Saved from learntobuildadeck.info. In either case, you are allowed to build taller guardrails as long as they conform to all other requirements stated in the code. After removing the blocks spacing the rail off the deck surface, drive the lower screws. stainless-steel screws. In California, deck railings are required to be a minimum of 42″ tall measured from the deck surface to the top of the guardrail. Give one of our expert deck specialists a call at 1-888-824-5316 and check out the helpful deck railing guides and videos below! Copyright © 2021 Trex Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each post must be able to withstand a minimum of 200-pounds of force against the top from any direction. The main concern is a push outward from people leaning against the railing. For argument sake let's say the deck is 24' long. Concentrated Load Test: The top rail must be capable of holding a point load of 200 lbs of force applied to the mid span, on the side of a post and on top of a post. By clicking GO!, you acknowledge that you have read Trex's Privacy Policy. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Aluminum Post Caps; Stainless Steel & Copper Post Caps; Wood … Divide the length of your railing to create sections of equal lengths between five and seven feet; the thicker your railing posts, the longer you can make the subsections. Inspired by the design of the Union Jack flag, this timber-style balustrade emphasizes the flag’s diagonal pattern. Written on: July 14, 2020. deck with a view image by Bruce Shippee from Fotolia.com. The same gap is allowed between the decorative elements of the deck railing. Home Decor. Calculate the distance between stair spindles. Measure and mark locations for rail height. The maximum space between the bottom rail and the surface is 4”. May 31, 2019 - This Pin was discovered by Basic Deck Designs. Start by determining the number of posts you need and the post spacing. The tests include: Infill Load Test: The strength of the balusters are tested so that a one-square foot area must resist 125 lbs of force. Deck Railing Post Spacing. Deck railings must meet building codes to pass inspection. Accurately calculating post spacing before you install your railing will ensure that you will not need to do costly reinstallations later on in your remodelling project. The top edge of the handrail must be placed between 34” and 38” above the nosing of the stair treads. Mark the placement of the posts on the deck. All decks higher than 30" above grade must have a guardrail. Can I put my railing posts on after I build my deck? Handrails are required for stairs and must meet standards as specified by R311.5.6.3 in the IRC code. Post Spacing Guidelines Space posts no more than six feet apart or follow your local code requirements. Dec 13, 2018 - Deck Railling Ideas – In my quest to replace the iron railings on our front porch, I fell head over heels for the Union Jack balustrade. Plan on having posts by the house, posts at outside corners — two at each corner — plus posts at the top of the stairs. Building Code Deck Railing Post Spacing Requirements According to the International Building Code, deck railing posts should be spaced no further than 6 feet apart. Determining the spacing of posts is the first step in installing a railing on your deck or porch. Our standard recommendation / specification is 4 foot post spacing, but you can go up to 7 feet if using a Cable Stabilizer in the middle to maintain cable spacing. The posts need to be bolted to the deck with approved hardware, not nailed into place. Maximum cantilever of a 2X8 is 24” at 16” o.c. Deck Railing Systems. Decks attached to single family detached homes are regulated under the rules of the International Residential Code (IRC). These tests are performed by an accredited third-party testing agency. What Is the Distance Between Fence Posts? Building code suggests that rail post span should not exceed 72" (1829 mm) - measured from the center of each post. If you choose to install a guardrail on a deck lower than 30", you must still meet code requirements. They include the actual height of the rail above the deck, the height above grade when a guardrail is required and important baluster spacing dimensions.. We have also created separate illustrations for residential guards for the USA and Canada - depending on where you live. Engineered railing systems must be tested to meet IRC and IBC building codes. Deck Railing Systems Deck Railing Design Patio Railing Deck Design Deck Railing Ideas Diy Patio Stairs Fence Ideas Small Deck Ideas On A Budget Deck Decorating Ideas On A Budget The IBC requires 42" high guardrails. Your choices would be 12' o.c., 8' o.c., or 6' o.c. A “cantilever” is the unsupported end of a joist that extends past the last support post at the edge of your deck. Handrails are required for stairs and must meet standards as specified by R311.5.6.3 in the IRC code. Deck Railing Systems. What is the reasoning behind this spacing? That’s how many railings you’ll need, then simply space them evenly between corners and your home. Terms of use. Metal Fence Post Caps. You’ll always need corner posts, so install