Applying poly over the paint really won't give you any added protection. It's not like the poly is any more durable than the paint itself unless you are really using some cheap paint.

When I hear of someone using cedar for railing, I feel I must tell them of my experience.18 years ago the popular belief( at least at my lumberyard) was that cedar was low maintainence and lasts forever. So I sided, trimmed, railed and decked w/ cedar( white cedarsiding, red cedar everywhere else). It was beautiful afterward. We stained w/cabots, used sikins on the deck. After 5 years we noticed, especially the deck and rail, that everywhere cedar touched cedar( the butt joint at the post/ rail and post /deck) it was getting soft. We hadn't sealed the end grain before installation nor did we caulk each joint. By year 12 the railings fell off and the posts and decking boards rotted along each edge ( we didn't space the deck boards enough, thinking they would shrink- they might have even expanded). A word to the wise, wait until a stretch of dry weather and silicone caulk those joints. Fine Homebuilding Magazine recognized this problem and published an article a few years after we built and after the damage was done. They recommended geotextiles layered between built up trim and cutting chamfer grouves at the butt joints for the caulk to adhere better- esentially a miniture pitch pocket for the caulk. Good luck w/ the cedar.

Hi Thermsen. You must be a lot more easily embarrassed than I am. I don't love that color on your lower wall, but then, I don't hate it, either. It's just a color. Here's my advice: life's too short to be shamed by a paint choice. Which means that whether you go for the dark stain or the black paint on your hand rail, it will probably be OK. You say that the sun won't hit it much, but that when it does, it looks brown. I say if the brown were all that awful in the first place, why did you use it on your floors & cabinets? Or are you going to redo them too. It can't be all that bad. Here's the thing: you say that, with molding stained, your house was looking very traditional--almost as though that's a bad thing--but that the painted balusters give things a cleaner look, and yet, actually, the combination of white balusters & dark railing is about as traditional as you can get. If you're not sure, consult an episode of "Ozzie & Harriet". Besides, traditional & clean are not mutually exclusive. Then again, the wrapped carpet on your steps is neither "traditional" nor particularly "clean", anyway. It just is. But you can't worry about everything: you've got garland to hang. So put away the inappropriate shame over previous choices, knowing that whichever color you decide to use on your rail, it will probably be OK. After all, it's the dark-toned railing's crisp contrast against the white that matters, not the specific color you choose. Just keep repeating, It's only paint... it's only paint..."

Thank you. You are right - the picture was too dark. I'm attaching one that i hope is better. Please bear in mind that this was taken today, with the sun at my back, while there is still snow on the ground and the plants have not started to grow yet. Also, when the weather is better we will put our outside chairs (2) and two small glass tables on the porch, to the left in this picture. Again, thank you for suggestions. ETA: Drat. I don't know how to make the photo larger when it's posted (it's plenty big before posting here). If you click on it it'll open to be larger.