How to dress up an outdoor wood beam

[EddieWalker]

I love James Hardie siding. It only comes in 12 foot lengths, so you have to deal with the seam, but that's pretty easy with a piece of trim. My parents have a similar beam on their front porch that's almost 27ft long, and that's what I'm doing with their beam.

Eddie

 

[lzicc]

I sorta like the Chrome idea.....

 

[tommu56]

Another issue with using aluminum is that I have large carriage bolts going through the beam from one side to the other that stick out a little. I may try to pull them out one at a time and countersink them if I can.

Put a PVC trim above and below the bolts and a smaller one over the gap to brake up the lines and make each piece lighter.

Thinner ones are usually cheaper too

 

[paulharvey]

I love James Hardie siding. It only comes in 12 foot lengths, so you have to deal with the seam, but that's pretty easy with a piece of trim. My parents have a similar beam on their front porch that's almost 27ft long, and that's what I'm doing with their beam.

Eddie

This is what we did at a small school building I built once (6 yrs ago). Its straight, got a nice grain, and lasts. We stagered the joints and caulked them. You can rip a small piece for the bottom side of the beam as well.

 

[lzicc]

That James Hardie siding, I never saw it before. It looks like cement board. How do you cut it?

 

[paulharvey]

That James Hardie siding, I never saw it before. It looks like cement board. How do you cut it?

You can get a hardi board blade for any normal skilsaw, or if you have an old plywood blade you don't mind wasting, use that. Avoid using a normal rough cut skilsaw blade as you want more teeth. Any wood blade will dull quickly from it. It nails or you can predrill and screw. The Hardi-plank nails easily, the Hardi-trim (1" material) is nearly impossible to hand nail, need nail gun or predrill.

 

[pat32rf]

Just what is wrong with the look of it being stained? If its like the green PT wood we have here, you can stain it so it looks like new cedar but it will never turn gray.... It is what it is, why hide it?

 

[petegoud]

Whatever you do, make sure you've eliminated any source of moisture around it. Once it's hidden you'll never know what's going on inside the beam, that is until it collapses.

 

[pat32rf]

Whenever we see something clad like that we wonder what they are trying to hide from view and get nervous about integrity.....

 

[Hiltz]

1/4" AC exterior grade plywood ripped for the sides of your beam. 1x for the underside. Allow 1/2" extra width on 1x underside. Fur out the beam with 1x2 furring strips to hide your bolts. Wider beams always look nicer.

Another issue with using aluminum is that I have large carriage bolts going through the beam from one side to the other that stick out a little. I may try to pull them out one at a time and countersink them if I can.