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Could someone provide some options for replacing a wooden deck railing that gets sun exposure 90% of the year. Am tired of painting it and would like to make a substitution with pre-made balustrades that would provide adequate support(second story balcony) and not be cost prohibitive.
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Rick,
Before others ask, what are the code requirements for your area, and what exactly do you consider "cost prohibitive"? Also, except for Seattle, maybe, most places get lots of sun. Are you referring to some place like Arizona?
*I just did one where I used 4x4 cedar up-rights at about 6' on center. I drilled these for 1" EMT top railing and 1/2" EMT at 4+" o.c. for the rest of the guard rail. I held the posts back 18" at the corners and bent the EMT. A little carb cleaner took off all the stamp marks on the EMT. It looks great, will require little care, and was cheaper than wood.
*Mike,Forgive the ignorance. What is EMT?If I read your post right, your railing is comprised of many horizontal members between the 4x4 cedars. I don't think this passes code in some areas as it is too easy (and inviting) for kids to climb.Rich Beckman
*Electrical Metalic Tubing. It is thin wall and galvinized. The UBC specifies that a 4" ball cannot pass through the railing, but there is no restriction on whether the rails are horizontal or vertical. Vertical is common in residential, but horizontal is quite common in commercial. There seems to be a trend now to use stainless steel cables horizontally, but EMT is a lot cheaper.
*I'm thinking seriously of using a mix of zero maintenance 1" copper pipe (turns brown) and stainless wire through pt posts that I'll sheathe in redwood-stained cedar. Both cost about $1 a foot (i'm foggy about the ss pricing) and are OK for a 3' span without intermediate bracing. This may change as I cast about for the look I want.Unfinished metal is my first suggestion. Galvanized will fail eventually, though it could always be painted or replaced. A decent paint job (gloss white) should last 10 years, no? Second, i hate to admit it, but the very newest PVC railing look quite good. They can be painted or not. The one by Custon Decorative Moldings (or somthing like that) is reinforced with aluminum. And I swear, I don't like plastic, but this looks pretty good. About $250 for an 8' section.kids climbing is a good thought, though not a part of code here. I'm more worried about a kid using a chair or bench as a launch pad.
*Check out http://www.hbgcolumns.com/home.html, they make a permacast rail system that does not need paint. I am considering using it for a porch railing, but am not sure how to anchor the newels to the deck surface. I'm afraid screws would loosen over time. Any other suggestions?Larry
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Could someone provide some options for replacing a wooden deck railing that gets sun exposure 90% of the year. Am tired of painting it and would like to make a substitution with pre-made balustrades that would provide adequate support(second story balcony) and not be cost prohibitive.