page_title: Deck railing
section_title: Deck railing designs
hierarchical_section_title: Deck railing / Deck railing designs
caption_attribution_description: English: Timber Frame porch with Mountain Laurel Handrail.
context_page_description: Deck railing is a guard rail to prevent people falling from decks, stairs and balconies of buildings. Over time, many different styles of deck railing have been developed.
context_section_description: The most common residential deck railing design is built on-site using pressure treated lumber, with the vertical balusters regularly spaced to meet building code.  Wood railing could be in different styles such as Victorian, Chippendale railing and others. A popular alternative to wood railing is composite lumber and PVC railing.
  Cable railings typically use stainless steel cables strung horizontally. Stainless-steel cable and fasteners are strong and don’t obscure the view. Contemporary frame systems use plastic-coated steel cables.
  Glass balusters and glass panels are often used at contemporary architectural projects where unobstructed view is important. All-glass railing without a top rail can be used to maximize the effect. There are, however, cleaning, security, and wildlife protection issues.
  Other options include wrought iron and sheet steel, into which custom designs can be cut. Ornamental cast-iron railing was popular in the latter half of the XIX century and it is often associated with the Victorian style and with the traditional architecture of American coastal southern cities like Savannah and New Orleans.
caption: Mountain laurel railings on a timber frame porch.
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