Basic Deck Railings

Materials

• While wood is the most common material for railings, many builders use steel pipes, cables, molded metal and plastic composites. If the choice is wood, it's preferable to stick with varieties that weather well, like redwood or cedar, and to avoid pressure-treated materials that contain toxic chemicals that can rub off on your hands. While it's possible to use rough-sawn lumber for the posts, balustrades and bottom rail, the hand rail should be smooth so you can handle it without getting splinters. For most builders, symmetry dictates using smooth material for the entire railing.

Posts and Rails

• Almost all railings have the same basic structure that includes evenly-spaced posts connected by two or three horizontal rails. The two most common methods for securing the posts are to notch them and bolt them to the outsides of the rim joists, or to cut holes in the decking, notch the posts and bolt them to the insides of the joists or to blocking attached to the joists. You can secure the lower rails to the posts by mounting them on blocks screwed to the posts, or screwing them directly to the posts. Most builders screw the top rails directly to the tops of the posts.

Barriers

• The space between the top and bottom rail is large enough to fall through unless you provide a barrier, and several options have a different appearance. A common method is to make vertical balustrades from 2-by-2-in. lumber and screw to the top rail and either the bottom rail or the rim joist. You can also make the balustrades from metal piping. A third option is to run steel cable between the posts and pull it tight with a cable puller. Another quick, but less attractive, option is to attach metal or plastic mesh to the posts and rails with galvanized steel staples.

Safety

• If your deck is more than 30 inches above the ground, it must have a guard rail no lower than 36 inches in height as measured from the deck surface. If the deck is on a commercial building, such as an apartment, the minimum height is 42 inches. Balustrade spacing requirements may vary according to locality, but it should generally be no less than 12 inches. If you construct an alternative barrier, space the elements closely enough to protect children and animals. Always bolt posts to a rim joist. Securing them to the deck surface with screws or brackets is unsafe.