Choosing and fitting a balustrade for your decking

With people spending so much time at home since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a huge spike in customers looking for decking for their outside area.

 Many of our customers come to us because we are able to supply a wide range of balustrades for their decking area. ‘Balustrade’ is just another word for railing, and it’s a very important design feature that mustn’t be overlooked when considering your decking. Done right, a stylish balustrade makes the decking area feel like an enclosed space – almost like its own room. It can also create extra privacy too.

 Not only is it an important design consideration, but adding decking balustrade also provides a much-needed safety feature to prevent falls. This is especially important if the decking is up off the ground and/or you have children or animals or elderly residents to consider.

 Balustrade can be made of stainless steel, metal, pressure-treated wood or even stone, so there are plenty of weather-resistant solutions for outdoor use. As part of the design process, you will need to consider which material best suits your purpose. While wood might be the obvious choice, a stainless-steel balustrade adds a really stylish element that gives the whole decking area a real hint of class. 

 We are finding that more and more customers are choosing either stainless steel or glass railings, because they look so sleek and modern on decking. (If you choose glass, you’ll get the added benefit of being able to see through it – so that you really make the most of your surrounding views!).

 In order to fit balustrade around your decking, you will need to measure the outside edge of the decking (taking into account any steps if you have those too). Make a note of these measurements when talking to your supplier so that they are able to give you an accurate estimate of what your chosen balustrade will cost.

 You’ll need to decide on the measurement of the gap that you want between the railings or spindles too, as well as the height, so give this some thought.

 You can either choose to fit the balustrade yourself or instead ask a professional to do it. If you’re doing it yourself then bear in mind that you will need a well-equipped toolkit that includes a hammer, a spirit level, a tape measure, a drill, a saw or jigsaw and a screwdriver. It’s not a job for a beginner either, so if you feel it’s outside your comfort zone as a carpenter then it’s probably wiser to book a professional to install them for you.

 At Blue Cube Fabrication we manufacture and install quality balustrades that suit everything from the traditional country home right through to the most contemporary, modern property. Give us a call today to find out more.