How To Add Railing To Existing Deck With No Posts

How to fit decking handrails

Installing decking is an first-class way to create an outdoor living infinite which tin can be used for relaxing and entertaining. Decking tin either be freestanding or attached to your firm, and it really gives yous a take chances to be creative with pattern and function.

This guide outlines the method for calculation posts and railings to your raised deck frame. To detect out how to build a raised deck platform, read our How To Build A Raised Deck guide.

Adding railings to your raised deck does involve planning, and a lot of moving, lifting and cutting heavy timber. Considering of the size and weight of the timbers and the frame, information technology'southward always easier and safer if you can go somebody to help you.

Always use structural treated timber and screws specifically designed for the job and treat all cut surfaces and drill holes with two coats of preservative. This volition ensure a hard wearing, long lasting deck.

When sawing, use the 90-caste guide marking on your saw, or a gear up foursquare, to brand authentic cuts, and sand the cut ends to remove splinters. When drilling, mark out all pilot holes to ensure your fixings are as authentic as possible.

Make sure that y'all wear appropriate protective vesture, such equally gloves, a face mask, or safety goggles, when cutting or sawing timber, applying preservatives or other timber treatments.

Offcuts of treated timber should never exist burned as they will release toxins into the air. Always dispose of them safely at your local recycling or waste disposal centre.

What height should decking handrails be?

Offset by carefully planning your railings to scale, which volition limit cutting and wastage. When you lot're planning your design, make sure the height of the superlative railing is at least 900mm from the surface of the deck. Ensure that the deck posts are spaced a maximum of 1800mm apart.

In this guide we are adding 'modernistic' decking spindles to our raised deck. For these particular spindles the maximum deck height they tin be used on is 600mm. If your deck is college than this, you will require a different railing blueprint.

To ensure your spindles are evenly spaced, create an 81mm spacer using a wood offcut. You tin lay this horizontally to mensurate and mark the spindle positions.

We are using L-brackets to fix the track and spindles in place. Subconscious fixings such as dowels and plugs may be more suitable depending on the type of top and bottom rail yous're using, and the finish that you want.

How to fit decking posts

Start past notching out the deck posts 120 x 20mm upwardly from the lesser of each (or y'all tin also buy decking posts pre-notched). If you demand to extend your notch further, then practise this using a handsaw or circular saw.

At one corner, enquire someone to concord the deck postal service in position whilst yous mark two evenly spaced pilot holes on the post.

Secure the post in your workbench and drill the airplane pilot holes using an 8mm woods drill bit.

To set the deck posts to the deck bearer, hang washers on the end of a 130mm exterior double-decker spiral, then tighten the screws with a socket set.

Mensurate and mark out the positioning of your deck posts, with a maximum altitude of 1800mm between the posts.

For this guide the deck posts will exist flush to the decking, which means we volition be cutting into the fascia. Start past mark out where the post volition exist onto the deck and fascia.

Remove the fascia and use a paw saw to cutting out the department you take only marked. Then use a jigsaw to remove the top section.

Put the post into position and check that information technology's flush to the decking. So secure the post using 130mm outside autobus screws as earlier and reattach the fascia.

How to fit decking handrails

Start past choosing two decking posts and measuring the gap between them. This will exist the length of the acme and lesser track. As mentioned in the introduction, employ a piece or offcut of spindle for measuring and marking out the spindle positions.

Measure 81mm from the end of the meridian rail and use a set square to marking an accurate line. This line marks the position of the start spindle. Turn the 81mm spindle section on its side and use this to mark the spindle positions along the length of the railing. You lot may need to conform these marks slightly to fit the length of your handrail. Brand sure the spaces are equal and do not exceed 82mm.

Repeat this process for the bottom rail. When y'all are marking the bottom railings, marker the heart of each spindle and drill a 3mm airplane pilot hole through each of these marks.

Attach the spindles to the bottom runway using 76mm deck screws. Yous may need someone to hold the spindles or rail in place to ensure a secure fixing.

To attach the top track to the spindle, employ a 64mm galvanised finish blast, just take care not to damage the wood whilst hammering. Alternatively you could use a boom dial to finish the nails.

How to secure a handrail to a post

Offset with the underside end of the bottom rail and place the long side of an L-bracket centrally into the fillet slot. Make sure that the bracket doesn't stick out past the end of the rail. Fix the bracket into place using two 25mm screws.

Mark on your post where y'all desire the meridian railing to exist, making sure that it's at to the lowest degree 900mm higher up the deck.

Centrally place the short side of an L-subclass onto the marking and set up the bracket to each deck postal service using 2 25mm screws.

Identify your railing onto the fixed post 50-brackets and secure the underside of the top rail using ii 25mm screws.

Utilise some other L-bracket to fix the lesser rails to the deck posts. Place the 50 bracket centrally on each mail and fix using two 25mm screws.

On each side of the pinnacle and lesser rails measure out 25mm from the cease of the track and brand a mark.

Drill a countersunk 3mm pilot hole at a 30 caste angle, making sure the hole goes through the rail and into the postal service. So skew two 50mm screws into each pigsty to secure the post and rail together.