Offering an easy-to-traverse trail from the inside of the home to the outside, garden decking can be enjoyed by all of the family all year round. They're commonly associated with the summer months, of course; getting people outside in the sun, sitting or lying in comfort – so thoughts about creating them will naturally be around at this time of year. With sufficient covering and protection though, decking can actually be enjoyed in all seasons; even in the cold and rain – making decking a great investment.
If you already have a deck installed or are thinking about creating one in time for the summer, the addition of a handrail to the edge of the decking area has plenty of practical and aesthetic benefits. Introducing a composite decking rail will look great and help prevent any slips or fails; vital if your deck covers a raised area.
If you've never fitted a handrail before and need some tips on doing so, we can help! As a leading provider of timber decking products in the South of England, we regularly offer advice and assistance to our customers on everything decking – whether it's fitting rails, choosing the right wood or the right treatment products to use.
So to help you along the way in fitting rails to your wood decking, we have created a checklist of things to consider.
Installing decking rails can be tricky if you don't make the correct preparations. This is why you will need to carefully plan exactly where you'll feature the handrail on your garden decking. Do you want it to go around the entire perimeter or just on one side? Be sure to use measurements to order the decking handrail in a number that meets your specifications.
As the foundation of the handrail, the base posts must be secure – the rest of the handrail will be assembled around them, after all. Use base plates to keep the posts secure but make sure that the posts and base plates are in the right place before you permanently fix them. If they are the wrong distance apart, it will throw off the rest of your measurements leaving a useless handrail.
When it comes to fitting the rail, ensure that you secure the (corner) connectors to the top of your posts – the handrail will be bonded between them. Proceed along the length of the garden decking, securing each connector as you go, before adding the next part of the handrail between them, until it runs as desired through/between all of the posts.
Whilst you should now have a basic outline of your decking handrail, the finer details that you may wish to place on them (staining, painting, decorations, etc) will depend on the specific type of decking materials you decided upon. Generally, the next thing to do will involve the placement of extra posts between the corner posts for extra security and aesthetic effect.
If you're looking to create new garden decking or are thinking about replacing certain parts of your existing structure, we have all the materials you need. Having established an unrivalled reputation in the local area for retailing the best quality materials for the best possible prices, our range of timber products can help you to create a deck that will both serve as a great addition to the look of your home, as well as be a long-lasting structure that caters for many years of use.
Please feel free to browse around our website for quality decking materials – if you have any questions or need any advice on creating, fitting or fixing your garden decking, our expert team would be pleased to hear from you. You can give them a call on 01483 486 739 or you can send an e-mail to info@pennyhilltimber.co.uk