Material Choices for your Porch Railings

Porch railings are one of the parts of your home that will make a first impression on any visitors to your home. The railings of the porch are one of the structures that can add a distinctive look to a home and so they make a lasting impression on your guests. They not only improve the look of your home but they also provide shade for those moments when you need to cool off and relax.

Porch designs come in a variety of interesting architectural styles, from the traditional to the modern themes. With a little knowledge and the right materials, you can beautify your front and back porches with the right design of porch for your home. This article will give you tips about choices for materials for your porch railings. 

The shape and appearance of the porch railings are important and as much as possible, we should opt for materials that require as little maintenance as possible. The choice of materials used for the porch railings is one that has to be made carefully.

Flowing lines are a common feature in modern porch railings and the choice of materials utilised for it’s construction have to be suitable for such designs. There are many different materials that can be used on porch railings. Here are just a few of the most commonly used materials in the construction of porches.

Stainless steel railings

Stainless steel is a suitable choice for the fact that it keeps lustre for a long time, even in unfavourable conditions. The maintenance that stainless steel requires is minimal, since it requires no painting or polishing whatsoever.

Another commonly-used variant of this material is PVC-coated steel. This material may come in several different colours. The maintenance of PVC -coated steel is also minimal.

PVC Railings

PVC is also a good material for building railings. Porch railings of PVC or vinyl is an excellent choice for a number of reasons. First, the material does not splinter so there is are no sharp points when it is held. 

It does not conduct heat like other materials, so there very is little chance of you getting any serious burns if you happen to touch it on a hot day. The PVC is resistant to ultraviolet light, therefore, it is practically impossible for this material to fade. It is also waterproof and essentially maintenance free.

Aluminium railings

Aluminium is a good choice of material for porch railings and they are sure to last long. Though they are cheaper than stainless steel, it is not as strong as steel and tend to become dull with time. The aluminium railings are kind of similar to wrought iron railings both in their appearance, but they have some distinct advantages over those types. Aluminum railings will not rust and do not require maintenance.

Wooden railings

Another popular material is wood. More and more people are opting for wooden railings over iron because wood does not rust and is easy to remove or replace. Wood is easy to work with, not too heavy and can be painted in any color of your choice.

You can use various types of wood to create different looks. Cedar wood is largely resistant to decay and insects. Even when exposed to moisture, it usually holds up better than most of the other wood types. They offer the beauty of wood without the resultant maintenance problems. Additionally, this type of material does not flake easily. It is also relatively inexpensive.

Iron railings

Iron is suitable for construction of porch railings because of its durability. One can choose to various designs or decorations added to these iron rails. The obvious demerit of this material is that is susceptible to the elements, hence, rusting is a concern.

Concrete Railings

Precast concrete is a superior solution when it comes to looking for a maintenance free product and a design that can last for many years without deterioration. Precast concrete comes in two options, one is smooth (simulation of limestone) and coral (simulated look of travertine). Both options are very popular and provide new or existing homes with an old world look that many home owners deem very attractive.

When it comes to porch railings or balustrade for your porch, all of these materials have their strengths but your choice of material should be guided more by functionality than price. At the end of the day, you alone can decide what material is best for your porch railings but be sure to arm yourself with sufficient information about the merits of each one of them before making a final decision.

Building Material Options for Pool Pavers

It is always nice having your very own swimming pool in your home. Just like any other facility in your house, the swimming pool does require attention in order to make it safe for recreation. This is a necessary concern especially in the case of home owners with very young children who may be prone to slipping around the pool. Swimming pool pavers are a crucial part of the pool infrastructure that can turn a swimming pool into a delightful leisure spot for everyone.

The area surrounding the swimming pool is also often used as a recreational area and some pool furniture and infrastructure like picnic tables and awnings can be placed in this region. To further complement the pool and make some other activities feasible, the areas surrounding the pools are constructed with a different type of surface with a view to improving the functionality of the swimming pool area.

When it comes to the choice of material to use in constructing the swimming pool pavers, there are a wide range of choices available for your swimming pool and you can choose ones that are most suitable considering your budget and peculiar needs. The material you choose to use for the deck and walkways your pool depends on your budget. Also, the selection should be made based on your personal style and taste.

If we talk about outdoor swimming pool areas and decks, natural stone pavers are great choice. These are good cover for the path leading directly to the swimming pool areas since they are not easily permeable to water and not slippery. The weather and climatic changes are the other reasons why you should consider choosing natural stone. Most home owners choose it due to it’s durability and longevity. Besides, you can also pick matching textured finishes that will blend with the surrounding environment.

Those which come in great colors are Travertine, sandstone, and limestone. These unique textured pavers would give a unique looks to your swimming pool area.

