Not a bad project as long as you have adequate help/equipment. I just finished replacing 14 columns on our wrap around. You will need jacks to lift the porch, etc. You may have to pre-order the columns to make sure that they are the right length. Make sure you use an aluminum plinth block at the bottom for ventilation as well as keeping the column from sitting right on the floor. Finally, and perhaps most important...be sure to prime the bottom of the column with two coats of OIL BASED primer. Following up with a coat of paint on the base won't hurt.

jterrilynn is a genius! :) I just now noticed she completed my railing on the octagon - lol!! Love it! You ALL have such a great eye - you have helped us leaps and bounds. My husband and I like the black posts. He and I are divided however on the lower level fascia under the deck. I am liking the house color as a tie-in to the rest of the structure with the brown fascia a close second. He likes it black. Hmmmm.... we have a few days to think about it before the painter returns. If anyone has more to weigh in on, feel free :)

The simplest way to calculate that is you take for 1' of height =1" of diameter so if you have a height of 6' it would be a 6" round or square column.

The door on the right (green - also being replaced!) is the front door. Where the spindles are, opens up to the living area/family room and I like that it is open. If I closed it up completely, I think it would close off too much. I would tear the wall down entirely but that’s out of my budget at the moment. Im not sure what a ”soffit” is but I think within the context, i was able to figure it out! The top of the spindles, the little wall above does cover up a beam that runs horizontally. I assume the spindles may be there to help support it? For the record, I have not confirmed if this is load bearing- I am just assuming. p.s. I appreciate everyone’s input/feedback!!! You guys are awesome.