April 4, 2007

Pole-Wrap

If you’re looking for a quick 1/2 day project to do around the house, how about covering up that Lally column in the finished part of your basement? Instead of boxing it out with regular flat stock, which sounds to us like one of those 2 hour projects that ends up taking all month, a small company called Pole-Wrap has a faster, easier solution. Their product, Pole-Wrap (who knew?), is a flexible sheet of 1/2” red oak panels that, you guessed it, wrap around the Lally column, making it look not so much like a stripper’s pole and more like a piece of intentional architecture.

The installation looks pretty simple. Just cut the 8’ bundle to length, glue up the pole, fit the wrap around it, and tape it in place until the glue has time to set. After that, just install the cap and base and, aside from painting (or staining), you’re done.

Pole-Wrap, depending on the size, costs about $55 to $65 for the wrap. The base and cap are sold separately, and are around $20 each. If you’re feeling fancy, there is also a more elaborate two part base available for $40. Doing the math, a basic installation will set you back about $100.

Pole Wrap is available at most Home Depot and Lowes retail stores located in the northeast and mid-west. It is not on their websites. It is also available online at AskToolTalk.com. A complete list of retailers is here.