There are also other materials such as granite or basalt. They have quite a different look and they can be combined with stones and tiles. Granite materials usually come in big sizes. That gives you benefit of adjusting the size of granite that you need for your customized swimming pool.

Stone pavers are a little bit more expensive than the other alternatives but they will definitely give your pool an exotic look. The stone tiles come in different textures and colors.

Concrete pavers are another common choice. To a large extent, concrete is durable and can be easily repaired whenever any cracks appear. Another merit of picking concrete is the fact that they are not sold or packaged in different styles and designs that may not be available later on as replacements for damaged pieces (as is the case with tiles and stones). You can also use concrete in different colors for casting your pool pavers. Concrete pool pavers also provide good grip for wet feet and therefore reduce incidents of slipping around the pool.

Ceramic tile pavers are another choice and they are obviously  water-proof and are sold in various colors and textures. They are a cheaper option compared to the natural stone pavers. The tiles help protect the feet from the rough texture of the concrete.

Wood is another less commonly used material for swimming pool pavers. It is less popular than other types for the simple reason that with prolonged exposure to moisture, they will eventually begin to rot. Furthermore, continuous exposure to sunlight causes the wood  to go dark with the passage of time. The resultant effect of this is that the shaded parts of the wood are lighter in appearance than the other parts that are more frequently exposed exposed to sunlight. To prevent this from happening, one may have to provide some sort of uniform shade around the swimming pool area to prevent over-exposure of the wooden pavers.

Some other less popular choices of materials for pool pavers include brick and rubber.

Pools will be even more relaxing if you install the right pavers for your pool. Pool pavers are sold by the pool dealers in your location. They are usually used for both salt water swimming pools as well as chlorine water swimming pools. If you have no idea which pavers would be ideal for your swimming pool, you should consult with your pool builder for professional advice. Your pool builder, being an expert in this matter, would be the best person to guide you in making a purchasing decision. He or she will guide you every step of the way in the process of completing the installation of your swimming pool pavers. They are experienced in the field and will give you the best advice possible towards installing your pavers. However, the final choice of materials for your swimming pool pavers is yours to make.

Their rough surface texture makes them easier to walk on without sliding. They are also cooler to step on and thus, on hot summer days, you will not have to worry about scalding your feet on hot cement. Pavers have a cooler surface temperature, making them much friendlier for swimmers to walk on barefooted.

Stone moldings and surrounds provide accents for your home

Light plays a major role in the overall look and feel of a property and a space, which is why windows are such critical components of a properly designed interior or exterior.

However, the windows themselves are only one small piece of the puzzle. Sure, they are the actual “portal” that allows the light to enter into a space or you to see outside, but they can also be elevated to entirely new heights when combined with properly designed and installed window surrounds.

Describing just about anything that is placed around a window as a decorative or architectural feature, window surrounds can completely and totally transform the overall “flavor” of any interior or exterior space completely.

If you want to easily (and almost instantly) change a space, start with window surrounds!

Traditional or “out there”, window surrounds will change the overall aesthetic of everything

If you’ve ever seen a window that was trimmed out rather simply (with your everyday clear pine material that had been routed with one design or another) replaced by a higher end window surround you’ll no doubt understand exactly the kind of power that this design aspect has to change everything about a specific space.

It doesn’t matter whether you are going with a more traditional construction material and design or something really “out there”, even just switching up the color and size of a window surround is usually enough to completely alter the space, the aesthetic, and the “temperature” of a particular room or property.

This isn’t the kind of decision that you can afford to take lightly.

Mix and match exterior and interior stone surrounds for a completely custom look and feel

There might not be a more powerful design principle than contrasting elements working in perfect harmony.

There’s just something about the juxtaposition between two things that seem so wildly different blending together to create something that makes all the sense in the world that blows our minds and really brings us into a space in ways that nothing else can.

Well, if you like to pull that off perfectly, you’ll want to think about mixing and matching the exterior and interior surrounds on your property.

By choosing a specific “look” for the exterior of your home, you’ll be setting people up for expectations about the interior of your home that you will be free to violate spectacularly (in the most exciting and visually interesting ways), creating dramatic tension that will make your house stand out immediately.

Get creative with traditional designs and nontraditional construction materials

Another great way to get some interesting visual design going on inside or outside of your home is to combine completely traditional designs for window surrounds that have been implemented with nontraditional construction materials.

This is basically the same principle as above but implemented in a different way, but still creating that interesting contrast and juxtaposition that can really elevate the overall design aesthetic of your property or your space with almost zero effort on your behalf.

The bottom line? Pay attention to your window surrounds and you will be rewarded!

Precast concrete is the preferred building material when it comes to creating window surrounds. Surrounds are popular because the go around not only windows, but doors and garages as well. You can find plenty of good uses for architectural stone.

