25/08/2026
THE DETAIL CARPENTERS USED TO PUT INTO A BALUSTRADE.
This is just a front verandah balustrade on an old home but have a closer look.
The substantial timber posts, the chamfered arisses, the routed detailing through the handrail, the little transition points where each detail stops short of the post, and even the recessed sections that would once have held decorative frieze work.
None of it was accidental.
A carpenter 100 years ago could spend a considerable amount of time creating detail in something like that. Today it would probably be a simple aluminium, steel or composite balustrade.
And this is what makes old character homes so interesting.
You can see the layers of paint, the dents, the repairs and the weathering. You can see where water has eventually found its way into the joints between the balustrade rails and the posts and started the deterioration.
But the underlying timber has still done its job for generations.
With regular maintenance and keeping water out of those vulnerable joints, there’s a good chance much of this timber could have continued performing for many more years.
That’s the thing about old homes.
The craftsmanship isn’t always obvious until you stop and actually look at it.
100 years ago, even the parts of a house you walked past every day were often made with a level of detail we rarely see today.
