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Porch Handrails with sloped deck

byrd48 | Posted in General Discussion on March 18, 2012 10:14am

Hi,

I’m installing handrails on a porch with a slope of 1/8 inches per foot.  The porch is 8 feet from house to edge, so there is a total of 1 inch drop.  In this scenario, is the standard practice to make the bottom rail level or parallel with the slope of the porch?  I looked at a house in the neighborhood where they kept the bottom rail level and it is visibly obvious that it is higher above the porch flooring in the front than at the house.

Thanks,

Jon

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Replies

  1. calvin | Mar 19, 2012 06:18am | #1

    jon

    I've seen it done several ways, none of which "hide" the fall of the porch floor.  Both rails parallel (makes it look as if the whole thing settled) , bottom rail parallel/top rail level or both level.  It's your call, many will pick up the fall in the floor, most people-it won't even phase.

    What's proper?   To me-top level, bottom parallel.

  2. DanH | Mar 19, 2012 08:29am | #2

    I think a lot depends on the viewing angle and whether you want this to look "square" from the street or be comfortable for someone on the porch.  Having an uneven (ie, level) railing on a porch is disconcerting to someone on the porch.

  3. byrd48 | Mar 19, 2012 10:05am | #3

    Thanks,

    Just to clarify, the top rail will be level, it's just whether or not to have the bottom rail be level or follow the slope of the porch.

    I'm thinking now to keep them both level

    Thanks!

  4. Piffin | Mar 25, 2012 06:09pm | #4

    Everyone does it different.

    I run the rails parrallel to the deck slope

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