Deck Stair Railing Design Techniques

During warm seasons, it is common for families to stay outdoors and relax on the decks installed adjacent to their house. The structure of the decks, from the main deck to the deck stair railing design, is made from wooden materials and is perfect for outdoor gatherings and post-work relaxation.

Coupled with the vegetation in the backyard, decks can add an aesthetic feel to the home as well as give a good impression to visitors of the house.

Since decks are made mainly with wooden materials, it is wise to consider the nature of the wood used for the flooring, the stairs, and the railings.

Using the same type of wood or at least wood with the same physical properties such as appearance will make the deck look more natural than using varieties of wood with different physical appearances.

Like the simple design of the overall deck, a deck’s stair railing should not be similar to the complex designs of elegant balusters installed with the stairs in homes, but rather should be designed to be compatible with the simplistic design of the whole deck.

During the installation and assembly of a deck, the stair railings are usually the last to be installed. This is because the railing and handrails of the stairs need to be attached to the railings of the deck itself.

A popular design for deck stair railings is the installation of hanging rails or rails that are not attached to the stair steps. Instead, they are fastened to both a diagonal support that is parallel to the handrails and the handrails itself.

The handrails and the diagonal support are fastened in place by nailing them to the vertical support on both ends of the stairs. This will make the installation of the vertical railings easier and faster since the railings can be assembled together on a convenient area before being installed on the stairs. The four inch rule also applies to this railing spacing as stipulated by the building code.

Another popular railing design used in deck stairs is the use of diagonal railings that are parallel to the handrails. This is the easiest design to install since it only needs long blocks of wood and makes do without the amount of cutting required when opting to use vertical railings instead. Unfortunately, this design pales in comparison with vertical railings.

A deck stair railing design is meant to be compatible with the whole deck itself. Before finalizing the installation of your chosen deck stair railing design, make sure everything fits to place to avoid having to waste precious wood. It is also very important to check the rules and regulations of the building code of your state.