Hi all,
I’m having a design challenge here. I have a customer who wants to cover and screen in an existing elevated deck. A neighbor has a deck built very similar to what they want.
The other deck has a short kneewall (about 24-30″ high) and then full screen to the top of the wall with no other visible guards. Here in Mass I’m pretty sure code requires a 36-42″ high guard with no spaces larger than 4″. I know they can’t be counting the screen as a guard.
The customer wants the kneewall as a visual element to make everything have a more finished look, which I completely understand. However, because of the deck’s elevation, they want to be able to see down into the yard without having to get up from their seats.
I suggested the traditional balustered railings to improve visibility and still maintain proper railing height. However the homeowner didn’t want to have to take screens off to paint balusters and doesn’t want to spring for composite materials either.
I asked the town inspector and he confirmed he’d insist on a 36″ minimum railing or kneewall.
Any ideas on how I can improve visibility, meet code, and have minimal maintenance?
Attached is a pic of the existing deck.
Thanks for any ideas!
Replies
See if glass below rail height and screens above will work. You can pay big bucks for the glass or recycle old patio sliding doors (turned horizontally) for that application.
Here is a rustic log rail with glass, for inspiration:
Have you thought about horizontal louvre's instead of vertical slats?
go with a modern look and use cables
I'm just sayin'
Cables would create a ladder and are not allowed in many areas.
hmm, never knew that, can you do them vertically or at 45*?
I'm just sayin'
I've used 3/4" copper pipe for balusters. They don't block the view the way 2x2s do, and if you scour them with Scotchbrite before installation, they weather out very quickly to an old-penny finish.
They never rot, never need painting, and have a surprisingly-nice finished look, like turned balusters. They go well with an oiled Ipe top rail.
They fit nicely into a standard-size hole, 7/8", as I recall.
Build a knee-wall with two layers of ply spaced 7/8” apart, and extend the pipes down into it. The railing will be very stiff, so the top rail wouldn’t need to be attached at its ends, if you want it removable.
Rout a fillet groove, 3/8" deep or so, into the bottom of, say, a 5/4x4 top rail. Then make a 1x2 sub-rail to fit into the groove.
Tack the sub-rail to whatever you’re capping your knee-wall with, and through-drill them both, preferably on a drill press.
On my railing, I slipped the subrail over the tops of the pipes, held them flush, and dry-fired my framing nailer into the edge of each pipe, swaging it to the subrail. I then threw in 2-3 screws per section of balustrade. But my railing was over-the-post, and securely attached
In your case, if you want to leave the rail unattached to the posts, you’d probably want to put two screws though from the inside of the pipe into the subrail. 3/4” #6 would be plenty. The main top rail could be attached up through the subrail, and easily unscrewed for painting.
My application, a 36” tall balustrade, was different from yours, but similar enough.
I found it to be an easy, strong, good-looking system.
AitchKay