What Are Fluted Architectural Columns?

Many people wonder “what are fluted columns”? The answer is simple; but ordering them can sometimes be confusing. Fluted columns have long vertical grooves that go down the column. That’s simple right? Well, when you are ready to order, you will need to ask yourself if you want the flutes adjusted or not. Flutes that have not been adjusted simply go all the way down to the base as you can see in the image below.

Flutes that have been adjusted stop right above the base just like the image below.

You can typically decide how high above the base you want the flutes to stop. The most common practice is to adjust the flutes 1 inch above the base. You can get flutes in just about any architectural column you choose. You can also get flutes in both round or square columns. It is a very common practice regardless if you choose round or square. It really depends on what you like best or what the project calls for.

You do have one more choice when it comes to wood columns. You can choose the Ionic flute or the Doric flute. The image below shows the differences between the two.

There is a fillet between the flutes on the Ionic fluted column. The flutes on the Doric fluted column come together at a point. The flute width changes on all tapered columns as it goes up the shaft and stays the same on all non tapered columns.

So as you can see there are many different things to consider when looking to buy fluted columns. They are very easy to describe; not so easy to decide.

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