The contractors choice for building material is precast concrete

If you've been trying to figure out why so many builders and contractors choose precast concrete solutions in a myriad of construction projects today, hopefully this quick bit of information gives the insider information you've been after.

There can be no argument that precast concrete solutions are booming in popularity today, and it’s because of a wide variety of reasons. In fact, it’s rather difficult to find a piece of new construction (commercial or residential) today that doesn't take advantage of precast concrete solutions in one way or another.

It’s just become that “standard” of a construction material, and a choice that builders and contractors the world over continue to lean on to, to pull off modern miracles in the construction trade!

Here are some of the more popular reasons why builders and contractors choose precast concrete solutions.

Precast concrete is incredibly flexible and adaptive

The most impressive aspect of precast concrete is that it is such an incredibly flexible and adaptive construction material that builders and contractors are always going to be able to find new and exciting ways to take advantage of it.

There are precast concrete pieces of furniture, precast concrete pieces of sculpture and art, precast concrete counters and sinks (and a number of other household fixtures), and a variety of other applications for this construction material – giving builders and contractors the opportunity to customize just about every aspect of a building or design by implementing the right precast solutions.

Precast concrete is super safe

Secondly, precast concrete is a very safe construction material to use.

We’re talking about concrete here, remember?

The exact same kind of construction material that is used in foundations, major construction projects, and structural supports the world over is going to be precast into a variety of different applications and configurations for your next construction project – giving you the same strength, safety, and security features that it would have anywhere else.

Concrete doesn't burn, should last for hundreds of years or more, and won’t require all kinds of maintenance or repairs to remain safe and effective.

Precast concrete is very economical

The last big benefit that we are going to touch on here that builders and contractors are absolutely wild about is the fact that precast concrete is so inexpensive.

When compared to a lot of other construction materials out there (especially in higher-end applications), precast concrete solutions are ridiculously inexpensive – and often times offer more benefits than just about anything else ever could.

All of the heavy lifting of pouring and dissembling the concrete solutions is taken off of your shoulders completely, and though you will have a lot of input into the overall design and implementation the finished product you won’t have to worry about engineering aspects or anything else that goes into the actual production process.

Finally, builders and contractors almost always have precast concrete solutions delivered to the job-site and then placed by experts that know exactly what they’re doing over there with the right equipment) – alleviating a lot of stress and pressure at the same time!

Looking for precast products such as porch railings, columns, thin veneer, and or a balustrade system? Contact Coral Cast, located in Plainview, NY, they manufacture and distribute their products through out the United States for homeowners, commercial business owners as well as contractors.

The difference between Travertine and Precast

Whether you’re looking to implement either of these construction materials to finish off a floor, to add a bit of visual interest to an exterior or interior space, or just want to really make specific design elements in your home or office pop, you’ll want to know the difference between travertine and precast concrete solutions to make sure that you're choosing the right one for your specific needs.

Though they can look shockingly similar (on purpose), there is a world of difference between travertine and precast materials. By the time you’re done with this quick guide you’ll understand those differences, what each brings to the table as far as construction materials are concerned, and which one you’ll want to use in your next big project.

Ready to jump right in?

Composition

Let’s start off with travertine.

A natural stone material (actually a form of limestone), travertine is an absolutely gorgeous natural material that comes in a variety of colors and completely unique designs – all of which are created by Mother Nature herself.

Very porous unless it has been polished to a mirror like finish, travertine is incredibly popular as a flooring material, but is also used in a wide variety of interior and exterior design projects as well. It also happens to be a pretty delicate construction material (like limestone, it’s pretty lightweight and can be fragile if abused), and carries a bit of a luxury price tag.

Precast, on the other hand, is a concrete solution made up of sand, water, and concrete mixtures (as well as a handful of other additives and elements) and can take just about any shape or form.

Because it is so flexible, it’s become one of the most popular construction materials on the planet, especially in industrial or structural settings. On the flip side, precast concrete can actually be designed specifically to mirror the travertine aesthetic – giving you the best of both worlds. You’ll get the look of travertine without the delicacy over their or the steep price tag).

Flexibility

Travertine is soft enough to be cut into a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs, and can also be polished so that it has an incredible slick and smooth finish.

However, it’s nowhere near as flexible of a construction material as precast concrete – and it never will be. Precast concrete solutions can be shaped and molded into just about any configuration unimaginable, and can also be colored, stamped, or dyed to create some pretty visually interesting components.

Also, precast concrete has a certain strength and structural stability that you’d never get out of travertine, no matter how hard you tried.

Cost

At the end of the day, it’s almost always going to cost you more to implement a travertine-based project than one that leverages precast concrete – but this may not always be the case.

Sometimes you’ll be able to score an incredible deal on travertine tile or travertine material, and you’d have to be at least a little bit crazy not to go for the real deal if it suits the rest of your project criteria.