I’m building a mahogany deck with matching mahogany railing. The rails are profiled: the top is curved and rabbbeted for balusters, the bottom rail is flat on top.
I’m been thinking about different ways to assemble and install the railing sections. Might one typically screw the baluster from the bottom of the bottom rail and toenail it into the bottom of the top rail? I’m leaning towards getting some mahogany fillet strip and screwing through a continuous piece into the balusters, then I can affix the whole assembling to the top rail with a few screws from below. It seems to me this would be cleaner, stronger, easier to layout and would avoid fitting multiple small fillet pieces between balusters to strengthen a toenailed connection.
What do you think? I appreciate all your input, especially from those who have done similar rails for high end hardwood decks. Thanks.
-Rob
Replies
Works for me. The small fillets tend to split or warp outta plane anyway.
Use all stainless hardware, just because.
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Robert,
Yep, that's the way to go. Sphere's right, those little fillet pieces may want to warp and twist and do all sorts of things after a few years.
I screw my balusters into the bottom rail from below, screw them into the long fillet (or sub-top rail) from above, and then screw the whole assembly into the top rail from below.
The way I have been doing it is to screw the balusters into the bottom rail, and then attach that unit to the posts. Then when I attach the sub-top rail to the balusters I can adjust them to plumb in case any of the posts are out of wack from each other a little bit (of course, never happens on MY jobs ;-)
Here's a pic from a recent Ipe deck I did. It doesn't have a thick profiled top rail, so I beefed it up with a sub-top rail to add thickness and depth to it.
Paul
Thanks to both of you for the affirmation. It seems like the way to go. If you or anyone else has anything else to add I'll check back later.
I appreciate the pictures too. Beautiful deck. I like the curve a lot.
Thanks again.
Rob
Always keep water flow in mind. Angle your bottom piece if poss. even 10* will create run off. I agree...very nice work and curve on that railing.