What is a pedestal?
A pedestal is the base of a column — usually a rectangular block of natural stone with mouldings: a projecting plinth, a plain dado and a projecting cap. Socle and the Dutch postament are equivalents; the latter comes from the New Latin postamentum, derived from the Italian postare, to place.
Where you meet them
- Under a column. In the classical orders a column does not always stand with its base directly on the floor. Especially in the Roman and Renaissance versions a pedestal sits in between, making the column read as taller and more slender.
- Under a statue. The block that raises a figure to eye level or above.
- As the end feature of a balustrade. The heavy solid blocks between which the balusters stand, often carrying a vase or ball finial.
- Under a pilaster, as a flat version against a facade.
The build-up
A classical pedestal has three parts — the same tripartite division found throughout classical architecture:
- Plinth — projecting, transferring load to the substrate
- Dado or die — the plain, upright middle section
- Cap with cornice — on which the column or figure stands
The proportions between those parts are laid down order by order in the treatises of Vignola and Palladio; a Tuscan pedestal is squatter than a Corinthian one.
Points to watch
- Water stands on the cap. Almost all decay in an external pedestal starts there. Provide a fall on the horizontal surfaces and keep the drip free.
- Rising damp from below. A pedestal standing in grass or straight on the ground draws up water. Set it on a raised, free-draining base and avoid cement mortar at the foot.
- Repair with the right mortar. Use a repair mortar slightly softer and more vapour open than the stone. Hard cement repairs on soft limestone cause the surrounding stone to spall.
- Fixings. A statue or vase on a pedestal needs stainless steel dowels. Old wrought iron cramps rust, expand and split the stone from within — one of the most common causes of damage to garden sculpture.
Related terms
- Column
- Plinth
- Base
- Balustrade
- Pilaster
- Natural stone
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.