What joint should I use....

[inaminit]

Hi everyone,

Just designing the railing that I'll soon be replacing with the deck. Anyway, I have limited tools and want to dress up the railing but keep it fairly simple.

I intend to construct a frame attach the slats, then install between the posts and put a wide cap on it (about 125mm or so) to rest drinks etc. I've attached a couple of drawings of what I'm thinking of, but wanted some advice on the best way to join the railings to the posts. In particular the top and bottom rails. 1940mm is the widest span between posts, with most of them around 1725mm.

My frist question is, is this a reasonable way to do it, or should I attach the top/bottom rails directly to the posts?

Secondly, if the frame idea is ok, then will simple butt joints do, or should I do something a bit fancier?

Thanks folks, I'd really appreciate any thoughts.

[PAH1]

The rails on our deck are attached directly to the posts. Seems pretty damn solid to me. They were initially nailied then screwed in place . Saves time, expense and is visually cleaner as well.

[namtrak]

I think? your talking about balustrading. On our verandah up north I used treated pine rails (the bottom one comes with a bevel and chamfer for water runoff). The top rail was just 5 by 1 and I routed out a line for the slats (meranti) to slip into. I used tek screws to fix the rails directly to the bloodwood verandah posts and the lo and behold the thing is still standing 15 years on.

Failing that prefab steel rails (any length) slot into the brackets which you fit onto the inside of your posts.

[marineman]

Anthony
I'm not an expert by any means but a few suggestions-
butting upto the post may be fine but if your handrails with the 125 top rail will regularly have people leaning against it I would propose some sort of glav steel angle bracket attached to the post to support your hand rail frame. I can send sketch of what I means if that helps.

from the looks of your sketches your posts appear to be approx 90x90, so I would think that notching the side of the post to creat ledge would not be a good idea (weakens the post).

2/ Also suggest to avoid warping of the "drinks rest top rail" etc that either you have a thick top rail or as soon as you put down the top rail which assume you were planning to be approx 20/25mm thick treat it with the best treatment you can. from personal experience.

trust this gives you soem food for thought. would love to see some pics before and after some time??

John
wouldn't be dead for quids

[scooter]

You could pocket hole screw the top railing to the posts.

I used this technique when making up some T/P lattice frames for heavy duty fence extensions a few years back. Had a pocket hole jig, but found it easier to drill a shallow hole underneath with a spade bit, then drilled the angled hole for the screw using the bottom of the spade bit hole to "locate" the angled hole. Used big bugle headed screws to pull it together.

An alternative to using metal angle to support the railing, you could put a moulding such as quad around the posts to support the top rail.


Cheers..........Sean

[inaminit]

Anthony
I'm not an expert by any means but a few suggestions-
butting upto the post may be fine but if your handrails with the 125 top rail will regularly have people leaning against it I would propose some sort of glav steel angle bracket attached to the post to support your hand rail frame. I can send sketch of what I means if that helps.

from the looks of your sketches your posts appear to be approx 90x90, so I would think that notching the side of the post to creat ledge would not be a good idea (weakens the post).

2/ Also suggest to avoid warping of the "drinks rest top rail" etc that either you have a thick top rail or as soon as you put down the top rail which assume you were planning to be approx 20/25mm thick treat it with the best treatment you can. from personal experience.

trust this gives you soem food for thought. would love to see some pics before and after some time??

John
wouldn't be dead for quids

John, Sorry it took a while to post a reply but I've been away for a few days.

anyway, I'd certainly appreciate the sketch of the bracket. With the top rail (for drinks & leaning on) it will be about 125mm wide and even though I do plan to treat it as soon as it goes on, I definitly want to avoid any warping/cupping, so what do you think would be a good thickness?

I'll post some pics of the work in progress when I start, but although the railings must be done urgently (read as they are currently held together by the paint!), the deck may just be getting repaired and repainted as SWMBO wasn't impressed with the cost to replace it! I'll just have to be REALLY nice to her I guess.

[inaminit]

You could pocket hole screw the top railing to the posts.

I used this technique when making up some T/P lattice frames for heavy duty fence extensions a few years back. Had a pocket hole jig, but found it easier to drill a shallow hole underneath with a spade bit, then drilled the angled hole for the screw using the bottom of the spade bit hole to "locate" the angled hole. Used big bugle headed screws to pull it together.

An alternative to using metal angle to support the railing, you could put a moulding such as quad around the posts to support the top rail.


Cheers..........Sean
Thanks Sean, I recon the go will be to screw the top and bottom rails directly to the posts (probably less work than creating a frame).

the quad sounds good, I'll check it out.