I think you need to be sure about the structure of the column. Put up a structural support that is engineered to replace the one you're going to work on. I don't think one 16 ' 2x4 will do it. Remove your column and see what's wrong. There are products, now on the market, that are synthetic and will hold up better then the original to the environment. Ron

Wouldn't cladding outdoor wood beams in plastic just invite moisture infiltrating and getting stuck and then potentially causing rot? Agree about just painting or finishing with appropriate exterior paint/varnish. Leaving it as wood lets the beams manage moisture better (if they get wet, they can also dry out) and if rot does happen, you'll be able to see it and not have it hidden and festering under plastic cladding.

Beth, Georgian does not equate to Mansion... I am not trying to be rude but I felt like you came for me and tried to throw some shade. Georgian houses were typically built in the colonial era of the Americas. They can range in size from a cottage/shack to a mansion, like some of those you depicted. I posted pictures of colonial Georgian homes that had inspired my design for my house so you should have seen that there were examples of small Georgian homes. Like one of the gentlemen who commented earlier in the thread, it can also be called a cape cod style house. These homes are usually brick or wood sided and feature shutters and columns. The first picture I posted of the ornate column was just an example of the wraparound feature I was looking for, I was not saying that I wanted that column specifically or anything within that realm. I know that that is way too ornate for my house and Georgian homes don't typically have crazy columns like that. They're usually the classical smooth columns. I was just wondering if anyone knew where I could find the wraparound ones. I understand that you're a "PRO" but just because you paid or had yourself verified as a home business person doesn't mean that you know everything about houses and styles. Literally, every example you've posted of Georgian houses have been mansions or very large homes. I realize that the White House is Georgian. I acknowledge there is no way for me to turn my existing home into a Georgian mansion, however, I can turn it into a Georgian style cottage. There have already been numerous photos posted of small Georgian houses so your opinion about it is superfluous. Thank you Katie B. for your input and those photos. You are right that I do not care that shutters do not actually cover the windows. That is not the purpose for me. I don't live on the East Coast or in the tropics or near any coast for that matter that I have to worry about a hurricane or tropical storm winds doing damage to my windows and I would never use them even if they were functional. I don't live in "Tornado Alley" either. As a matter of fact, I live in Southern California, in the southeastern edge of the state where I have Az to my east and Mexico to my south. I'm right on the border and the state line basically. In other words, the only weather I have to worry about here is the heat so my small shutters are the kind that are just for decorative purposes. Thanks to Seabornman, who suggested a website where I could find what I was looking for I can show you guys the columns I am going to put in at some point when I change the facade... here are the shutters, you can find at home depot... and the columns. And thank you to everyone else who wasn't an asshole and respected my vision.

Thank you for the quick reply. So if the base trim is Hardie as well, it shouldn't be in direct contact with the brick floor and I'd have to have a gap of some small size under the whole wrap assembly? I'm concerned about water from the sprinkler system as well.