Material Choices for Railing Posts

Railing posts are available in every material imaginable, allowing you to select similar materials for the entire railing system, or simply mix and match for a more interesting look.

Popular Material Choices for Railing Posts

Brass railing posts are a popular choice because of their beautiful color and longevity. Brass is available in a number of finish colors, allowing you to match existing hardware fixtures or select an altogether different look. When selecting brass railing posts, be sure to select brass with a durable lacquer, ensuring that your brass stays beautiful. The oils from hands can cause raw brass to discolor quickly and unevenly, making lacquered brass handrails a must.

For those who want easily maintainable railing poles, consider selecting ones made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is far stronger than regular steel, and can be polished to a chrome-like finish. The beautiful silvery color of stainless steel makes it a very versatile material, allowing it to be combined with other railing materials for an interesting affect.

In fact, railings made of a variety of materials have gained popularity in recent years. As a result, railing posts of any material can be easily combined with another handrail material without seeming out of place. Wood handrails look wonderful with stainless steel and brass railing poles, allowing the diverse combination of materials to complement one another. Railing poles can be spaced close together for safety's sake or spaced wide apart for a less intrusive look.

handrails are made from various materials

Some homeowners may not give proper attention to handrails but this tiny detail in your deck railing also has a big contribution to the overall functionality and style of the deck. Handrails are purposely designed to provide safety to homeowners as they climb to the deck. Apart from this, they also provide greater style to the deck and railings as well. You can easily find a handrail that covers both style and functionality without compromising its cost. With the advent of technology today and the gaining popularity of deck and outdoor living, manufacturers have found ways to let ordinary people afford the elegant and functional handrails and other deck components.



Today, handrails are made from various materials so you can have the freedom to choose of a handrail that would blend with your personal style and your needs as well. Some of the materials used on handrails today include wood, iron, steel and aluminum. All these offer many advantages so you just need to properly and meticulously study all these materials in order to reap the best benefits.

In the early days, handrails are only made from simple pieces so they are often ignored by many, giving greater importance on the appearance of the deck and railings. They are just simple pieces of pipes that are installed next to the walls, stairs, and ramps. But today, you can find handrails that are made from steel, wrought iron, aluminum, wood. Apart from this, handrails of today are elaborately designed. Homeowners can now choose from the excellent array of designs and materials of handrails. Even contractors and architects can help you find the best design in order to complete the look and feel of your stairs.

For those who are still novice when it comes to choosing the handrails whether for stairs, balconies and other applications, there are some considerations or factors that one has to know including the local regulation, cost, maintenance, design and a lot more. To know the codes of your area, you may consult to the accessibility standards that are included in the Americans With Disabilities Act or the ADA for the stairs and ramps. In most cases, the recommended dimension of the handrail is already included and the height should be between 34" and 38".

Handrails today are offered in steel, brass, glass, wood, banister and balustrades. Some actually prefer to use handrails that are made of metal while others want to have a more elaborate design such as the ones made from glass, iron and wrought iron. Meanwhile, the balustrades were once made from concrete and the cut stone are now made from materials that are light weight.

The metal handrails are preferred by homeowners who want their handrails to last a lifetime. You must know that wood and glass may easily break or succumb to damage. And the wrought iron can be relatively expensive and may need regular maintenance so this is not a practical choice.

As a conclusion, handrails must be durable and attractive enough so you can achieve full satisfaction.