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Designing Professional Porch Railings
Deck and Porch Railing Design Considerations that Provide Safety and
Beauty
By Mark J. Donovan
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Porch railings are often an afterthought when building a porch.
Good porch design, however doesn’t neglect this significant part
of the porch, or deck. A well thought out porch railing design not
only provides safety but also adds character to the overall deck
or porch design. In addition, new porch railing products sold
today include some rather unique features to help maximize the use
of the porch or deck. For example, off-the-shelf deck railings can
be purchased today with built in channels for running electrical
wire through them, making it easy to install deck or porch
lighting. |
Designing professional porch railings starts with determining the
type of look you want to achieve on your porch or deck. For
example, are you looking to achieve a country look or a modern
sleek look? Ultimately you should develop a porch look that is
consistent with the home’s existing architecture or that will
complement it. Key elements to have to decide upon when designing
your porch railings are the type of posts, balusters, and top and
bottom rails you want to use. Many home improvement centers sell
basic pressure treated wood, and vinyl deck and porch railing
systems, including the posts, balusters and rails. However, if you
want to design a more elegant or unique porch railing system you
may need to look online at some of the deck and porch specialty
shops. They have more options to choose from and can offer
assistance in developing a profession porch railing system.
Another key element in the design of your porch railing is simply
determining how much railing system you need. You can quickly determine this by
measuring the linear exterior length of your porch or deck. Before visiting your
local home improvement center or contacting a porch and deck specialty store
have this information ready.
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For more sophisticated porch designs you may also want to
integrate into the porch railing system various decorative
details. Whether planning to use wood, wrought iron, or even vinyl
railings, there are many porch railing systems on the market today
that include neat accent and decorative pieces to incorporate into
your porch railing design.
Fastening hardware is another key element in every porch railing
design. Good quality fastening hardware not only ensures a strong
railing system, but can also help provide visual finishing touches
or accent pieces to the rail system itself. |
The most important consideration, however, when selecting
fastening hardware is to make sure it is non-corrosive. Stainless
steel is your best option when choosing fastening hardware for
your porch design.
Finally, consider how you plan to finish and protect your porch
railing system from the elements. Porches and decks take a lot of
beating from both ultraviolet sunlight and moisture. If using a
vinyl porch railing system, then the protection is already built
in, not to mention they require little maintenance. If using a
wood porch railing system, look for using semi-transparent stains
that can provide some color as well as protection from the
elements. If using a wrought iron porch railing system make sure
to prime and paint it. Also keep in mind with wrought iron that it
will rust over time if not properly cared for. Every couple of
years, expect to have to scrape it down with a stiff steel
bristled brush and sandpaper, and then reapply primer and paint.
So when designing your porch or deck, make sure to give adequate
attention to the porch railing system. The railing system should
provide both safety and beauty to your porch or deck.
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