We’ve been talking about simplifying the trim and beefing up the porch columns ever since we moved in back in 2010. Now that spring is finally arriving and the weather has warmed up enough for outdoor work, we’re ready to tackle this long-awaited update after a winter that lingered way too long.
In our neighborhood, most ranch homes have either chunky square columns or a more traditional colonial style. We prefer the chunkier, more modern look, but our house came with the colonial-style columns and a curved scalloped header that doesn’t feel right for the aesthetic we want.
We ran into a similar scalloped header on our very first house, which Sherry tackled back in 2008. That project was exhausting and challenging—partly because of stubborn metal flashing and partly because she was working solo and wasn’t quite tall enough to make some of the steps easy. Still, the result was worth the effort: the updated, clean-lined look transformed the front of the house. With that memory in mind, we decided it was time to remove the scalloped header here and replace it with a straight, simple header that fits our style better.
This porch task was a different animal, though—no metal flashing to fight but a lot more wood trim and full columns to deal with. Before starting the demo, I ran a utility knife along the seams to encourage the paint to break along the joint lines instead of peeling unpredictably. That’s a helpful step anytime you’re separating painted surfaces that have many layers of exterior paint bonded together.
I was bracing for a long, frustrating demo based on the stories I’d heard from Sherry, but to our surprise a few careful whacks with a rubber mallet loosened the scalloped header. Once it was loosened, we pried that part of the curved trim off quickly and cleanly with a crowbar. The removed pieces weren’t pretty, but the demolition itself wasn’t as brutal as we’d feared.
Not having metal flashing to contend with helped a lot, and having four hands on the job made a big difference compared to Sherry’s solo outing the first time around. With the scallops gone we already felt better about the porch’s potential. The next step was adding a new straight header and boxing out the existing columns to achieve the chunkier, square look we want.
We began by nailing and gluing a pre-primed 1×3 pine board where the scallops had been—simple and effective. That gave us a crisp, straight header to replace the curved detail. The real fun, and the part that changed the porch’s whole presence, was boxing out the columns.
Instead of removing the existing columns, we decided to box them in with pre-primed pine boards. This approach is faster, easier, and less expensive than a full replacement while still delivering the modern, chunky square column appearance we wanted. Our columns were just under 8 feet tall, so we trimmed each board to the correct length with a circular saw before installing.
One column became noticeably more substantial after we added two sides of the box. Fortunately, the original column width matched the width of a 1×6 board, so we didn’t need to rip any boards lengthwise—only length trimming was required. We attached the boards using heavy-duty wood glue, followed by 2″ nails at the top and bottom where the new boards met the original column. A few screws added extra long-term security.
Because adding the two 1×6 boards increased the column’s overall width, we used 1×8 boards for the remaining two sides. The overlapping boards produced a final profile that reads as an even square column—roughly 7.5″ by 7.5″ in finished width, since nominal board sizes are slightly smaller than labeled. The visual effect is a clean, chunky column that reads modern and substantial.
Two things sped the boxing process: our nail gun and Sherry’s capable hands. The nail gun made fastening quick and efficient, and the project really is easiest with two people—one to hold and clamp while the other positions and secures. Once the new boards were anchored in a few places, Sherry could step back to take photos while I finished the rest of the fittings.
Work moved along quickly, but we didn’t quite finish before Clara returned from her afternoon with Grammy and Tom Tom, so we paused with most of the structural work complete but a few finishing tasks still on the list. The new boxed columns already make the porch feel more balanced, although the header now looks a little thin compared to the squared columns. We plan to add a beefier header element beneath the roofline so the proportions are harmonious.
Remaining tasks include:
- Box in the last column
- Add a chunkier header piece to balance the proportions
- Caulk all seams to prevent moisture intrusion
- Prime and paint everything for a seamless finish
We’ll share before-and-after photos once those finishing touches are complete. In the meantime, we’ve been doing a few other small creative projects related to the house, and we’re excited to keep making improvements as the weather cooperates.
Anyone else finally moving on to outdoor projects this season? Whether you’re planning new flower beds, a patio update, mulch refreshes, or small creative crafts, it’s the perfect time to get outside and make things look fresh again.