How to finish this? (a brick porch-rail)

Snav · 02-05-2010, 12:39 PM

I suppose it's a 1/2 wall, not a rail - semantics.

My husband and I started this a few years ago - one of those spontaneous drunk "hey lets do this!" type dealies without any forthought, plan or finish in mind.

So, once we bricked up a few feet to a reasonable height - we didn't know what to do and just left it. The ivy was not grown like this when we started so that gives you an idea of just how old this unfinished project is.

So - I need to finish it but still have absolutely no freaking clue what to do.

Any ideas? I'm a blank slate.

The unbrellas are in the way so it's hard to tell - but on the carport side the rail stops 2' before the wall to permit a walk-through down into the carport.
On the garden-side it's from the front all the way to the wall.

sdsester · 02-05-2010, 03:35 PM

Nice stone cap of some kind? Limestone? Sandstone? Slate? You could even finish it off with a nice 1.5-2" thick piece of A grade cedar, redwood or something?

Keep a eye on the ivy and what it might be doing to mortar joints. Stuff has a way of prying windows open or twisting them in their frames too if you turn your back on it for more than a day. Love the look though.

Snav, could you click on your login name and upgrade at least your basic location so we know where you are when commenting?

Snav · 02-07-2010, 10:13 PM

Sorry, I had computer problems and finally am back on.

Yeah - something wood would work. I need to figure out how to attach it. We lined our garden area with a layer of wood/brick/wood - complicated but it looked nice. If I could do something that matches it'll look nice.

sdsester · 02-08-2010, 06:17 AM

Well, as mentioned, I would use something thick enough to look like it was to scale with the brick. I would be tempted to dado out the center of the rail so it would not slip from side to side on the brick when leaned against. I should think you could then just use a good exterior rated construction adhesive to secure it to the top of the wall?

I guess you could go complicated, set the rail in place, drill through it to mark the brick. Drill holes in the brick with a masonry bit. Insert an anchor. Screw the rail into the anchors and countersink the screw heads. Patch the holes with an epoxy filler or something. Could rock loose in time though I suppose.

I would take a router to the rails before you install them to ease the edges and of course miter the corners for a nice finished look.

Snav · 02-08-2010, 06:22 AM

A mix of the two ideas would be best. I *know* the brick isn't very stable and I need to consider safety - with the ivy growing on it people are less likely to lean on it, but once I take the ivy off it'll seem more 'rail' like - and will be used as such.

I think I need to build a woodwork casing around it - connecting to the outside edge of the concrete with nice vertical studs that run to the top and connect the top rail.