awesome decision to change the rail. we just got rid of a similar one and went with black tubular balusters with wood shoe and top rail.

that isnt looking like a beam to me, (beam says structural) that looks like a piece of trim board. if you don't like the color or the roughness, i'd say swap it out for what you do like. i'm not sure how it would look painted, you'd have all those nail holes to deal with. dark can be modern too.

REDdesign Interiors - I was thinking painting it white, but what kind of paint do you recommend?

Following this thread as I want to make porch rails out of cedar ansd paint the rails white.

Rob, get a really good primer first. I've used many kinds of paint however the most important part is the prep work. Clean the railing, dust it thoroughly, prime it and then paint it. I like Behr paints at Home Depot. I love Benjamin Moore Paints. I like Olympic Zero at Lowe's. I love the low VOCs of Olympic. If I know I'm going to be in the space or kids are around I go for the Olympic. Sherwin Williams is great paint also, it is a bit thicker though.

I generally really talk to the paint person. I find out how much they know about paint, how long they have worked in that department, etc. You want a paint that performs well and has a great color.

REDesign - Remember this is just for the beam. The rail and slats are all going away and being replaced by a stainless steel or aluminum hand rail system (a brushed nickel look).

Wood can also be sanded down to make it smooth.

OK new question... the beam is no longer level... how should i level it? The picture is of one of the mounts for my top mount posts. Should i use shims and filler to cover the gap or should i some how sand or remove some of the material on the right side.

The beam is going to be painted before I mount the posts.

Since you are going with stainless steel balustrade, have you thought about covering the beams with roofing flashing?

We decided to paint it white..

I would think a level surface would be better...and finished product easier on the eyes.

Is it a real beam or a board? If it's a board, pull it up and shim it. If it's a beam... you might have to get a contractor.

Cover the beam completely with new material. Match the flooring species and color on top shimming to make it level. Over hang the front enough to add a paintable pine or poplar board of front allowing for a molding as well. Cover the bottom also and add a bed or crown molding to the ceiling below.

Looks great. What did you do on the top where it meets the flooring? Is that sheetrock covering the beam face?

Phenomenal transformation!