Peter; what do the spindles look like? The handrail should complement the look of the balustrade. Could you post a pic of the porch?

 

Veranda Update

DaninVan: Attached is a photo of the house to give you an idea of the style. The bit that I want to block off is on the left had side at the back - not in the photo. I will try and get a shot of the stiles later today.

Cheers

 

Wow! It's in beautiful condition!! Has it been completely remodelled/restored?
Just a thought, but is there a Historical Society in your area? They might have archived photos of homes of similar style and vintage; it'd be interesting to see what they were using as handrailing back then, in your region.
So many Homes from the late 1800's were brick or stone faced in Ont. and Quebec. It's sort of an oddity with the lap-siding. I actually prefer it, and the white is classic. Lovely home, Peter.
Cheers,
-Dan

 

Oh, and one more thing; would you consider a bit of 'gingerbread' to pick up on the front door detail?
Front Porch Designs - Parts for Front Porches - Wooden Screen Doors

 

Hey Peter,
I did an Ipe deck with an Ipe handrail that I routered using two Freud handrail profiles, worked great and looks great.

 

Hi Dan - Your suggestion is a good one - there is local group nearby that I can get in touch with. Will also think about gingerbread - though I don't want to get too "fussy".

Peter

 

The style of your house is very similar to mine, even down to the unrailed porch. I recently put a rail completely around mine, and used a fairly gentle tabletop edge bit on the edge of 3 inch wide stock to create a nice look. It leaves a good amount of flat in the middle, and just "smoothes" the appearance. Take a look at any fancy table or dresser in your home and see if you like the look, i find it works surprisingly well for railings