Using Drywall Screws For Building A Deck 
I recently had a deck built and when a friend came to look at it I was told the contractor should not have used drywall screws on the Pressure Treated …

Retrofitting Wood Railing With A Composite Drink Rail and Aluminum Balusters  
I'm currently in the process of upgrading my existing deck. It has 8 foot rail sections with 4x4 posts on each end. In the middle it has 2x4s with wooden …

Mesh Hog Panels For Deck Railing and Residential Guardrail Requirements 
We are replacing our deck railing and screening in our back porch and are thinking of using industrial grade mesh panels for the railing. Will this meet …

Humming Noise On Verandah Railings 
We have a really loud humming noise coming from our metal veranda posts and rails when the wind blows. It keeps us awake. The system seems to be well …

Varying tread run along a two step change in deck level 
I am designing a deck for our back yard and would like to avoid railings as much as possible to avoid obstructing the view from the deck. With a total …

How to stop a noisy aluminum baluster on vinyl railing system? 
I have just installed a new vinyl railing system with aluminum balusters. The railings have aluminum reinforced inserts on the top and bottom rails. …

Are there12 foot deck railing spans 
Are they any railing manufacturers that make a deck rail panel that can span 12 feet between posts? I am trying to make my life easier. I would prefer …

Is there removable deck railing 
Our deck railing has to be be removed for winter because of the pitch of the roof. The snow during the winter is the problem. How can you build a railing …

Best way to secure railing at 10' spans? 
We have used 6x6 support posts for our deck. They are sunk 3 ft into concrete piers and form part of the footing. My question is, what is the best …

Deck Railing Height With Bench? 
I am building a deck railing on a deck that is a little over 6 ft tall from the ground. It is just a short section that is jutted out from the main deck …

Installing railing posts on elevated chamferred bases 
I am looking for the company that built a railing system in Seattle Madrona neighborhood that uses 6x6 cedar posts, drilled through the center to accommodate …

Stairs That Flair Out As They Go Down 
I am trying to figure out how to build some deck stairs that grow wider as they go down. Some call them wrap around stairs or cascading stairs. They …

Iron Railing for a Composite Deck 
I am putting up a deck using composite deck boards, mainly to reduce the required maintenance. We have a horse farm and I have all the maintenance projects …

Aluminum railings surface mount vs side mounting on deck 
Love your site as it is very informative. I just wanted to clarify one item for you. Aluminum railings do not need to be surface mounted and that welded …

Attaching Railing Posts to Rim Joist 
I have a very well built 16x14 deck, or deck surface that is, and I am looking through my options for attaching my railing posts to the rim joist which …

How to Increase the height of an existing railing by 4" 
I have an 80' deck which is 12' off the ground. The deck rail was built to a height of 38". I am in Ontario and the building code here requires it to …

Rail Post or no post 
We had a deck constructed by a carpenter. He built the deck hand rails and stair handrails with 1x1 spindles supporting a 2x6 top rail. He did not …

Building a Deck - Steps From Door 
I am building a deck. Is there a requirement as to how far under threshold of the patio door it needs to be before you have to put another step or ramp …

Hexagon Wrap Around Deck Stairs 
I am installing new deck over an existing frame. the shape of the deck is a hexagon. The client wants steps of of three sides of the deck. What should …

Can you use horizontal balusters instead of vertical balusters  
Can you use horizontal 2x6 balusters in place of vertical balusters as long you keep the 4 inch gap minimum? Editor's Comments There is nothing …

Railing Solutions For Deck Over Dry Living Space 
I have an upper deck at our cottage with a finished living space beneath. The deck sits directly over the great room . There is a Dura-deck membrane …

Aluminum railing and posts not vertical  
I had an aluminum railing installed on my deck by a company who started out of plumb with the first post by 1/4". I know that doesn't sound like much, …

Deck Stairs for Inside 90 Degree Corner. 
Our deck is shaped like a letter" L". We want to have steps coming down from the inside corner.We need suggestions on how to build this.

How to attach a wood rail post to side of the house? 
My house has wood siding and I would like to know how to attach a wood rail post to the side of the house. Do i cut out the siding to fit the post then …

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Roof Deck Guardrail 
I'm planning a roof deck on an existing flat modified bitumen roof. I want to use modular deck tiles for the walking surface. The problem is finding …

Steps all Around Two Sides on Sloping Ground 
I am building a floating 14 by 20 cedar deck (max height is 18 inches) and wish to have stairs all around two adjacent sides. The other two sides are bordered …

Brazillian Walnut and Cable Railing  
After a year long wait my wife finally has her deck. It is made of IPE decking with 2" square tubing line posts and top rail with 3/16" stainless aircraft …

Shadow Rail Connectors and Stair Railings 
My husband and I have been replacing our deck and are at the point of installing the deck and stair railings. We're using the Titan Deck Post Anchors and …

