How to Install a Wooden Guide Rail System

A guide rail system, also referred to as a guardrail system, provides a clear line of direction for traffic on dirt or gravel roads. Freeways and busy roads often use metal guardrails as a safety feature. Wooden guide rails do not stand a chance against a fast-moving vehicle unless installed with cement. Cement ensures an optimal system that will not allow it move or tilt over time. Use a level and a tape measure to keep the rail perpendicular and parallel with the ground.

Tape measure
Post hole digger
Level
Cement mix
Hammer
Landscaping stakes
Drill
Drill bit set
Bolts
Nuts
Wrench

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length of the rails, or the boards or timbers that will be horizontal when you install the rail system. Use this measurement when spacing the holes for your posts. Measure the length and width of your posts.
- 2
  Dig a hole that is 4 inches larger in diameter than the posts, using your post-hole digger. Decide what the desired height of your guide rail system should be. A common height is 20 to 30 inches, and you need to secure at least 18 inches of the post in the ground. Continue digging holes with these dimensions and space them according to the length of the rails.
- 3
  Position a post inside each hole so the joint openings are in alignment. If you have a mortise-style joint then align the holes in which the rails fit. If the posts have a notch-style joint then make sure these notches face the same direction.
- 4
  Pour 1- to 2-cubic feet of cement around each post and pound two landscaping stakes next to the timber to keep it perpendicular to the ground. Let the cement cure for 24 hours.
- 5
  Attach the rails to the posts by drilling holes for the bolts. Use four bolts for each rail, two at each end. Secure the nuts on the bolts tightly using your wrench.

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