A beautiful porch is the final touch to complete a perfectly designed home. While the purpose of a porch may be to simply relax and enjoy the weather, the beauty of this outdoor space lies in more than just the view. A well-chosen porch railing is an often-overlooked element that can keep your family and guests safe and complement the architecture and aesthetic of your home.
There is a lot to consider when designing or redesigning deck railings. Most importantly, the right height and baluster width is crucial to the primary function of your porch.
With more than 50 types of porch railings to choose from (and counting), where do you begin? How do you choose the right railing to match your exterior space and overall aesthetic? Whether you’re constructing a deck with vinyl, wood, or composite materials, there’s a railing to suit your style.
Read on for a few great options that will make your deck the design envy of the neighborhood.
TimberTech® Porch Railings
If you’ve got eyes on building or renovating a TimberTech® deck, there are a variety of porch railing designs to choose from. This weather-proof, long-lasting material choice is easily customizable to the look you’d like to achieve. TimberTech® railings come in nature-inspired hues that blend in with your home’s existing materials, and even match your landscaping!
The various infills and post caps offered by TimberTech® provide options to accompany your home’s overall appearance. For added safety and a touch of hidden ambiance, include lighting built right into the railing posts.
Prefer a traditional style with a hint of the unexpected? Choose a classic milled-wood look and add post cap lights that create a subtle glow for perfect evening porch hangs.
Create a more contemporary look with a modern rail and forgo the post caps altogether, keeping your railing seamless and sleek. Choose a dark or contrasting color for an extra touch of drama and pop.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match! TimberTech® offers infills in materials like cable and glass, which lend a cool, sleek element to your design and a less-obstructed view from your deck. And since TimberTech® railings are built with the same, virtually indestructible composite materials as its decking, you’ll spend little time maintaining your deck, and more time enjoying it.
RDI Railings
A great low-maintenance, moisture-resistant material choice, vinyl RDI railings come in a plethora of styles perfect for adding a bit of flair to your porch design.
Choose top and bottom rails in a lighter finish and a darker infill to draw attention and create a customized feeling. For a truly dramatic railing look, choose a black composite to contrast with an oak-stained deck.
To get creative with your railing, choose interesting balusters that really stand out, or use a rounded or architectural design for the entire system. Mix and match colors and styles to create a truly unique and personal look. RDI railing elements are all sold separately, making it easy to customize a design that is totally you.
Just like other systems, RDI offers the option to infill your railings with glass or aluminum balusters, creating a fun, modern contrast in materials. To add a little extra solitude to your outdoor living space, RDI offers HideAway privacy railings and gates that perfectly blend into your railing system, giving you the ability to escape from it all, right in your own backyard.
Wood Porch Railings
The artful nature of wood as a building choice means that wood railings can be made to order, and the options really are endless! While pressure-treated wood is more resistant to the effects of insects and weather, both pressure-treated and untreated wood can be utilized for porch railings.
From elaborate carvings to traditional columns, wood railings have the option of complete customization.
Choose a geometric Chippendale railing design for a modern, yet classic look that adds pattern and movement to a typically static structure; add lattice for a cozy, country feel; or, go with a criss-cross railing to create a look that is traditionally Southern while still contemporary.
For a little extra adornment, the beautifully intricate designs of sawn balusters give your porch a luxurious accent that will wow. Whether your balusters are carved, turned, or scrolled, this additional decorative touch can take your wood railings from just functional to fabulous.
From Design to Delivery
Once you’ve determined the perfect style of railing for your porch or deck, it’s time to complete installation so you can kick back and enjoy your beautiful space. Even more important than the color or look of your deck railing is the quality of work that goes into its construction.
That’s why it’s critical to choose a dependable, experienced contractor that will work with you to add the perfect finishing touch to your outside living space.
Contract Exteriors is a leader in South Carolina home exterior services. Our trained professionals pride themselves on providing the highest-quality customer experience, working with our customers every step of the way to create the deck of their dreams.
Our extraordinary work has earned us countless awards: we’re the only contractor in the Carolinas to hold the highest level certification in decking excellence from TimberTech®, and we were selected as one of the industry’s top 50 residential remodelers in North America by REMODELING magazine.
Our work speaks for itself. If you’re looking for porch or deck railings that are expertly designed and professionally installed in South Carolina, contact the Contract Exteriors team today for a consultation and free quote.
