What is the difference between plain economy and plain column?

The difference is the thickness of the material. The material used for the economy column is 3/8" while the material used for the 'normal' columns is 5/8" thick.

Can I cut them a specific length?

Yes! One end of the column will have the base unattached. Simply make your cut to the shaft of the column to the height you need, and then attach the base at the bottom to cover up your cut.

Can these be used to cover basement support poles?

Yes, these are only decorative… to cover existing supports

What color are they when they come? Just wondering if they are already white do they have to be painted?

The Expanded PVC material is white when it arrives, however, we do recommend painting them as the natural material isn't protected against UV.

Yes, these are meant to be painted. We recommend priming/painting these columns with acrylic latex primer and paint.

Do you carry column without seems?

These particular columns are designed as column wraps, so regardless of the style they would need to be reassembled. You can eliminate the seam very easily with caulking or wood filler. If you do not need a column wrap, we do offer fiberglass columns which are seamless. Please give us to discuss your project and we can help you with explaining these in more detail.

What color are the posts, and do they have to be painted?

White, and yes I used a gloss White latex spray paint on ours and are happy with them.

I need to cover an 80" high x 4" square column. Can a 96" tall column be cut down to 80", or do you have something else for that size?

Yes, these columns can be trimmed. In fact, the capitals and base trims do not arrive attached to the column already just so the columns have the option to be trimmed.

Can you attach railing to these columns?

Yes, you can attach railing to these columns, however, you would not attach the railing to the column directly since these are column wraps. Instead, you would want to connect of blocking at the height where the railing is connecting into the column and this is so the railing is connected and supported by the internal post, rather than the column itself. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please give us a call and we would be happy to discuss this with you.

I have a 6x6 pole, what size column do I need to order?

The 6" economy column wrap has an inside column width of 3 1/2" and would not fit a 6x6 post. The 8" column (part # CWKT86003) has an inside column width of 5 1/2" and could just fit the 6x6 post assuming the actual dimensions of the 6x6 are 5 1/2 x 5 1/2. The 10" column (part #CWKT86017) has an inside column width of 7 1/2" and would definitely accommodate the 6x6.

I have a 4" x 7" W rentangular pole 96" height what size column do I need to order?

You would need to order something with an inside width of at least 7". The 10" width economy column would work as it has an inside width of 7 1/2" (part # CWKT86017).