Deck Railing Installation for New Braunfels Homes
Railing that wobbles when you lean on it, or posts gone soft at the base? We do deck railing installation across New Braunfels, posts to handrail, in aluminum, vinyl, composite or wood, so the railing is solid again. Quotes are free.
How do I get new railing on my deck?
Start by pushing on every post and noting the ones that move. That's where we start too, because a loose railing usually means a post or its framing has let go. Then you pick the material, and the new railing goes onto posts that hold.
Why does my deck railing wobble?
Usually because a post, or the framing it fastens to, has let go. The rails themselves are rarely the problem. Wood rot at the base of a post is a common cause. A post that's sound and tight can take new rails; one that rocks or shows soft wood comes out, and a new structural post goes in its place.
Railing height and the 2021 code
Measure what you have first. Run a tape from the deck floor to the top of the guard along each open edge, and from the front edge of a stair tread to the top of the handrail.
New Braunfels has adopted the 2021 building codes. Under them, a deck 30 inches or more above grade needs a guard at least 36 inches high, and the openings in it can't let a 4-inch sphere pass. A handrail's grip sits between 34 and 38 inches above the nosing of the stair treads. If your railing comes up short on any of those, a like-for-like swap won't do, and the new railing goes in at the right height.
Railing a deck in Seguin, Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Spring Branch or San Marcos? We put up railing there as well.
Signs your railing needs replacing
The plainest sign is a railing that gives when you put your weight on it. The cause usually sits below the rails. That's why our Comal Decks team starts at the posts. Look for:
- a post that rocks at its base when you push it
- dark, soft wood where a post meets the deck
- a stair rail that shifts under your hand
- rail sections cracked, split or missing
That soft wood is often wood rot, and no new rail makes a rotten post hold. Already planning to redo the floor over solid framing? Do the railing in the same job.
What a railing job covers
Everything from the posts up:
- structural rail posts, fastened to the deck framing
- post sleeves over them, on systems that use sleeves
- guards along each open edge
- the stair railing, and a handrail you can grip
A railing job leaves the floor alone. Worn boards are deck resurfacing, and rotten framing calls for deck repair. If you need either, we do it before the railing goes up.
How we put new railing on
Most of the job happens before the first rail goes in. We work in this order:
- We take the old railing off, down to the posts.
- We check the framing under each post for soft wood.
- We keep the posts that are sound and tight, and where one moves or has gone soft, we fasten a new pressure-treated structural rail post to the framing.
- On systems that use them, we slide post sleeves over the posts.
- We set the rail sections, then the stair railing and handrail, and check that each one is firmly held in place.
Soft framing under a post turns a railing job into a repair first.
Aluminum railing on an older deck
Aluminum railing suits the job where old wood railing comes off. On many systems, sleeves fit over structural posts, so the strength stays in the posts and what you touch is aluminum. That's why we check each post before an aluminum run goes on. A sleeve hides a soft post; it doesn't fix one.
Sticking with wood railing
Wood railing still goes in, and on a wood deck it's the natural match. We use treated lumber or a naturally durable wood, so the posts and rails stand up to the weather. Give it a fresh coat of finish every so often, and the rails hold up to the sun and the rain.
What moves the price of new railing
Length and material move the cost the most:
- more feet of railing means more material and more posts
- the material, aluminum, vinyl, composite or wood, changes the price of every foot
- each set of stairs adds a stair railing and a handrail
- old railing that has to come off adds the removal
The deck under it counts too. If the framing is sound and the old posts are solid, the job is mostly new rail. If posts rock or the wood at their base is soft, new posts and framing repair come first, and they're part of the price.
When can the new railing go on?
Once the posts sit on sound framing and the railing is on hand. Three things can move that date:
- framing repairs come first, so soft wood under old posts pushes the start back
- we usually order composite, vinyl and aluminum systems in
- new boards, if the deck is getting them, go down before the railing
Frequently asked questions
How can I install a deck railing myself?
Start with the posts, because the rails aren't the hard part. Each post has to fasten solidly to the deck framing, not just to the boards. One loose post weakens the whole run. Check the framing under each one before you buy rails, and if you find soft framing, the job has outgrown a weekend.
How do you install composite deck railing posts?
On many composite systems, the post you see is a sleeve. A pressure treated structural rail post fastens to the framing first, and the composite sleeve slides over it. The rail sections fit between the sleeves. The wood inside does the holding, so make sure it's straight and solid before you cover it.
What is the average cost to install deck railings?
Deck railing installation runs from about $400 to $1,800 or more for a short run; a full composite or aluminum run around a whole deck can reach $4,800 or more. The run decides most of it: how many feet of railing you need and how many posts hold it up. Every corner and change of direction adds a post, so an L-shaped or wraparound deck costs more than a straight run of the same length. A high deck also takes more work at each post than one close to the ground.
Can I keep my old railing posts?
Yes, if they're sound and tight to the framing. Lean your weight into each one and look closely where it meets the deck. A post that moves, or shows soft wood at the base, comes out, because a guard is only as strong as its posts. On a lot of decks, we keep some posts and replace the rest.
Want new railing on your deck?
Noticed a post that rocks or a rail that gives when you lean on it? Mention it when you ask for your free quote. A few notes make the first call quick:
- the rough length of each run
- how many sets of stairs have rails
- how high the deck sits off the ground
- a photo of each side
Send the form or give us a call, and we'll call you back about the railing. Mention any post that rocks when you push it.