It is all well and good wanting the perfect railing designs in your home and garden, but it is absolutely essential that you follow the safety instructions to the very last letter.

There are safety codes which state exactly what you can and cannot do and you really do need to follow these in order to prevent an accident. The regulations are not just there to protect you; they are there to protect anybody who steps foot onto the deck including your friends and family.

The Main Safety Points to Remember

The main thing to bear in mind is that all decks need railings. It is absolutely essential otherwise people could fall and injure themselves. As for the height of the railings, each area will have its own restrictions and it is important that they are high enough to protect the people within the deck, and low enough to hold onto.

Most codes state that if your deck is over three feet away from the next horizontal surface, you are going to need some form of protection in case of a fall. Some homeowners choose to include a wall for this but it can be expensive and it does not always work.

Deck railings not only provide safety, but they also look good too. This means that there is even more reason to include them in your decking. It is important to remember that there is a code for each different type of material you could use and the height restrictions are different with each material. Generally though, the height should never usually be less than 30 inches.

When constructing the deck railings, it is important to note that the code also includes the space that you can place the posts. For example, it is generally important that the posts are not placed too far apart as a child would be able to easily slip through and injure themselves. Really it just takes a little common sense but you need to ensure that your railings abide by the code.

Always check with your local state officials as to what the codes are within your area, that way you will avoid any hefty fines and you will have a peace of mind that you are following regulations. If you simply go ahead and build the railings and deck without checking the regulations first you not only get faced with a fine, but you also will have to take down the railings which will be a complete waste of your hard work.

So, always read the regulations and follow them to the very last letter!