How to Repair Wooden Columns

Rotting Bases

• 1

  Remove as much of the rotting wood from the bottom of the column as possible. Chip it away with a wood chisel and hammer or cut the damaged portion away with a reciprocating saw and a wrecking blade. Allow any moisture to dry before completing the repair to ensure rot does not continue from the inside out.

• 2

  Measure the faces of the column. Cut four pieces of baseboard molding, taller than the affected area, to fit around it. Cut 45-degree miters at each end of each piece with a miter saw, one right and one left. Stand the molding on its narrow bottom edge, with the back flat against the fence, and make the cuts so that the face of the molding is the longest face.

• 3

  Nail the molding in place around the base of the column using a pin nailer. Hammer in one nail every 6 to 8 inches. Fill the seams around the molding with painter's caulk. Fill the nail holes as well. Fill the gaps in the stained columns with solvent-based wood filler. Allow it to dry and sand it with 150 grit sandpaper.

• 4

  Brush on a coat of oil bonding primer. Allow the primer to dry for 2 hours and apply two coats of latex paint in the same color and sheen as the surrounding finish. Apply a coat of stain and all-in-one clear coat to the columns with stained finish using a paint brush. Match the color of the existing finish.

Repairing Cracks

• 5

  Fill a syringe with exterior quality industrial-grade wood glue and inject it into the cracks in the column. Fill the crack until the glue just spills onto the surface.

• 6

  Wrap the column with two webbing strap-type clamps, one just above and one below the effected area. Run the strap around the column and back through the cam buckle. Tighten the clamps until the cracks close.

• 7

  Wipe any excess glue from the face of the column. Allow the glue to harden for 24 hours. Remove the clamps and sand the face of the column with 150 grit sandpaper. Apply paint or stain to touch up the effected area as outlined previously.