Choosing the Perfect Railing for your Deck Design

Not just for safety, deck railings can change the entire look of your yard. They can provide privacy or lend a contemporary feel. Railings can also direct traffic and compliment furniture and decor.

You have a vast selection to choose from when it comes to railing styles and colors. Mix and match your materials and install something that suits your family's needs.

Safety First

When installing a railing on a walkout deck or anything more than 2 feet above grade, safety is the first priority. Find out what height is required by building code and whether any style is off limits.

Some picket railings need to maintain a certain space between them, in order to classify them as safe. The spacing between the posts of any deck railing may also be mandated by building codes, based on structural stability.

   

Buy for Beauty

But you want a railing that adds beauty to your deck as well. If you have a phenomenal view from a second story deck, keep the sight line open with a tempered glass railing. The clear glass can be framed by wood, vinyl or aluminum, making it a versatile choice for every yard.

Colors can also play a part with deck railings. Wood can be stained, but materials like vinyl and aluminum can be manufactured in a variety of colors. Aluminum especially can be powder coated to match your home or compliment your tastes.

Different shapes can change the look of railings too. Belly pickets (named that way because they curve out towards the bottom, making a belly or teardrop shape) give railings a European flair. Curved or twisted iron or aluminum pickets are another decorative, shapely style.

Be Unique

Don't let the usual suspects limit your choice of deck railings. Handmade, custom built screens or railings can be built into the deck.

There are innovative products on the market, such as Flex Fence. Built as a fence section onto your deck, these railings offer something unusual. Using unique fasteners to attach the slats between the posts, Flex Fence works like a mini blind. It can be opened (turned) to let in the sun and the breeze or closed to provide privacy. An excellent choice, Flex Fence gives you the best of both worlds.

Whether for safety, beauty or unique needs deck railings will add character to your yard. Whichever style and material you choose the railing will complete your deck design.