Exterior Deck Stair Rails

This will be the first on many different segments on home improvement and repair so look back here often! Or keep an eye out on FB if ya follow that sort of thing. This stair railing is a fairly easy project to start with and is actually on my own house. We built this 12’ x 12’ balcony off my daughter’s bedroom upstairs from a sliding door we installed last winter. We had a window up there before that was rotten beyond repair and decided this would work great for a future guest room, that is if our daughter ever decides to move out..LOL! We have kept the door locked with a sign on it saying “do not open!” so no danger there. Oh yeah and we kept all exterior ladders out of sight if ya know what I mean..ha ha! I always say outta sight outta mind.

Here is a shot of the steps coming from the pool area gate. Notice I have already installed the 2x6 treated rails between the posts from top to bottom. The 6x6s at the bottom will eventually get a decorative cap on them that small planters or something can sit on.

First off I will rip some cca treated 2x4s directly in half. Usually as shown here it comes out that you split the 1 ¾” mark with the center of the blade. I use a 10” Craftsman table saw with a 7 ¾” inch blade on it for more ripping power. These treated 2x4s can be a bit stubborn if ya know what I mean.

I have my wife on the other end helping support the 12’ boards as I get past the half way point on the boards. She is the one holding the camera if ya didn’t know..he he. This makes things much easier! Whoever you have helping you make sure they don’t try to steer the board, only support the end. The steering is up to the pushing end always! That doesn’t sound right?? Well you get what I am saying..I hope!

Here is a shot of the 12’ 2x4s ripped in half. We used 12’ because that works out best for step balusters and deck rail balusters as well. You can get lengths like 34” for the deck rails and have 8 balusters per board or 42” – 48” lengths for step rails and get 6 balusters per 12’ board. You can buy all these pre cut but it cost a bit more and I don’t feel like you get a full 1 ½”x 1 ½” baluster, it’s more like a 1 ¼”x 1 ¼” baluster and therefore not as sturdy and resistant to warping like the heavier home cut ones.  I don’t mind the little extra time it takes for the better quality. Oh yeah and it saves a little $ you can use on a beer after your done..ha ha.

After the 2x2s are cut to the length you want (here we are using 43” for our steps) you can make a mark on your miter saw like I have here and hold each board the same way so the rip side faces in when installed and make your cuts. This is a bit tedious but worth the time when all is done. This adds the decorative finish to the ends of the balusters.

After you get all the ends cut you should pre drill the screw holes. Drill two holes on the bottom @ 2” from the end and @ 6” apart and one on the top 2” from the end. You can set up a gage to drill them all but I just eyeball them..he he. I use a 3/16” bit which is about the same size as the threads on the 2 ½” deck screws. Some guys don’t pre drill the screws and just tap the screws in with a hammer to start then use a screw gun to finish them off. This can sometimes be done if the wood is green enough but still can cause some splitting, in our case the wood was dry and definitely had to be drilled. I also know this makes the railing pull together for a stronger tighter railing. Hey it’s a balcony railing so you don’t want to skip steps here or the worst case scenario could happen if ya know what I mean!

Before getting any further I wanted to show you a very important step not to skip! Where the balcony attaches to the 6x6 post and along the skirt attached to the house we use 5/16 or 1/4 “lag bolts 6” in length to secure each corner and secure the structure to the house. I used a 5/16” drill bit to pre drill through the board being secured and drilled no deeper than that. You can put a piece of tape on your bit at @ 1 ¾” to use as a gage so you don’t drill too deep if you don’t trust yourself.  I have a socket adapter for my Milwaukee cordless drill I use to drive the lag bolts home after drilling. You want to hang on for this, these new cordless drills have a ton of torque and can throw you right off your ladder if ya catch my drift! Make sure when securing to the house you feel the bolt catch something solid, you can actually see the wood pull tight if you watch carefully. Some of you may have heard in recent years about an accident nearby here with a balcony coming loose from the house. I won’t get into it all but I will say many people were hurt and one fatality. Not good!

Here we start putting the balusters on the rail starting at the bottom. I used a 4” scrap block I cut to mark the first one and every other one thereafter. 4” is the standard code width between the balusters so kids and pets don’t get stuck in them or fall through. If ya ask me the kids shouldn’t be trying to cram their heads through the railings but who says this safety measure is just for kids??? He he!

Every 5th or so baluster it’s a good idea to check how level you are and make small adjustments if needed. Good to use a 4 foot level that spans end to end because some if the balusters could be warped. In fact most of them will be warped to some extent and this is normal. Make sure the level is touching on both ends of the baluster and not rocking so as to get an accurate reading.

I screw the top in first and maintain a line 1 1/2” from the top of the rail to the highest leading edge of the baluster. I used one of the balusters as a gage and put a light pencil line along the top as a reference. Hey this isn’t rocket science! Got me so far…?? Ha ha!

The next obvious step is to place the 2 bottom screws in and then stand back and marvel at your hard work. Feel how much more sturdy the railing gets as you go along! That’s the cool part.

I used this board to prop in between the rails in order to take some of the natural warp out of both sides while attaching the balusters. This should help them maintain the correct shape after installing the balusters nice and snugly. I don’t know why but when you use CCA treated lumber or “green board” as some people say, it always warps worse than any other lumber you can buy. I always tell a customer that is wanting to save some money by using this stuff that as I said earlier “this stuff has a mind of it’s own”.

Here is a shot of the inside rail half finished.

Here is a shot of the completed project. Pretty sweet huh…?! I was happy with the end result and it really made the steps and everything extra sturdy. After a few months I will go back and check all the fasteners to make sure the movement of the lumber hasn’t loosened anything up.

Here I wanted to show you what I did to secure the top balcony rails to the deck surface for better support. I cut a 3 ½” 2x4 block to fit under the rail then a decorative inside block at 8” long to secure it all together. Yes I pre drilled all the screw holes so as not to split anything. I also secured the blocks from the bottom of the surface for better support. It also looks nicer because you can’t see any screws.



Here are a couple of shots from the top of my new balcony! Pretty cool huh! Great place to sit and watch fireworks in town!