Attaching top rail banister directly to house 
I just got home from work only to find out that part of the railing on my new composite deck was attached to my vinyl house with a bracket which is visible …

No room for post base skirts/collars 
We have installed the posts and railings and had planned to add skirts/collars around the base of all the posts. However, the clearance (between the …

First time building wrap around deck stairs 
I am building a deck with a set of wrap around stairs. I have never done this before. I have the stringers framed out to the corner from both directions …

DIY' er - Options for Attaching Rails to Posts 
I want to attach my deck rails (cedar 2x4) to the post vertically on both top and bottom rails. I want to attach them centered on the sides of the post. …

Deck Stairs Improperly Installed? 
We are finishing up a deck reno and are concerned about the stairs from the deck to the landing. See photo. Of concern is the way the stairs "sit" …

Deck with 'false' Top Rail 
I am building a deck for a hot tub and surrounding it with appropriate railing. It is 6' off the ground level so railing will need to be 42" high (PEI …

Glass with wood frame railing - expansion and thickness 
I had a mature walnut tree hit my house and deck, and it wiped out a couple sections of my railing. I have a heavily wooded backyard, and was thinking …

Railing Span and Post Spacing With Ipe 
I am replacing an old deck using Ipe wood. Is it alright to have my railings 7' railing span between posts? Most sites suggest 4' to 6' span between …

Railings in Ontario on 40" high deck 
I have a deck that is 40" from the ground and therefore requires "railings" or tempered glass etc... I am wondering if for example the deck is 40" …

Deck stairs question about height and rises 
My front porch is 6x11 and 29 inches from floor to ground. The framing is complete and the stringers were just finished. They are 7 9/16 rise with a 12 …

Deck Stairway Railing 
I am trying to finish a job that a contractor started on some deck railing. The deck is roughly 8 ft above surrounding grade. The stairway has one handrail …

Deck Rails and baluster spacing 
I have built a deck around our above ground pool but am not sure how far apart the rails need to be so a child cannot get his/her head stuck. Can you help …

Railing Options for 10 Foot Gap 
I am installing a railing system that has a gap of roughly 10 feet. I have split the difference and want to put a 42" 4x4 post in with a nice cap and …

Bottom Railing Ideas to Hide Uneven Balusters 
We have just replaced the railings on our old deck. Actually there were no railings there at all - just that green mess screening that you use in the …

Wood Posts in Concrete 
I'm building a railing on a concrete raised patio. The posts are going to be 6x6. How would you recommend attaching the posts to the concrete so they …

Cable Instead of Balustrades 
I want to use horizontal cable instead of wooden 2x2s. Is there a code requirement for the cable size I need? Do I need to tighten it to a certain …

Cable Railing 
We are wanting to put in a horizontal cable railing on our deck. The cable has to withstand a lateral force of 200 lbs. My question is, will the titan …

Stairs or Ramp for Porch 
I have a cottage that I would like improve with a new entrance to the house. There is an existing seven foot wood porch with three steps to the ground. …

Attaching cedar cap rail to 2x4 rails 
I am trying to decide the best way to secure a nice shaped cedar cap rail over the top 2x4 rail. The deck railing is built. Each railing panel is between …

Guards and Railing requirements not quite matching up 
Our deck is under 30" in height, however I cannot get the risers on the steps to be only 3. So that would be two treads. We always end up with 4 risers …

Looking for a Step down to patio from kitchen deck design 
I need to get down from the kitchen to the patio. Only 24" and want a reasonable platform 60" X 30" deep to stand on level with the patio door and …

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Step Heights for Tiered Deck Platforms 
I wonder whether you can help me? I am building a three tiered decked platform but want the "steps" to act as seating and bench areas. I have the …

Mounting the Stair Rail Post to Concrete Stairs 
I have a solid concrete steps leading for the house down to the walkway. Can the posts holding the rails be attached to the side of the steps? The …

2x4 Deck rails connected to 4x4 posts? 
Our deck railing was made from pre-fab 6 foot sections of 1x1 spaced about 5" on center. The top and bottom are 2x4. The "guy" who build our deck so …

Deck Railing and Benches 
My deck is 12 x 24. It is about 2'-6" up off the ground so we believe we should have a railing around three sides. We have railing steps going up both …

Stair rail spacing and code question 
I have a 14ft span of stairs between rails for an unobstructed view to the beach. Should I place rails between and how far apart for code?

