Front Porch Railings

There's no denying that front porch railings not only provide safety but they also give the porch some real pizzazz!

Like many components of your porch, you have lots of options.

You can choose to create a balustrade (the complete railing system) to reflect your own style and desires or you can reflect the architectural style of your home.

Photo courtesy of ngdcatlady

Photo courtesy of Scotty E

Pictures of front porch railings

Photo credits: ewilson248 and hannahla

The following pictures of porch railings are courtesy of The Porch Company

Railing Style Considerations

• ARCHITECTURE



• Generally, you will want to match the architecture of your home. Victorian-style homes usually have ornate balustrades (or spindles) whereas a country porch normally reflects a simpler design.


See our front porch designs and Architectural Style Guide to give you ideas based on your home's architecture.


• Do you want an open or closed look (normally referred to as a knee wall)? Typically, porches use spindles as the major component of the railing system. However, in some cases, a knee wall may be a better option. (The porch of my youth used a knee wall and I had fun spending hours playing hide and seek! It's was also great for keeping out a lot of snow in the winter).



• SAFETY



• Safety is an issue (and is the major reason for having a railing system). If you have small children that play on the porch, opt for spindles that can take some punishment and not break. Choose hardwoods, vinyl, or metal.



• Railing design becomes a safety issue as well. Although horizontal balusters satisfy most building codes, I don't recommend them on porches with children. They make great "ladders" and by design, prove harmful to small children.



• MATERIAL



• Select a material that best suits your needs. Metal and vinyl railings require very little maintenance and last forever. Wood, although require routine care to maintain it's appearance, can be beautiful and should be used if maintaining architectural integrity is important. Tempered glass panels or cable looks fantastic on contemporary porches and allows a uninhibited view.
  
  Our railings material guide addresses the most popular railing materials.




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We have more ideas for your railings and information to help you select the right railing material, building information to calculate and space the balusters correctly, and general railing code requirements.

Front Porch Railings Guide to find just the right material - you'll be pleasantly surprised at all your options. It explains each popular type of railing so you can select the one that's just right for your porch.




Railings Calculations and Spacing Guide to install or build railings. We've got just the information you need to make the job easier!




Railings Code Guide to learn basic code requirements before you build or plan for your railings.





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