I am currently in process of doing something similar to what your asking. TimberTech Radiance Rail with IPE as a top rail. I'm trying to determine what would be the best way to connect the IPE to the rest of the railing, the only contact the top rail makes is the posts. I'm thinking of just screwing down the top rail into the 4x4 PT posts and plugging. What were you thinking of doing? P.S. I'm using a 5 3/8 IPE railcap and found that when you set the railcap over the radiance rail post slips, it doesn't completely cover them - you have approx 1/16-1/8 of the post slip edge showing (on either side). The overall width of rail cap is actually wider then the post slip, but the profile of the rail cap cuts in making the bottom side a little just a little too narrow to completely cover the rail. I can take a picture and show you if you don't already have the prdocut to test with.

Hi No-green-thumb, I'm sorry I'm just seeing this post, things have been very busy around here. We are at the end of the school year here, this week has been packed with award ceremonies, field days and class parties I volunteered for. Hope this info isn't getting to you too late. Okay, the blocks that we used on the bottom are 3 1/2" high, next there is 2x4 which would be 1 1/2" H, after that the pickets are 28" H, then another 2x4 which is 1 1/2 " high, then a 2x6 which is 1 1/2" H .. so the total railing is 36" high, which meets code here. To space the pickets you would start dead in the middle, from there they'd be spaced every 3" - 3 1/2" .. you'd work this out in advance so your reveals would be the same when you reached the end. Let me know if I can help out more. I'm sorry about the delay in info. I removed my e-mail address because I received a rude e-mail when I first posted the girls room. So I figured if there's no e-mail addy I didn't have to worry about it anymore. *LOL*

Front or rear, the problem remains. Our (rear) screened porch is in the SE angle formed by the breakfast room and the dining room. It's about 14 X 14 and has a cathedral ceiling with two skylights in the E angle of the roof. The porch and the interior rooms are bright summer and winter. I like houssaon's shed roof -- whether standing seam or not -- but IDK if it could give you enough coverage. How big is the porch? Will it be screened? What direction does the porch face?

There is a less expensive plastic product that is paintable that lasts forever - I used it for the door trim on my barn.