Replace railing not to code? 
I am replacing the deck and the existing railing isn't to code. Can I replace the existing railing if I don't alter the plan or do I have to build to code? …

Building stairs when the landing is not even 
We had a lower level cement slab patio poured that is slightly angled away from the house. Now we are building a second story deck and the stairs will …

Choosing Railing Design 
We are building a new home and the decks are nearly completed but we are unsure what type of railing design to use. Do you have the ability to take …

Railings and Benches 
I am building a deck and some of it is more than three feet off of the ground. I would like to put a bench around the outside edge of it and was wondering …

Sunburst Wood Railing Design 
I have a request to put in a starburst handrail, they want a 1/2 moon at the bottom of the spindles and I'm not sure how to build it. Should I use 36" …

Using Vinyl Railings and Metal Railing Sections 
I'm installing a new vinyl railing on our deck of our mountain house. (cold in winter, hot in summer). I've been told to use one with Aluminum "inner support" …

How to Install Stair Railings at Right Angle 
Is there an easy way to install stair railings at the right angle?

home owner diy Not rated yet
What height should my deck/stair railings be and from what point to I measure the height; from top of tread just above the riser corner...or ???

Homer the fixer Not rated yet
I have a two steps stairs off my porch that land on a concrete sidewalk. There is no railing so the stairs float with the sidewalk with the winter frost. …

What is the building code # for mandating 'risers' on the deck stairs? Not rated yet
My HOA needs to have the exact building code # for mandating 'risers' on the deck stairs. Does anyone know the Building Code # for this requirement?

Mike Not rated yet
A simple question I think, are there any building code requirements concerning the thickness of the concrete pad the bottom of the steps rest on ? These …

What are the decks codig in Ct?? Not rated yet
I looking for architect to get a permit to rebuild a stair deck

Retired Home Worker Not rated yet
I have a porch with colonial posts that hold up the roof. I have a one step stairs now that floats on the side walk. I want to replace that with a two …

Possible bug in your Calculations for Deck Stairs  Not rated yet
I am Calculating steps for a 27" Rise. I ran the calculations two ways. First one "outside frame level with deck" and it calculated a total run of 41.52". …

Deck Stair Footer Below Frost Line Not rated yet
Hello all, I have been looking for a good way to construct the footer for deck stairs. My research has lead me to believe that it is not necessary but …

Deck Stair Regulation  Not rated yet
Is there an established regulation that determines at what height of the deck you need to have steps to the deck? or as long as your able to jump to the …

Jb Not rated yet
Width of stair railing that you grab onto at the top ??

14 inch rise Not rated yet
I’m putting a deck on a concrete slab. It’s 14 inches from pad to bottom of slider door. The deck will be 12’x12’. I want to wrap the deck with a step. …

HOME OWNER  Not rated yet
I have a deck that is approximately 20" high from grade level and want to add 2 steps. I'm in Mt Airy MD which has a frost depth of 32. I plan to use stringers …

Home owner Not rated yet
Hi, How do you recommend building stairs on a low rise deck? 3 steps to run of 12', the lengths. The deck. Do I need to Box them or can I run stringers. …

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Good composite for outdoor steps tread, to minimize slip Not rated yet
Hi everybody, I am considering replacing wooden treads with a composite. What's a good slip-resistant brand/line to use? I found a few that say slip-resistant …

Box Steps from House Not rated yet
We have removed a rotted deck that was elevated 36" off the ground to meet the height of the entry door and are replacing it with a paver patio that will …

Walker/Handicap Stairs Not rated yet
In Ontario Canada, is there a minimum depth and height for walker stairs (to be used with a frame walker for mobility issues) in the Ont Building Code? …

Stair Support is Splitting Not rated yet
I recently purchased a home and have been working on repairing the deck. The support under one of the stairs has split badly and I'm looking for advice …

number of required stringers for stairs Not rated yet
What is the number of stringers required for stairs 42" wide?

Stringer attachment Not rated yet
Is there a reason that no one seems to attach stringers even with the top of the joist with first tread at decking level - ie, no step down to first tread? …

Extra Wide and Deep Deck Stairs Not rated yet
The stairs we currently have on our log home deck are 48" wide, but we are replacing them with ones that will completely fill in the space between the …

Cheapest Woodworking Plans Not rated yet
Does anyone know where I can find the cheapest woodworking plans? I found brandonandted site which I believe is the cheapest.

Deck stair stringer that butts up against elevated landing, not sitting on top Not rated yet
I'm trying to calculate my layout to cut a stringer for deck stairs from second story deck to landing. Tbe bottom of the stringer still attach to tbe …

Bottom rail location Not rated yet
I have someone replacing the steps, handrails and posts on my deck. They cut the treads to be flush with the stringers. The stringers are mounted inside …

Solid or Notched Stringer Not rated yet
What are advatages / Disadvantages between solid or notched stringers....

