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Aluminum Porch Railing
Aluminum Deck Railing Ideas
for Your Front Porch
An aluminum porch railing, often called an aluminum deck railing, is the first thing you see. Railings define your
porch's style so choosing the right design is very important.
Choose porch railings that are durable, low
maintenance, and can hold up in adverse weather conditions whether on your front porch or deck.
Aluminum railings are available from manufacturers and distributors like Dekorators, Tek-Rail, Deckdepot, Rockler, Home Depot and more.
Whether looking for aluminum balusters to attach to wood rails or aluminum railing kits, we've got
plenty of options from which to choose.
We really like the look of an aluminum porch railing; it is one of our most favored deck railing ideas. You can achieve the exact look you want,
from very simple to quite elegant, to
complement your home and outdoor decor.
Simple designs using wooden 2×2 balusters may be quite appropriate for many porches. But you can make an ordinary
front porch or deck extraordinary with aluminum railings; they come in so many different styles.
Colonial style balusters are ideal for many front porches. They resemble turned wooden balusters but due to the
diameter of each spindle, do not obstruct the view. If view is an issue, you might also want to investigate
stainless steel cable railing.
The classic style, and probably most popular aluminum porch railing, offers a clean look mimicking round wooden balusters.
An advantage of using the classic style is taking advantage of Dekorators.com's connectors, specifically
their duo connectors. This device allows you to attach their round balusters in pairs to create a unique
look.
Use architectural balusters to create some real curb appeal on your front porch. These are sure to be
noticed. Easy to install; just attach to your upper and lower railing and spaced appropriately.
The traditional style is reminiscent of wooden balusters but without the bulk. This definitely
will give your porch a nice clean appeal. Easy to install and maintenance free, you will enjoy these for
years to come.
The estate style mimics square wooden balusters. They would work well on a wide range of porch styles,
from country to Victorian. If using on wood railings, you could position two or three closer
together (leaving no more than a four inch gap between groups) for a more designer look.
Aluminum Deck Railing - Go For Elegance
It is a also possible to mix and match materials to achieve
a very distinctive and beautiful look for your front porch. Decorative items like baskets, collars, and center pieces can
be added to your aluminum porch railing to create a very unique appeal.
Add baluster baskets (at right and in photo above) to your square aluminum railings to achieve a sophisticated look relatively
inexpensively.
Baskets are secured in place with set screws after sliding them over square balusters.
They are maintenance free and should last the life of your porch or deck. Available through
Home Depot.
Incorporate baluster ring collars in your railing design. You can use one or more on a baluster to
add interest and appeal.
Use them in conjunction with baskets and center pieces or just place them strategically throughout
your railings.
Available through
Home Depot.
Centerpieces attach to Classic designed balusters and add yet another dimension to your porch railing system.
Combine
these with collars and baskets to create a very unique aluminum porch railing design.
Available through Dekorators.com
Aluminum Railing Kits
Railing kits, like the one pictured above from Tek-Rail.com, are perfect for those who want easy installation along with the look of complementary
porch rails. Aluminum porch railing kits also come in several colors, typically black, white, and bronze.
Normally, aluminum porch railing kits include all of the rails, balusters, and hardware necessary to assemble a stated length
of balustrade. However, I've noted that in some cases, you'll have to order special brackets that are not
included so be sure to read all of the ordering information.
This short video explains how to install aluminum railing kits. See how easy it's done!
Also note that there are usually two distinct railing kit styles. One is post to post meaning
the rails extend between the aluminum posts. The other is over-the-post where the rails extend
over the top of the posts and connect at the columns or walls.
Most satisfy both 36 inch and 42 inch railing height requirements and usually come in 4, 6, or 8 foot lengths.
We located railing kits at Dekorators.com and Tek-Rail.com
Aluminum Porch Railing Sections
Another option is to purchase Do-It-Yourself porch railing sections like
those shown below by the Fence Center.
They are almost maintenance free and come completely assembled in several styles and dimensions.
This is an excellent option for those who want the simplicity of aluminum railings without having
to assemble and install railings.
Installation of Aluminum Porch Balusters on Wood
I've found that installation is fairly easy and in some cases a lot easier than standard 2x2 wooden balusters.
They attach easily to your top and bottom rails although I discovered it went a lot faster with four hands
than just my two!
Mine have been easy to maintain. In fact, I just wipe them down after I restrain my boards from time to time. No
muss- no fuss!
Watch this short video that shows how to attach aluminum balusters to your wood rails.
I used these two products when installing my aluminum balusters and they worked really well. The first is for installing
round aluminum balusters and the second is for installing the actual rails. For my project they worked fine for 2x4s.
If you are building a porch or deck and installing a wood floor, this tool is ideal. I've use clamps but this tool makes the job far easier.
Aluminum Porch Railing Accessory
What can I say, I like feeding birds. The RailHookz
makes it easy to hang bird feeders or planters from your railings.
We hope this gives you sufficient aluminum porch railing ideas to ponder. You might also want to
see what we discovered about wood deck railings and
sawn balusters - are examples are something to see!
Product Information Resources
Deckdepot.com
Dekorators.com
FenceCenter.com
Tek-Rail.com
Be sure to see these porch railing sections too!
Use the link below to see our entire directory of porch railing designs and ideas.
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