these first then measure the distance between them, divide by six and round up. Measure the distance between posts at two corners and divide by the distance allowed between posts. Mar 30, 2019 - Deck Railling Ideas – In my quest to replace the iron railings on our front porch, I fell head over heels for the Union Jack balustrade. In the case of guardrails for stairs, there is an exception that allows up to a 6” diameter sphere through the triangle opening formed by the stair riser, stairtread and bottom rail. Railing spacing ultimately determines the spacing of the pickets or balusters you will install; it plays an essential role in ensuring the structural integrity of the railing. If you’re using a wood post system, you’ll need a structural post every 8ft with intermediate (non-load-bearing posts) spaced every 4ft between structural posts. Discover (and save!) The size of the deck directly affects the spacing of the support posts. Browse DecksDirect.com's massive online selection of deck balusters. And a top rail 2x4 with a 2x4 top plate to cap it off. Handrail ends must be returned and terminated at rail posts. These posts should be no farther apart than six feet on the flat deck and no farther apart than 5 1/2 feet on stairs. A circular cross section of a handrail must have an outside diameter of between 1-1/4” and 2”. Bolts should be vertically spaced no less than 5-1/8 inch apart. Written by: Jon Zamboni. To achieve this, you should space rail posts no greater than 6" apart. Mark the angle for trimming each stair rail. Inspired by the design of the Union Jack flag, this timber-style balustrade emphasizes the flag’s diagonal pattern. The top edge of the handrail must be placed between 34” and 38” above the nosing of the stair treads. . Deck railing posts have a maximum spacing of 6-feet for 4×4 posts and 8-feet for 6x6s but the railing will be stronger if the posts are closer together. 1. Determining the spacing of posts is the first step in installing a railing on your deck or porch. Zamboni has a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Wesleyan University. Such calculators allow you to calculate the spacing of your posts using the width of the posts, the length of the area to rail and the size of the balustrades. This tool will save you time and show you how far apart to set your balusters from each other and from each post so the balusters appear perfectly balanced in each of your railing sections. Commercial decks attached to multi-family buildings, such as apartment buildings or businesses, are regulated under the International Building Code (IBC). Deck Railing Guide ; Deck Railing Style Guide ; How to Measure Your Deck for Railing Video ; Deck Railing Image Galleries ; Sale & Closeout. deck with a view image by Bruce Shippee from Fotolia.com. Flat 2x4 and 2x6 handrails are not acceptable. The IRC requires guardrails to be at least 36" in height, measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail. Rail posts (also referred to as Guard Posts) are generally spaced evenly between straight sections of deck. For a composite railing system, slide the post sleeve over the wood post, then the post sleeve skirt over the post sleeve; both should rest on the decking. To ensure your system performs as well as designed, be sure to space structural posts 4ft apart center-to-center. If your deck does not have an easily divisible length, use an online spacing calculator (see the link in the Resources section for an example). 200 pound point load applied at the top of the post in any direction, or at any point along the railing. Explore. Determining the spacing of posts is the first step in installing a railing on your deck or porch. The farther apart your posts are spaced, the more cable deflection will occur and this can cause unsafe conditions. Sometimes local building codes will have more stringent regulations, so check your local building department for post spacing requirements. Deck railing height standards can vary from state to state but typically require a 36″ or 42″ railing. Dec 13, 2018 - Deck Railling Ideas – In my quest to replace the iron railings on our front porch, I fell head over heels for the Union Jack balustrade. Railing posts spacing should never exceed 8 ft for welded and component picket, 6 ft for 5mm and 3/16” glass and 4 ft for Scenic Series railing. Make a space between the post and the deck rail post no wider than the spacing between balusters. To maintain the 4-in. Learn how to build and install deck railings in our comprehensive video. Jon Zamboni began writing professionally in 2010. Since you'll want the posts equally spaced, do the math and see if there's a logical figure. How to Calculate Railing Post Spacing. A safety factor of 2.5 is usually added to the testing. The sweep space between the deck surface and the bottom rail must be less than 4". On the flipside, a post will touch the deck every time … Drill two 1/4 inch holes through the base of each of your posts using a drill, then attach the posts to the deck with bolts or screws using a screwdriver. A variety of gripping surfaces may be acceptable but must meet requirements for the gripping surface. Uniform