# Forum Home Renovation Sub Flooring  Timber clad steel posts

## squeegee

Hi there. I am new to this fantastic forum. 
I am renovating a house at present, and have about 16 steel posts that form the posts for the verandah. They are ugly as sin, and Id like to clad the posts in timber. I have attatched a few photos from a resort called Bale that has a fantastic example of how this can be done. 
Can anyone offer any advice as to where I should turn to have these manufactured, what timbers and advise on possibly doing myself. 
They dont necessarily have to be done like this, Id love to see what others have done. 
Thankyou and I hope someone can offer up some suggestions and /or help. 
thanks
Paul

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## Bloss

Welcome to one of the best forum's you see. That's a very expensive and complicated way to clad steel they have used at the resort, but a good look. 
You can be fancy and mitre the joints, but you can get a good result using butt joints - it is just a tall box after all. The timber is really a matter of what look you want (colour, grain etc) and how much you want to pay. You can use any solid timber that is available in the dimension you need - it needs only to be 10-12mm or 16-19mm max thick.
Veneered ply can work well so long as you measure accurately and get someone to cut it for you if you do not have the right tools at home. This is well within a DIYer capacity. On square or round section posts if the measure and cut is right you do not even need nails or screws - it can be glued and held in place by gaffer or masking tape until set.  :2thumbsup:  
Btw - do a few searches on the forum for 'steel posts' 'clad' etc and you'll probably find some other ideas too. But wait a bit and come back - other members will add posts with alternative views too.

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## squeegee

thanks very much for your reply Bloss.  
yeah they did a nice job on those posts. Do you have any sugestions what type of timber would be best? Merbau? Couldnt find any other threads dedicated or mentioning this topic, hence my raising it. 
thanks

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## Trav

They've used what's known as a lock mitre bit on a router to get the bevel angle joins with the tongue and groove. Unless oyu have a table saw and a good router and table then steer clear of trying to replicate the system exactly.  
My suggestion is to go to a good timber merchant who will machine timber (DAR - dress all round) from rough cut stock. MOst decent timber places will do that (Bunnings is not included in my list of decent timber places). They might be willing to make up stock for you using a lock mitre bit or a bevel at worst. It won't be cheap. 
As for timber, I suggest either tassie oak or jarrah, depending on timber colour and your location. They will be the best bet. Use merbau or meranti if you can live with your conscience of using imported tropical rainforest timber (probably illegally logged too). 
Trav

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## seriph1

welcome to the forum mate  -  as others have said, very nice workmanship on those posts at the resort. You can certainly achieve good results using basic tools though you might want to consider different joining methodology.  
As was said, those lock mitres are fantastic if you have the tools and expertise  -  and thousands of dollars if you want to use heavy section Merbau as they have.  
Please let us know how big your steel posts are and if you are wanting to paint, stain or clear finish the timber you intend to use .... if uncertain, please state if you want the same 'type' of colour as the resort posts, or lighter shades. Also, where are the posts in the home? 
As far as making them, i feel the way to go would be to make the boxes up first, with one side removable then just assemble them on site. The resort posts have had their fixing screws covered with dowels which look nice and adequately disguise the holes.  
If you want to have invisible fixings you have a task on your hands, but it is not impossible and would produce the best result, though the other way is still most acceptable I reckon and far easier. 
Finally, will the tops of the columns be visible at all, and how do you want to finish the bottoms where they meet the floor ..... and what is the floor made of - transitions of timber-to-timber can be a challenge.

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## Bloss

Could be any timber really - WR cedar would look good, but dearer, although you could use 12mm panelling and make up the 'boxes' using cleats behind the panels. You could use any of the timber used for decking - match your existing even - again using cleats to make up two L-shapes that are then screwed together. You would need to select well so you had no twists or warps, but pulling into the box shape allows a little leeway there. 
No need for fancy joints as I said - you can use screws and leave them visible,  countersink them and cover with filler, use a plug cutter and drill and screw and plug with the same timber. All down to how much time and effort and your skill level and tools. Simple nailing, punching and filling the holes would work fine! :2thumbsup:  
Finishing at the top can be just squared off - no-one can see anything other than the edges at the top. The bottom is simple too - use a 'skirting with mitred joints around the base suing the same timber and staying proud of the decking/ flooring by 10-20mm by attaching only to the 'boxes' you make. 
This can be  simple work and would make a big aesthetic difference.  
--------------------- Advice from me on this forum is general and in the nature of guidance in response to the information given by the member posing the question. No advice is to be used in place of professional advice from people who are appropriately qualified in the relevant field. All structural work must be approved and constructed to the BCA by suitably licensed persons. The person doing the work and reading my advice accepts responsibility for ensuring the work done accords with the applicable law.

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## squeegee

Sorry I have been AWOL of recent times. Thanks Steve, Trav and Bloss again for the great advice and attention to detail. I can work with the information advised here. Ill post some pics in the future, once I get stuck into that part of the reno. Its a large one, I am basically finished with the internal changes from taking it back to about a million room house to 4 beds with ensuites, 2 kitchens, and a host of hallways. Ill post some pics here of what I have on the outside with those posts. I know it looks a mess, but Ive taken out sliding doors, and added in 2 lots of 5 panel folding, and one set of 3.....

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## squeegee

Internally I have finished the 3 downstairs "king" bedrooms (still need to do the bathrooms), the entry way, lounge room (with new fireplace), office and our parents retreat (alos with a fireplace), which occupies 100sqm of the top level, with office, walkin, fireplace, its own lounge and bathroom (still to do bathroom)

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## squeegee

Here are some pics of the lounge room in befores, and afters with new Bamboo floor, fireplace and new bifolds etc.....for anyone that wants a sticky beak

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## squeegee

here are some pics of the bamboo floor being done....that Sikaflex is great stuff to work with

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## squeegee

and some pics of the downstairs fireplace being done....Beign my first time working with slate like this, I found it difficult and time consuming to mitre the corners, but well worth the result to have the wrapped look.

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## squeegee

you can see my 2 "apprentices" :Smilie:  hard at work in the above pics

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## Bloss

So what do you do in all your spare time . . . :Biggrin:  Great work - satisfying ain't it!   :2thumbsup:

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## binda

Looks totally fabulous. Did you cut all the slate yourself or can you purchase it like that?

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## squeegee

Hi Binda. Thanks for comments. You can purchase it attatched to mats, and it is cut in a way that once laid it looks random. Though, I have found with both fire places that I ended up cutting quite a few random pieces at the end. I made the mistake of having about 10 mats left over from the loungeroom. Then about 3 months later went back to buy another 8, and would you believe they had changed the shape slightly, and it didnt quite fit. Plenty of cutting was needed to get the edge joins to fit from the old and the new, but it still came up a treat. :2thumbsup:

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