Measurements for a Traditional Deck Rail

Railing Height

• Building codes dictate the necessary height of a deck railing if the deck is more than a certain height off the ground. Typically, building codes require decks to be enclosed with a railing if the floor of the deck sits 2 feet or more off the ground. Always check with your municipality's building code to determine the required height of the railing. The International Residential Code dictates that the acceptable height is 36 inches, but this height can vary according to local building codes.

Handrail Width

• When choosing a handrail for your deck, the traditional type of wood to use is one measuring 2 inches by 4 inches. When you lay a 2-by-4 on its side so that the 4-inch face is facing upward, it provides an ideal-sized handrail for people to grip. If the handrail was wider, people might not be able to wrap their hands around it to steady themselves.

Posts

• Many people use 4-by-4-inch pieces of wood as the support posts under the flooring of the deck. This size of wood is also suitable to form the posts that act as vertical supports for the deck rail. Traditional-style decks have posts spaced every six feet around the perimeter. At this distance, the posts provide strength to the railing without appearing bulky. Depending on the deck, it's also possible to space the posts every eight feet, although this should be the maximum distance between posts.

Balusters

• Balusters, which are the small pieces of wood that stand vertically below the deck rail, are an important part of the design of a deck. Their chief purpose is structure and safety, as they tie the rail to the floor of the deck between the posts. For a traditional deck rail, 2-by-2-inch balusters are most common. The balusters are typically spaced no more than four inches apart so children can't get their heads or bodies through the rails.