moldings, columns & capitals, door & window surrounds, brackets & corbels, ceiling medallions, niches & domes, crowns & frieze moldings.

Haddonstone (USA), Ltd.
Bellmawr, NJ
856-931-7011; Fax: 856-931-0040
http://www.haddonstone.com
British- & U.S.-based manufacturer of landscape ornament & architectural cast stonework: balustrades, columns & capitals, porticos, cornices, molding & trim, molded panels, cupolas, statuary, pier caps, copings, benches, fountains, outbuildings, gazebos, planters & urns, pavers & custom components; cast-limestone fireplaces in 3 colors; 156-page catalog.

HB&G
Troy, AL
800-264-4424; 334-670-6512; Fax: 334-566-4629
http://www.hbgcolumns.com
Manufacturer of PermaPorch system: load-bearing PermaCast columns, grand balustrade systems, PermaPorch & deck railing, load-bearing PermaPost porch posts, lampposts, PermaCeiling, moldings, medallions & entrance features.

Hull Historical Millwork
Fort Worth, TX
817-332-1495; Fax: 817-332-1496
http://www.hullhistorical.com
Manufacturer of historically accurate doors, windows, columns, paneling & moldings: double-hung windows with weights & pulleys to match historical profiles; custom fabrication & replication; casings, stairs & stair parts; longleaf yellow pine, tidewater red cypress & other woods as specified.

Manor Style, Ltd.
Baltimore, MD
800-325-2188; 410-298-7261; Fax: 410-298-0848
Nationwide supplier of load-bearing architectural columns, capitals & balustrade systems: cultured marble-resin (limestone finished), fiberglass composite & fabricated PVC; stock sizes to 48 in. in dia.; direct distributor of architectural PVC & preformed polymer elements; cornices, brackets & other exterior trim; Fypon, Focal Point, Spectis, Durastyl, Century, CDM & other brands.

McCoy Millwork
Portland, OR
503-236-0995; Fax: 503-236-2360
http://www.mccoymillwork.com
Manufacturer of millwork: mantels, stairs, columns, moldings, doors, porch parts, corbels & decorative brackets; Craftsman, Colonial Revival, contemporary & other styles; oak, maple, cherry, pine, hemlock & fir; iron; pre-primed hardwood; HB&G PermaCast columns and PermaRail; vertical-grain-fir porch system; traditional wood French doors & Marvin- & Andersen-clad products.

Melton Classics, Inc.
Lawrenceville, GA
800-963-3060; 77; Fax: 770-962-6988
http://www.meltonclassics.com
Manufacturer of columns, moldings, balustrades, door & window features, cornices, brackets, trim & many other architectural elements: fiberglass, polyurethane, marble/resin composite, wood, cast stone & synthetic stone; authentic classical & custom designs.

MHJ Group/Island Post Cap
Montgomery, AL
800-555-3694; 334-281-0097; Fax: 334-281-0575
http://www.mhjgroup.com
Group of manufacturers: traditional & Victorian-styled turnings, fencing & decking materials & accessories; benches & garden furniture, gates, arbors & pergolas; ships to locations worldwide; hand railings, balusters, lattices & deck components in wood.

Mohamad Wood Turning Co.
Brooklyn, NY
718-417-0025; Fax: 718-417-0021
http://www.mohamadwoodturning.com
Manufacturer of custom spirals, turnings, balusters & columns: all Classical styles; load-bearing for interior or exterior use; fluting, reeding, rope twists & custom carving; fractional columns; diameters up to 18 in. & lengths up to 10 ft.

Pagliacco Turning & Milling
Woodacre, CA
415-488-4333; Fax: 415-488-9372
http://www.pagliacco.com
Manufacturer of custom & stock woodturnings & millwork: columns, porch posts, balusters, newels, finials, brackets, railings & more; historical restorations & custom projects.

Passaic Millwork
Passaic, NJ
973-772-9013; Fax: 973-458-0431
http://www.resourcenet.com/pami.htm
Manufacturer of custom circular, elliptic, spiral, curved & straight stairs: rails & parts; columns, moldings, radius work, turnings & fluting to 12 ft.; clear & finger-joint pine moldings; poplar & oak; distributor of Marvin windows.

Somerset Door & Column Co.
Somerset, PA
814-445-9608; Fax: 814-443-1658
http://www.somersetcolumns.com
Manufacturer of Colonial wood capitals & columns: custom or standard, up to 40 in. in dia. & 40 ft. in length; architectural solid-wood doors hand assembled to specification; newels, balusters, posts, casework & moldings.

Tendura
Troy, AL
800-836-3872; 334-566-9198; Fax: 334-566-2363
http://www.tendura.com
Manufacturer of porch flooring: made of TenduraPlank, a composite lumber that comes with a factory-applied primer & looks & feels like real wood; primed & ready for finish painting.

The Wood Factory
Navasota, TX
936-825-7233; Fax: 936-825-1791
Supplier Online Brochure
Manufacturer of historically correct Victorian millwork: interior & exterior doors & stair parts; screen doors, gingerbread brackets & corbels, porch posts, spandrels, running trim, gable ornaments & crestings, fancy-cut shingles, newel posts, rails, balustrades & balusters; reproduction casings, corner & plinth blocks & moldings; custom mantels; column bases & caps, island & table legs, post finials & other turnings; western red cedar, redwood & more.

Turnings Unlimited
New Carlisle, OH
800-797-8757, 937-845-0211; Fax: 937-845-0230
http://www.turningsunlimited.com
Manufacturer of porch & stair parts: balusters, newels & turnings; new & exact detail reproduction of any part, picture or design; fluted, spiral & rope designs; hand carving & CNC routing of flat, curved or 3-dimensional parts.

Victoriana East
Audubon, NJ
856-546-1882; Fax: 856-546-1883
http://www.victorianaeast.com
Manufacturer of screen & storm doors & screen/storm combinations: pine, oak, mahogany & cypress frames; aluminum & fiberglass screens; related hardware & porch parts; period garage doors in wood; wood benches & custom lattice; custom wood post-mounted mailboxes, mail slots, novelty mailboxes & posts; railings/balustrades & gate hardware.

Vintage Woodworks
Quinlan, TX
903-356-2158; Fax: 903-356-3023
http://www.vintagewoodworks.com
Supplier of Victorian millwork: finials, western red cedar shingles; wood porch parts, turned posts, turned & sawn balusters, railings, brackets, corbels, custom-length spandrels, mantels, columns & more; 192-page master reference catalog; 208-page porch-design book.

Vixen Hill (Gazebos & Arbors)
Elverson, PA
800-423-2766 610-286-0909; Fax: 610-286-2099
http://www.vixenhill.com
Manufacturer of modular cedar gazebos, garden houses, tea houses, arbors, porch systems, cupolas, finials, window boxes, bat houses & shutters: pre-engineered for easy assembly; all are factory-direct.

Woodworks Company
Salt Point, NY
845-677-3960; Fax: 845-677-5964
Fabricator of reproduction millwork since 1976: Victorian & Federal turnings & rails; stair parts, windows, doors & moldings.