Once you’ve decided you want to have a new, custom porch built and you’ve selected a great builder, then it’s time to select all the components for your new porch. Some of the porch components include the size, placement, roof style, and primary components such as a fireplace, the floor, the ceiling and of course the railing. Phew, this sounds exhausting! There is a lot to think about, but a good builder will be able to walk you through these key selections in the right order while making educated recommendations. The recommendations will be based on your needs and wants, your home’s style and your personal style. We even have some clients with a slightly contemporary home that want a more traditional screened porch. From top to bottom, we walk you through making selections for your new porch.
You may not think there are not a lot of choices in railing selection. You would be surprised! There are many styles, colors, shapes, patterns, sizes and materials. And within those selections, you can choose products with differing maintenance levels, namely a low maintenance option.
This blog is the beginning of a 3-part series on railings. In this post, we will talk about choices and considerations. In the next 2 posts, we will feature lots of different options, colors, and styles to help you go down the path of selecting the railing for your new porch or deck.
The top considerations when selecting railing are function, aesthetics, and maintenance.
Function
With porch railings for residential homes, you must determine whether you need a guard rail or you have the option to go with a railing that is simply decorative. Every jurisdiction has specific code requirements, but generally, you will need to meet these codes with a guard rail if the porch is 30″ above the ground. What about height / spacing / load bearing at this height? Typically, you must have a 36” tall rail and a 4” sphere must not be able to pass through the balusters. The railing must also be tested to be able to withstand a certain weight. This in no way means it has to look like a hefty safety device. There are numerous aesthetically pleasing options that are available that meet these requirements.
These front porch railings are more than 30″ above grade, so they must meet code requirements. But as you can tell, unique design elements can be added despite the requirements.
Aesthetics:
Here comes the fun part! After determining any functional requirements, you can start making the design choices. Here are some guides to get started with your aesthetic decisions. You likely want your porch and railing to compliment or tie into the existing style of your home. If you have a craftsman style home, you may want a Craftsman railing. If you have a Victorian home, you may want Cathedral Pickets. If you have a Cottage style home, you may like the Southern Cross railing which is one of our more popular railings. All of these styles are custom made, meet code requirements, and are available on our Porch Store. We have had great success and feedback from these railings, and can even make a custom design for you for only $100. Need shipping outside of the U.S.? Not a problem, just send us an e-mail at porchstore@porchco.com and we can set that up for you! Sorry for that tangent, now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
This Southern Cross style railing is completely low-maintenance. This is one of our very popular signature railing panels we sell nationwide in our Porch Store.
Visibility is a huge part of aesthetics. There are a number of reasons you may want more visibility out into the yard. If you have a gorgeous garden or a pool with young ones around, you want as much visibility as possible. The shape and, believe it or not, the color of your railing can play a huge part in this.
These dark colored narrow pickets allow for maximum visibility into the back yard. With black railings, your eye tends to go straight past the rails, while with white your eye is drawn to the railing itself.
The next consideration is how you want the space to feel. Do you want it to feel more like an interior room or more of an outdoor room? A solid wall (or kneewall) will make the porch feel like more of an internal room. Open railings will make the room feel like more of an outdoor room.
The low beadboard wall in this porch makes it feel a bit more like an interior room. This porch is flush to the ground so it does not need to meet code requirements.
Maintenance:
Maintenance is a key consideration. If you want wood, are you willing to perform maintenance every year or every couple of years? Wood is the highest maintenance choice. It’s beautiful but it does require maintenance. The amount of maintenance required will depend on a couple factors but most importantly it will depend on the amount of direct sunlight on the railing.
There are low maintenance railings available that will never need staining, painting or sealing. Watch for an entire feature on low maintenance materials upcoming.
This railing is called the Cathedral Picket. This is another one of the custom low-maintenance railings we sell on our Porch Store and build into some of our custom porches in Nashville.
Phew. We’ve completed step 1 of picking a railing selection for your new porch or deck. Check back in the next 2 weeks for a visual feast of the different shapes, sizes, colors and styles that are available.
If you’re considering adding a screened porch to your Nashville-area home, give us a call for a free consultation at 615-662-2886. If you’re outside the Nashville area and you’re interested in purchasing some of our signature porch components, take a look at our new Porch Store. Make sure to drop me an email if there’s something you’re looking for that you don’t see on the Porch Store.