How To Build Your Own Deck Railing

How To Build Your Own Deck Railing – Continuing with the previous step (where we added swings and a jungle gym), we will now add railing to the playground towers and bridge. We will soon be adding playground access components (a climbing wall/ladder and a ramp) so kids can climb up and down the towers and bridge. Before we do that, we want to fence the deck/platform with railings for security.

Series. You can read the other posts in this series through these links: Step 1 – Towers and Bridges, Step 2 – Deck Planks, Step 3 – Bracing and Blocking, Step 4 – Swings and Monkey Bars, Step 6 – Climbing Wall and Ladder Step , Step 7 – Stair Ramp and Step 8 – Wood Stain. This series will show you how to build a playground that looks like this:

How To Build Your Own Deck Railing

There are additional posts and a separate six-part series covering the basics of building a playground; you can explore them on my Playground page.

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The railing for the playground is similar to the railing for decks. The handrail will consist of 4x4s for the handrail posts, 2x4s for the handrails, and 2x2s (frames at one end) for the balusters.

To make the railing, you’ll need a circular saw, impact wrench, drill, router (with a 45-degree bevel drill bit), level (for posts), and sandpaper from my Materials and Tools post. You’ll also need deck screws (both 2-1/2-inch Simpson Strong-Tie DSV wood screws) and FastenMaster ThruLOKs (both 6-1/4-inch and 8-inch) from my post Connectors and Fasteners. You can also install solar deck lights from my Swings & Accessories post at this time.

D1 is the height of the handrail. The handrail typically needs to be at least 36 inches tall. If the deck/platform is greater than 6 feet, a 42-inch railing height is recommended. I used 42 inch tall railing for my playground and it feels great. I found it very reassuring to have the handrail a little higher with children who are adventurous and prone to climbing.

D2 is the spacing between balusters and the spacing between the deck/platform and the lower handrail. This distance cannot exceed 4 inches. There’s a nice trick you can use to make sure this distance doesn’t exceed 4 inches. Simply use a scrap piece of 2×4 as a spacer (a 2×4 is actually 1.5 inches x 3.5 inches – so the 3.5 inch side will ensure you don’t space balusters more than 4 inches apart). distance). Here is an example of a 2×4 spacer between two balusters:

How To Build A Playground: Step 5

D3 is the spacing between 4×4 rail posts. You don’t want more than 6 feet between adjacent 4×4 rail posts.

I had 4″ x 4″ x 8′ of wood set aside to make the railing posts. Cut the 8-foot 4x4s in half so you have 48-inch 4x4s. On these 48-inch 4x4s, mark a line at 42 inches. This will leave 42 inches for the desired railing height and 6 inches for attaching the pole to the playground, like this:

Make rail posts by cutting 8 feet. 4×4 in half. This will leave 42 inches for the height of the railing and 6 inches for attaching the post to the playground.

Since they will be touched a lot, use a router (with a 45 degree bevel bit) to round the edges of the 4x4s and further smooth the edges with sandpaper.

Deck Stair Railing Plans

We’re back to using FastenMaster ThruLOKs, this time to attach the 4×4 railing posts to the playground. Note that we need two different ThruLOK lengths: the 6-1/4 inch is used to screw the 4×4 Handrail Post to a single 2x board/beam, while the 8 inch is used to screw the Handrail Post 4×4 to 2x double support beams. So, depending on where you are when moving around the playground’s towers and bridge, you’ll need to use the appropriate length ThruLOK.

For the bridge, when you get to the 4x4s corner railing (where the bridge meets a tower) you can split the bolting between the double 2x support beams of a tower and the single 2x beam of the bridge. This fixation will create a stronger connection. I used two 8-inch ThruLOKs on the double 2x support beams of a tower and one 6-1/4-inch ThruLOK on the outer bridge beam, like this:

For corner railing 4x4s (where the bridge meets a tower), you can split the bolting between the double 2x tower support beams and the 2x single bridge beam.

The 4×4 posts of the bridge corner handrail can be screwed into the 2x double tower support beams and the outer bridge girder.

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With the 4×4 railing posts in place, you can easily screw the 2×4 railings to the 4×4 railing posts using 4-inch Simpson Strong-Tie DSV wood screws. You will need two handrails per handrail section: one for the top of the 4×4 handrail post and one for the bottom of the 4×4 handrail post.

Use a tape measure to get the distances between the 4×4 railing posts, then use a circular saw to cut the 2×4 to the desired length. Since the handrails will be touched a lot, use a router (with a 45 degree bevel bit) to round the edges of the 2x4s and further smooth the edges with sandpaper.

Use four (minimum two) deck screws to screw the 2×4 railing to the 4×4 railing post, like this:

For the lower 2×4 rail, be sure to use a 2×4 scrap as a spacer to ensure proper distance between the deck/platform and the lower rail, like this:

Custom Railing Ideas

Use a 2×4 scrap as a spacer between the deck/platform and the bottom rail to ensure proper spacing.

I used 42 inch 2x2s (frames on one end) for balusters. They have two nice features: the edges are already smooth and the squared edge creates a nice visual appearance.

I found it easiest to cut the 2×2 balusters to the correct length using a circular saw first, then screw them into the 2×4 handrails. Use Simpson Strong-Tie DSV 2-1/2 inch wood screws here. I would also recommend drilling pilot holes before using the impact wrench to screw in the balusters. 2x2s don’t have a lot of wood and can be prone to splitting and splitting without drilling pilot holes.

Try using four screws per baluster: two screws on a baluster and top rail, and two screws on a baluster and bottom rail. The beveled end can make it difficult to insert two screws, so you may only be able to insert one screw into the top handrail:

Diy Balcony Railing Table

These solar deck lights are a small detail that takes the playground to the next level! They are the perfect solar-powered accent lights from dusk to dawn. They change color and have quickly become my kids’ favorite thing to look at during the night. I spent a lot of time researching to find an outdoor accent light like this that had an IP65 weather rating (most I found were only IP55).

They screw right into the top of the 4×4 handrail posts. Screws are provided. See what the playground looks like at night:

With the deck/platform enclosed with a railing, we can now add playground access components so the kids can climb up and down the towers and bridge. The first will be a combination climbing wall/ladder.

Did you find this guide helpful? Did you build a playground or playset? Let me know in the comments below!

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Read the other posts in this series: Step 1 – Towers and Bridges, Step 2 – Deck Planks, Step 3 – Bracing and Blocking, Step 4 – Swings and Monkey Bars, Step 6 – Climbing Wall and Ladder, Step 7 – Ramp , and Step 8 – Coloring the Wood.

Hi, I’m Peter! Here you will find guides, tutorials and reviews for all of life’s projects. Explore the project categories below or browse all projects here. This step-by-step DIY project is all about building a porch stair railing. Building railings for porch stairs is the last step in a larger, complex backyard project. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you check out the rest of the project if you want to learn how to build a front porch from the frame to the wooden staircase. Be sure to adjust the project design to suit your needs.

If you want to get the job done professionally, we recommend that you work carefully and plan everything from the beginning. It is essential to invest in quality materials and use professional tools, otherwise the final result may not satisfy your taste. Align the components at both ends and drill pilot holes before inserting the galvanized screws to prevent the wood from splitting.

Work carefully and very carefully if you want to do the job right. Read the building codes before building your porch stair railing as there are some requirements you need to meet. Be sure not to leave more than 4″ between balusters, especially if

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