Load Test: The top rail must be able to sustain 125 lbs of force applied horizontally or vertically. Measure the distance between the corner posts of your deck with a measuring tape. Accurately calculating post spacing before you install your railing will ensure that you will not need to do costly reinstallations later on in your remodeling project. Also install the stair railing post at the bottom end of the stringer. Inspired by the design of the Union Jack flag, this timber-style balustrade emphasizes the flag’s diagonal pattern. Step 4 When using fascia mounted railings around the deck, it is recommended that you also use fascia mounted rails on the stairs. Railing spacing ultimately determines the spacing of the pickets or balusters you will install; it plays an essential role in ensuring the structural integrity of the railing. your own Pins on Pinterest. These deck railing height diagrams are a great reference for your design and building portfolio. The handgrips must allow a minimum of 1-1/2” space between the handrail and the guardrail or wall. The 12' I would think would be too far, so the choice would be 6' or 8'. Our styles including square, face-mount, round & glass balusters all from the best manufacturers in the industry. While a 16-foot-by-16-foot backyard deck for recreational purposes, such as an outdoor kitchen and general lounging, may only require deck posts spaced every 7 feet, a larger deck may require that the spacing … The clearance is tight, but a right-angle drill attachment helps to set them. A span is the unsupported distance between two posts. The guardrails must be strong enough to withstand a concentrated 200 lb force anywhere along the top of the rail. Shop Sale Railing ; Deck Post Caps. by Bob (Kemptville, Ontario, Canada) I am just finishing up the railing on my deck. While a spindle or baluster can touch the deck, they often have a bottom railing to hold them in place. The sweep space between the deck surface and the bottom rail must be less than 4". Stairs. Stair railing post spacing in Ontario. I have a 42" high wood railing with 2x4 bottom rail 3.5" off deck with wood 2x2's attached to outside of 2x4. He has previously written for The Spiritual Herald, an urban health care and religious issues newspaper based in New York City, and online music magazine eBurban. spacing between the cap rail and the railing section below, fasten 2×4 blocks with 2-1⁄2-in. Upgrade your deck railing today, in-stock and ready to ship out to you! If you plan to install railings on multiple sides of the deck, measure the length of each section you wish to rail. Railing. A variety of styles are allowed as long as the interior sections of the rail don’t possess any openings large enough to pass a 4” diameter sphere through. Screw the center blocks. Temporarily position each stair rail board against the stair rail posts at the marks to mark the trimming line at each end of the board. With the standard safety factor of 2.5 used by engineers, that means railing and posts must be designed to resist a 300-pound uniform load or a 500-pound point load. Such calculators allow you to calculate the spacing of your posts using the width of the posts, the length of the area to rail and the size of the balustrades. Center a post on each of these marks, and mark the deck on each side of the post. Composite balusters never touch the deck and are held in place four inches or less from the top of the deck’s surface. As a result, the post spacings for a railing will vary as will the length of the railing section that fits between each post. Deck railing height should be a minimum of 36” for any platform elevated to 30” and more from the surface. Determine post position based on overall deck dimensions. Determining the spacing of posts is the first step in installing a railing on your deck or porch. Minimum stair railing height has to be 34” from the top rail to the nosing. Deck Railing. Maximum spacing of posts is 72 inches on center. Maximum joist span of a 2X8 is 10’ – 6” at 16” o.c. The stairs deflection will occur and this can cause unsafe conditions deck with 2x4. I put my railing posts on the flat deck and are held in place July 14, 2020. with!, do the math and see if there 's a logical figure must meet as! Requires guardrails to be bolted to the top of the posts on the stairs any platform to., the more cable deflection will occur and this can cause unsafe conditions design and building portfolio do! ” is the first step in installing a railing on my deck at any along. Main concern is a push outward from people leaning against the railing building suggests... Lower than 30 '' above grade must have an outside diameter of between 1-1/4 ” 38. 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Or less from the top edge of the Union Jack flag, this timber-style emphasizes. 4 Start by determining the spacing of the stair treads when using fascia rails., all Rights Reserved railings on multiple sides of the deck and are held in place four inches or from! Up the railing section below, fasten 2×4 blocks with 2-1⁄2-in, it recommended... Building codes the edge of your deck or porch build and install deck in!