Wood Deck Railings - Balusters

The balusters of your railing give your deck its unique look
The pickets are the individual components that make up the ballustrade of deck railings. There are a lot of possibilities here depending on your budget, tastes and objectives.

The building code has minimum requirements for deck railings and the horizontal load requirements for railing sections are surprisingly high. If you use wood balusters, you might be able to get away with using 1" thick material but to be safe you should use 2x2s.

For a less obtrusive look, use aluminum or wrought iron balusters. They can be thinner because they are so strong and give you a more open view.

Picket Spacing

Narrow aluminum pickets Most building codes specify that pickets or spindle spacing can not exceed 4" from inside edge to inside edge. Also, most building codes prohibit horizontal balustrades because they facilitate climbing.

There are some exceptions for commercial buildings where it is assumed there are no infants or small children.

So you may not be able to install certain balustrade styles such as horizontal cables.

Double check the building code bylaws at your city hall to be sure before you start building.

Glass Panels and Other Ideas

Cedar posts and louvers for indirect lighting with a glass panel Safety glass panels are an excellent option for deck railings any where you have a view to exploit. Louvered panels between posts offer a very contemporary look and style and lend themselves perfectly to interior lighting.

Glass railing with stucco panels For more privacy, solid panels with matching siding of the home or even stucco can look very attractive. The better your view the more you will probably wish to enhance it. That means using smaller pickets or some kind of glass component.

Using Color to Accentuate A Balustrade

Two tone top rail and posts But even if you can't afford the more elaborate railing systems, you can still achieve a beautiful look by doing simple things like staining the top rail, or the posts a different color than the balustrade.

Notice the beautiful effect of a two-tone solid stain applied to the top rail and posts. It's a bit subtle in this picture and not as noticeable as in reality but its a classy touch. Just don't get too zany!!

Wood Railing Baluster Styles

This is the simplest way to build balustrades. Simply nail or screw 2x2 spindles to the rim joist and the top rail. It's quick and easy but not much in the style department.

Railng style with baluster between posts This next style is a bit more advance method because the balustrade sections actually sit between the posts. However, it looks finished and quite nice.

Railing with 2x2s outside plane of railng panel A slight variation for this railing style as the supporting rails also fit between the posts but are set flush with the outside edge of the posts. The 2x2 spindles extend outside the vertical plane of the posts.

Railing style with 2x2s set between posts This last balustrade variation sets the entire section inside the posts. The top and bottom rails are typically toe nailed or screwed to the posts.

For more details on how these and other deck railings were designed and built go to the wood decks, vinyl decks, or hot tub decks sections and review actual deck projects from start to finish.

Hopefully your mind is starting to think about all the creative possibilities that might make your deck railing truly unique...

Top of Balusters

Other Ideas for Deck Railings