There is very little that will change the entire appearance and feeling of a house the way that a wooden balustrade will. It all has to do with ‘curb appeal’ – a realtor term for the first impression that a property makes when someone pulls up to the curb. A wooden balustrade can lend a touch of Old World class and elegance to a home, increasing its curb appeal by leaps and bounds.

A wooden balustrade can be used to frame a front porch or patio, or along the edges of a parapet. It can be purely decorative, or a safety feature. Adding a front porch with a classic wooden balustrade can entirely change the appearance of your house – and add considerable value – both intrinsic and monetary.

Replacing an old cast iron or wooden banister with a beautiful new balustrade system is easy enough to be a do-it-yourself job if you have even minimal handyman’s skills.

When you use preassembled wooden balustrade panels with railings and posts already put together, installation is just a matter of setting the posts and fitting the balustrade panels into them. You can have a sweeping, elegant look fit for a plantation house or a chic country home for no more than the work it takes to install a fence.

Periodically (late spring and late fall) inspect and clean the surfaces of your wooden balustrade:

1. Replace any worn or dried caulking.
   
2. Clean with water and mild soap, being sure not to leave the cleaning solution on the wood surface for more than 10 minutes.
   
3. Rinse the surface of your wooden balustrade with clear water.
   
4. Dry with a soft chamois to remove streaks from the surface and finish of your wooden balustrade.
   
5. Use 50/50 mixture of bleach and water to remove mold, mildew and vegetation growth from the surface of the wooden balustrade.