Decorative Columns, Capitals & Bases
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Click on an image for more information on decorative column products.
	Filament Wound Fiberglass Columns:  These decorative columns are light weight and easy to install, while maintaining a load bearing strength up to 35,000 lbs. Filament wound columns are fast becoming an architect and contractor's first choice for job sites across Canada.
	Caps and Bases for PVC Pipe Columns: The cap and base system for PVC Pipe was designed to create the historic look of decorative columns and pillars at a fraction of the cost of manufactured columns.
	Decorative Pedestals: Manufactured from ridged polyurethane, ready to paint or prefinished, these tough designer pedestals are perfect for displaying your pampered plant or rare statuary.

R-Wholesale.ca has a large selection of decorative columns, capitals, plinths and column collars for new construction or remodeling projects.

. . . Roman pillars, gothic archways or port coucher
. . . Decorative columns and load bearing columns
. . An assortment of column capitals to choose from

Decorative Columns
Featured Articles

Home Building - Columns & Millwork

by Tammy Crosby

Whether you use decorative columns as an aesthetic design element or give them a supporting role—your home will be greatly enhanced by fitting columns into your architectural plans. Since ancient times, columns have graced private homes as decorative columns and structural or load bearing columns, supporting a wall or a roof. Although these classical designs of ancient Greek and Roman columns are as popular today as ever, don't feel bound to build the expected, since manufacturers of pre-made interior and exterior columns offer homeowners many different shapes, styles and sizes to choose from. In addition to a plethora of off-the-shelf designs, you can have your columns custom made. There are three classic orders; think styles of columns: Doric Columns, Ionic Columns and Corinthian Columns. The Doric order was the earliest of the Greek columns and are the heaviest and thickest. Ionic columns are known for their ram horn column capitals and they were the first to use decorative bases. The most complex column is the Corinthian order, which are slender, topped with an ornate decorative capital and entablature. They also have a column base and plinth, which is basically a tapered ledge that meets the floor. Keep in mind all orders can by custom changed to architectural specifications. Wooden Columns Wood columns are a wonderful architectural addition to any home because they add a sense of class and distinction to your home's overall appearance both inside and out. They are easy to install and can be carved in any shape or style and painted to match or stand out from your home's decor. Wood columns should be made of only the finest woods like mahogany, poplar, cherry, pine, oak, maple, and redwood. Most wood column suppliers and manufacturers can carve both round and square columns in sizes consistent with classic proportions, as well as custom shaft diameters for special projects. Wood columns can also be smooth surfaced or fluted with ridges—whatever suits your artistic vision. If you use hollow wooden columns, they must be vented to prevent build-up of moisture from condensation on the inside and rotting the wood. Proper ventilation requires an opening at both top and bottom. To determine the amount of ventilation you will need, divide the column's diameter (or width) in half and convert to square inches. For example, a 10-inch-diameter column needs five square inches of vent opening at the base and another five square inches at the capital. To keep insects and small critters from making a home, your vents should be blocked with copper screens. Fiberglass Columns The preferred material by builders and architects for decorative columns is the fiberglass column because it offers an attractive look that is more impact-resistant than a wood column. Like wood, fiberglass columns are available in both a round and square shape with a choice of smooth or fluted surfaces. Today's fiberglass columns are manufactured not only to aesthetically replicate the classic column forms but they are also strong enough to serve as structural, load-bearing columns. There are so many manufacturers to choose from when it comes to fiberglass that it is important for you understand a bit about how fiberglass is made so you can find a reputable column provider. Fiberglass is actually little glass threads which are spun into thin strands that can be woven into a strong, durable material which is impervious to heat, rust and many other extreme elements. Fiberglass columns are not only made of fiberglass but a compound made by combining fiberglass and plastic. These two materials are heated and then molded into the desired column shape. Basically the plastic provides the structure and the fiberglass provides the strength and durability. The benefits of fiberglass columns are: Fiberglass Columns can be shaped and painted to give any desired look Fiberglass Columns are weatherproof. Fiberglass Columns are Insect and critter proof. Fiberglass Columns are more impact resistant than wood. They usually come with a lifetime warranty—check with your manufacturer. Easy installation. Impervious to moisture, which is great if you live in an area that experiences high humidity. Load bearing fiberglass columns can support up to 30,000 pounds. Fiberglass Columns are lightweight and require very little maintenance. Precast Stone Columns The tradition of classic beauty in architecture is carried on today through pre-cast stone columns rather than natural stone columns. New technology allows builders to create pre-cast stone columns that have the look and strength of ancient Roman columns but without the drawbacks of using natural stone columns. The biggest difference between pre-cast stone columns and natural stone columns is cost. It is much cheaper to pour a stone column into a cast than it is to chisel it out of a giant stone slab. Another benefit to pre-cast is you don't have to worry about hidden cracks and crevices. However, if you don't want a smooth looking column you can have your column designed with a weathered look. Pre-cast stone columns can be manufactured in one piece shafts or in halves and sections to surround steel supports. Interior Architectural Columns While the Ancient Greeks and Romans used decorative columns first for support and second for aesthetics, today's builders and designers have the luxury of using columns solely for the purpose of decoration. Modern construction materials can now support the weight of a roof without placing a column every six feet. Now you can have columns placed anywhere you please. If you want to give the illusion of a bigger space, the careful placement of interior architectural columns can achieve that look. Conversely you can divide a large room by having your designer create two separate spaces without closing off the room with a wall. This is a great idea if you want to divide your living areas but don't want to break up the grandness of such a large living room.