adding a timber veneer to balcony posts

[dan76n]

Hi all,
I am looking at trying to make our front balcony posts which are metal 100mm x 100mm look like timber posts. My idea was to use 140mm x19mm merbau decking and put a 45 angle down each edge and join around the post, is this the best option I have and if so am I best to use a Router to get the edge 45 degrees?
Any ideas on this would be great.

[journeyman Mick]

Dan,
that would work, but if the posts are going to cop any sun or rain then no matter how you fix and finish them they will move, the corners will open up and they'll look terrible.

Mick

[echnidna]

I did something similar to some timber posts years ago. I decided against mitring as it will move in the weather just like Mick said

I spaced the 140 x 19 off the posts and fitted a quad along each edge of the 140 x 19. so the quad sat in about 3mm away from the edge.
I only took this up about 750mm then made a cap to connect the 140 x 19 to the posts. Above the caps I fitted 3 lengths of fly bead with rounded ends to finish off the posts

When painted it looked like moulded edges on fancy posts

[DJ’s Timber]

I would allow for the steel expanding and constricting (and yes it will) as well