Decking

[fattony]

Yep summers nearly here bought a new house and yet another decking project coming up.

Unlike my last deck i want to have a hand rail but not sure how the posts will be installed. I assume you build the deck and then screw the handrail posts to the inside corner of the base. Just not sure if it will be secure, or is does the hand rail give it the support it requires.

What sort of distance apart should the posts be? and how does the handrail / spindles go together, could do with some instructions really?

 

[breezer]

dont qoute me on this, but i think yopu are not supposed to be able to pass a ball (bigger than tennis, smaller than foot) through the spindles, its to stop little children poking their heads through i believe

I think Mr walsh does them @ 4 inch centres

 

[markhallgate]

Hello,
what you need to do is build the frame for the deck, if you want this on a couple of level just build to frames one on top of the other and cut of the corner of the top one to give it a step at the edge etc.

You need to screw the newel posts to the inside of the framework if you are using spindles then you want to be a bout 1.8m apart, if you are using ready made balustrade panels then about 1.2m. You should use deck post screws for fixing the newels, these are normally about 200mm long, screw from the outside of the frame, then you can cover the screws later with an edging around the deck.

The handrail is fairly easy, fir the bottom railfirst, this can be done using brackets or screwing through the newel post into the handrail. The n put a spindle at either end to get the hieght right for the top rail, fix that to the posts. Insert all of the spindles, then space them out approx, use your fillet (spacing wood) to adjust the spindles to the right place.

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[Thermo]

i always use coach bolts, two through one side staggered and one through the other side, much stronger than normal screws

 

[WabbitPoo]

Yep, bolts every time for newel posts. I THINK vertical spindles need to be no further apart than 90mm, but check with local BC office - you won't need BCO approval (unless the deck is very raised, I think) but he should be able to tell you.

As for steadiness of handrails, they always seem a little springy if only fixed along one edge of a deck - if you have handrails along two meeting sides (to form an L) or better still, along three, then they hold themselves much steadier.

 

[JohnD]

It is possible to use the newel posts as the "legs" of the decking frame, this makes a more rigid construction than bolting them on afterwards.

Just the bottom portion of the post will be out of sight.

 

[WabbitPoo]

Yep - hunt around to find longer newel posts if you wanna do that. Nifty idea.

 

[Thermo]

the other thing you can use for them are the timberlock type screws, however they are expensive and you need an impact driver to put them in but they do give a very firm fixng