# deck railing



## nvrhapy (Nov 19, 2007)

hey guys i have a deck on my cabin and i wanted to put a deck railing on it my question is what is the best way to mount the post? i bought the metal u shaped brackets but they dont seem to be very sturdy:sad: 

















also i would like to treat my deck either stain or paint not sure what but i have no running water at the cabin so what would need to be done to be able to treat it


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## greyghost (Dec 22, 2008)

You could take the post and notch it out half way through about the same hieght as your outside board and mount it on the outside of the porch with lag bolts. That is probably the best way to attach them and have them stay tight. The brackets arent really the best way to go. As for treating it i always use a deck cleaner first then put some Sikkens on it and you should be good to go. Gonna require some water however. Good luck.:coolgleam


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## The Nailer (Feb 7, 2000)

greyghost said:


> You could take the post and notch it out half way through about the same hieght as your outside board and mount it on the outside of the porch with lag bolts. That is probably the best way to attach them and have them stay tight. QUOTE][/


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

I also agree. Lag bolting the post to the outside of the deck is your best option, as long as you have something good and solid to bolt to. 
As was mentioned, it will be tough to clean and seal a deck without a good water source.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I would attach them as greyghost suggested. However there's one change I'd make. I would only use a lag screw if you're going through the rim joist and into that other corner post down below. That will be sturdy. But where you're going into just the rim joist with nothing behind it, use a through bolt. It looks like you have plenty of access to get behind there and tighten the nut. 

If you want to install a hand rail for the stairs, just line up the lower post with the one on the deck and set the post into the ground. Dig the hole 42" deep and insert the post. Backfill the hole with pea gravel and you'll be all set. Then you'll have a sturdy place to attach the upper and lower rails.

John

*EDIT:*
There's one other issue that you're going to run into. If you attach the posts that way to the face of the deck on the outer edge that's fine. But if you try to attach a post at the rear of the deck up near the building they won't line up. You'll just have to cut a hole in the decking at that point and insert the post through the hole and then you can bolt it to the INSIDE edge of the rim joist the same way as the others. Just PLAN AHEAD when you attach the posts on the outer edge so that they'll line up with the rear posts and you'll be all set.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

My two cents... mount them all into the inside of the deck, lag through the rim joist. Very sturdy that way and you can lag from two opposing directions in the corner posts. Just have to cut a hole to mount it through.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I was thinking about that too Reds. Normally that's what I'd do too but it looks like the corner post for the main support is already there so I don't see how you'd be able to do it. Normally if I were builiding a deck like that, I'd just run longer 4x4's at the corner and then that 4x does double duty as deck support and post for the railing.

I usually run my posts for railing support to the inside of the rim joist and then bolt them tight with trough bolts. It also eliminates that problem of the posts not lining up. 

John


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Big Reds said:


> My two cents... mount them all into the inside of the deck, lag through the rim joist. Very sturdy that way and you can lag from two opposing directions in the corner posts. Just have to cut a hole to mount it through.


I'd miter the 4x4 for a more finished look and lag mount it to the corner on the side perpendicular to the house, not parallel. The deck boards overhang the parallel side, so mounting on that side would be a pain. You'd have to put the lags into that 4x4 support post, so take a look at where the nails go in on both sides before you start drilling pilot holes!

I'd power-wash and stain the deck, but without running water... a dark stain or paint is probably the way to go.

KW


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

reds/jpollman -- when you mount them on the inside, do you then cut a square hole in the deck board to fit over the 4x4 or do you notch it and put in a filler piece on the other side? I mounted the posts on my front porch to the outside of the porch, and ran them up through the inside on my back deck. I think the porch looks more finished. On the deck, I wrecked several deck boards trying to cut them to fit them around the posts.

KW


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

k9wernet said:


> I'd miter the 4x4 for a more finished look and lag mount it to the corner on the side perpendicular to the house, not parallel.


On second thought, if you do that, you're going to end up with a railing on the outside of the SIDES of the deck, but right on top of the front of the deck. If you want a consistent railing, you'll have to mount the post to the top of the deck (like you have it), on the inside, or mount two posts -- one on each side of the corner -- on the outside. That final option is what I did on my porch.

KW


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

KW,
when I'm building a deck I install the posts for the railing before I install the decking. The post will be attached to the joists with bolts normally. If it's in a corner, on the two sides that aren't up against the joist I install a piece of 2x4 to act as a support for the deck board that will be cut to wrap around the post. On a post that's in the middle of a joist I'll add the 2x on three sides. This gives you a place to drive a screw through the decking and keep it supported near the post. 

If the decking is already installed, I lay out where the post will be and then mark the area to be cut. Then I just use a drill and drill a hole in each corner of the cutout. Then a jig saw makes it an easy job to finish the cut. Then the post just slides through the hole and gets bolted into place. If I have access to the under side of the deck, I'll then add the additional blocking just as before. 

John


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

John and I are on the same page so to speak when it comes to building. 
The brackets will work well for the corners of this deck in question along with mounting the rest of the posts on the inside. You can screw down into the posts through the deck boards on an existing install. The corners will be strong when the railing system is attached from two sides!


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## nvrhapy (Nov 19, 2007)

ok i think i got a good idea now how to mount the posts thanks guys, u think it would be ok to just take water and get the deck nice and wet and just scrub it down with some type of deck wash? and then maybe treat it?


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## greyghost (Dec 22, 2008)

You could do that as long as you can get it rinsed off good. Then give it plenty o time to dry before you treat it.


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## sweatyspartan (May 24, 2004)

do not powerwash the deck...it beats up teh wood and will make it age quicker. There are plenty of cleaners you spray on and then move around with a brush that work great. I used one last year and then put on a sherwin williams stain that worked grain...no peeling at all 1 yr later


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I don't want to hijack the thread but I want to comment on the last post.

I hear all the time "Don't power wash your deck". That's wrong IMO. Yes someone with a big burly over the top 3000 psi power washer can destroy a deck if they don't know what they're doing. But you can use a 1500 psi unit and if used correctly there's nothing wrong at all with it. I've cleaned and refurbished many decks using my 1500 psi unit with the correct nozzle and they came out great and saved me a ton of time and work. Bottom line is that if they're used correctly there's nothing wrong with using a power washer on a deck.

John


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## outdoorexpert (Aug 3, 2009)

Well, if I were you, I would just buy new stuff in internetshop. For example: 
weatherwisevinyl. com
or some other site. I bought new, well made stuff and didn't have such problems, maybe it helps to you too.


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