PVC stair tread support Not rated yet
I currently have deck stairs with wood treads; stringers are spaced 14 inches apart. I want to replace the wood treads with AZEK PVC deck boards. I have …

Trex tread type Not rated yet
I have an 8' 4 5/8" stair and am using Trex. The stair calculator doesn't have a 1" tread so I used the 5/4" option. Will this work? If not do you have …

Sam Not rated yet
My question is would you attach the stringers to a concrete pad that is floating (without a frost line footer)?? Would there be concern for frost heave …

Code for guardrail height on decks over 30" high in NC Not rated yet
I am finishing a deck started by the previous owner. I am finished with everything except guardrails and stair handrails. From all I've found online …

Railing height behind outdoor BBQ counter top Not rated yet
What is the typical code requirement for a counter top near a railing? If the countertop is built into the railing (like at the perimeter of a deck) …

Railing height for screened in deck in Ontario Not rated yet
We are screening in our deck and as part of this project we'll need to replace the existing railing. The deck is approximately 10 ft. above ground level. …

Railing height and deck tiles on condo balconies Not rated yet
I am on the Board of Directors at a condo, and currently there is a debate raging regarding the issue of allowing or not allowing deck tiles on balconies. …

Ready to Paint Post Options for Treated Lumber Deck Not rated yet
Although I would be satisfied with a treated 4x4 or 6x6 post, I can't paint or stain it right away. How do deck pros provide an immediate deliverable for …

Wrapping 4x4 Post with 1x6 for Deck Post? Not rated yet
I am building a pressure treated deck and want white painted posts and railing with the look of real wood. I understand 4x4 and especially 6x6 have issues …

Rebuilding New Composite Deck Stairs and Extending the Concrete Slab Landing Not rated yet
My wife and I are having a porch renovated with composite decking. Our original porch was four tread stair case from the sidewalk to the porch. Each …

Attaching Balusters to Nailers: Wood Size, Resisting Load Capacity, and Safety Factors Not rated yet
I have two questions that concern attaching balusters to nailers in the rail assembly: 1) Is it permissible to use 2x2 material to attach balusters …

rounding 2x6 boards convex on top? Not rated yet
I have an existing railing with 2x6 redwood boards on top. It's about 100 ft. long in an L shape. I want to refinish it, but also make a slight convex …

Building Cascading Box Steps with Concrete Slab Landing Not rated yet
I am planning on building cascading box steps with a concrete slab landing off my deck. The total rise is 36". Will I have to pour a concrete slab …

Rail height measured from deck or built in bench seat Not rated yet
I am a designer from Vancouver, doing a house in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. The client wants a bench incorporated into the guard rail design in their deck. …

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Compliant Glass Railing Panels for deck railing in Ontario Not rated yet
Wondering if there are minimum performance specs to be code compliant for glass panels surrounding a deck. I am in Ontario. The deck railing will be 36" …

Securing requirements for balcony railing - Is from bottom only acceptable? Not rated yet
I am about to buy a condo in an apartment style building that's abut 6 yrs old, in Ontario, Canada. During the home inspection we noticed that the glass …

Top Rail Support Question - Need unique solution  Not rated yet
I'm getting to the point in my deck build where I will be adding the railing. I plan on doing a cable railing system which will run the cable horizontal …

How to cover galvanized pipe posts with wood for no maintenance post cover Not rated yet
I have existing 2 3/8 outer diameter galvanized pipe (used as a post) on a cement deck and would like to use a 4 X 4 trex post cover and rail system. …

Hand railing requirements for platform deck Not rated yet
I would like to build a platform deck about 17" off the ground, 2 steps all around treads will be 16 1/2" and a 7 1/2 rise. I am in Oldham county, KY. …

Stair Tread Nosing Distance Not rated yet
What is the right stair tread nosing distance? I am installing composite decking on stair treads and was told by a friend that the rounded nosing must …

Concrete Landing Pad And Stairs Misaligned Not rated yet
I just bought a new home and this is the deck built by the builder. As you can see, the concrete landing and the stairs are misaligned. The stairs …

Stair Lighting REQUIREMENTS Not rated yet
I recently had a deck inspected (final closeout) and it failed due to improper lighting. I have installed solar (high) powered LEDs on every other tread …

Building A Wheelchair Ramp Railing Not rated yet
I have to build a ramp with railing for wheelchair access to the front of my house. The rise and run for the ramp. It will rise 16" above grade, so …

Stair railing post spacing in Ontario Not rated yet
I am just finishing up the railing on my deck. I have a 42" high wood railing with 2x4 bottom rail 3.5" off deck with wood 2x2's attached to outside …

Deck Stair Width Not rated yet
I am building a deck that's 27'-6" wide with stairs that will be in the middle leading into the back yard. I am debating how wide to make the stairs? 5'-6' …

Wooden Stairs down a hill Not rated yet
I have a total stair run of 176" and a total stair rise of 72.5". I am thinking I will need a landing 1/2 way down the hill to achieve "standard rise …