HawthorneVillager.com

We have a single wooden column on our porch. Our house was resale, now about 6 years old, and it looks like the external woodwork just has primer on it (the column, bay under the window, etc.).

One of our summer projects was to remove the caulk and sand all this down and repaint it with weatherproof paint. We noticed that currently, the various pieces of wood making up the square column are starting to separate. Does this need to be replaced, or can we fill the cracks with something and paint over everything to seal it?

I did my entire porch last year, probably 10 posts!
First, strip everything down, and sand. No need to replace the wood unless it's rotting. The cracks are no issue.
Then fill all the cracks will silicone caulking, and use your finger or scraper to smooth (use water so it doesn't stick). Wait required time to dry.
Apply primer to everything.
Then paint!

Some silicones don't hold paint very well. I would suggest exterior wood filler or latex caulking.

John Allingham, Professional Engineer
Owner & Certified Home Inspector
Halton-Peel Home Inspection
(416) 254-5869
www.peelhomeinspection.com

Excellent, thanks for the advice!

Truth be told, I can't remember which variety of caulking I used. Important thing is that the filler must be flexible to adjust to wide range of temperatures - hence recommendation above for exterior wood filler. Don't use interior - it will crack.