Deck Railings are an accessory that is essential.
The deck and railings must be combined. A deck without a railing can be dangerous, and even against the building code. In a society with so many litigious people, if you do not follow deck railing codes you could face harassment. Why take risks when you can build deck railings. We sometimes have deck railings that are lower than what the building code requires. This should not be permitted.
Code for Decks and Railings
While the building codes for different states vary, they all agree that you must have a fall protection if your deck is more than 3 feet away from the nearest horizontal surface. While a wall is not necessarily brick and mortar, but may be made of wood or plastic, it is generally acceptable. However, wall is expensive and blocks view.
You have many choices for deck railings
Safety is the main reason to install deck railings. However, the deck railings also add an elegant touch to the building’s exterior. You can give your building a distinctive look by using multicolored railings. There are many options for materials, including aluminum, PVC and wood. However, this combination is not often used.
Requirement of the Railings
Two things are essential when installing the railing:
1. Railing height: You should set the height according to the code of the material you are using. The code for your city or state may specify the height requirements. In general, the height cannot be less than 30inches.
2. Construction of the railings. A railing will have posts at certain intervals as per the city’s building code. This is dependent on the material that you use for the deck railing. The strength of the material will influence the design. Deck railing would consist of a bottom rail, top rail, verticals and a horizontal. The verticals should not be too far apart that a child can slip through them. It is elegant and cost-effective to use a bottom rail. A vertical will not be secured to the ground if it isn’t. A top rail could be one or two, with a distance of approximately 6″. It gives you more strength, and the lower rail is a place where the verticals can be attached.