The railings that surround your deck, border the front entry or line the steps are one of the first things seen on a home. They are one of the areas that are most often forgotten about when adding accents to the house. Most homeowners only think of the safety concerns of a guard rail but you can also add a touch of personality by including a few accents.

Styles of Deck Railing

The common types of railing found on most homes are plain wooden fence like structures. While this is safe, it can be rather dull and boring.

One of the hottest trends in deck guard rails is mixing mediums such as wood and iron. Wood is used for the main braces, posts and top while the iron is used in the middle as support.

Iron can be shaped in a number of different ways. It can take a wiggled sort of appearance or curved. You really could add any design to the railing with iron. Plus it is very strong and durable. The wood itself will need to be sanded and stained every so often, but the iron will be able to go years with little or no maintenance.

Vinyl is a great medium for decks because of its low care and high durability. Vinyl can withstand high temperatures, rain and other damaging weather conditions. There is no need to sand or stain.

Another added benefit to vinyl is that it is very kid friendly. It does not splinter like wood, it has no nails and the edges stay smooth. There are limits to the medium, however. It only comes in a very few colors-Mostly white and tan.

Wood being the standard choice can also take on different patterns. No longer do you have to go with the straight, boring look. Like iron, the wood supports can be shaped to add new elements to the deck railing.

Safety

Wood is the most commonly used but it requires a lot of lifetime care. Wood decks and their railings will need to be sanded, stained and sealed. This will need to happen every few years. If you care for your deck, it will last for a very long time. However, you will still find a board every now and then that needs to be replaced due to rot. Make sure that these pieces are replaced as soon as they are found to avoid any injuries.

Another thing to look for with wood railing is nails. Make sure that all the nails or screws are flush with the wood itself. This will avoid any hand injuries.

Make sure that the railing is sturdy. It should not move, even a little. The spaces between the inside supports should be close enough that a small child’s or pet’s head could not fit between them.