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Deck railings are beautiful, elegant additions to your home,
but their primary purpose is protection. Anyone on the deck is protected against
falling off the deck because the railing creates a safety barrier for them. A
deck railing is a necessary item on a deck. If a deck is built, and a railing is
not included, it will be unsafe, and probably even be a violation of building
codes. You are setting yourself up for a legal suit if you do not have a deck
railing, especially if your local code calls for one. Bad enough that you
created a dangerous situation, but if you did it against the law, you are really
going to be sued. It is foolish to take such a risk, it is easier to just build
the railing. You may want to build a railing that is lower than the height
required by the code, but this is against the law.
The building codes for decks and railings differ from municipality to
municipality, but most of them are in agreement that if you have a deck that is
more than three feet above the ground, you require a deck railing to prevent
people from falling off. A wall, built out of brick, cement, wood or even PVC is
probably acceptable, but not usually the preferred solution. A wall is more
expensive to build and will block the view completely. For the fraction of the
amount of weight on the deck, you can have a railing which affords just as much
protection as a wall.
There are many choices available for deck railings. Even though the primary
purpose of a railing is safety, it can be used to add a great deal of elegance
and beauty to your home. You can even incorporate color in to the railing to
make it more interesting. Choices for railing materials are wood, PVC and
aluminum. You can even combine all three, but this is unusual.
Certain requirements must usually be met when constructing railings. The height
of the railing is very important. Every building code will most certainly
indicate the heights railings should be, and this code should be followed. Most
building codes will require a height of at least 30 inches. Construction
requirements of railings will also be stipulated by the code. Posts should be
placed at certain minimum intervals. The post spacing required may depend upon
the material you are using for the railing. The code in your town may have
different spacing based on how strong the materials are. Deck railings have a
bottom rail, a top rail, and verticals (posts and verticals). Verticals will
always have to be spaced so that a child will not be able to slip through the
railing. A bottom rail adds extra design to the rail and keeps costs down since
verticals don't have to be attached to the deck. Top rails can be single or
double. If a double rail is used, they are usually about 6 inches apart; double
railings give extra strength to your railing.
Andrew Caxton is a consultant who writes on many
consumer topics like railing styles and
http://www.deck-porch-railings.com
. A website with tips on railing styles at railing designs
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Caxton
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