Porches say a lot about a house. You can even identify how old or new a house is by looking at the porch, especially at its porch railings.
It started during the late 1700s that porches became the main feature in American houses.
The word porch is from the French word “Porsche”, rooted from the Latin word “porticus”.
Porch railings enhance the look of your house exteriors. With your porch railings, you can establish the boundaries of the indoor and outdoor of your home.
Porch handrails, columns, and balusters give added curb appeal to your house.
That’s why a lot of homeowners consider a lot of designs when installing their porch railings.
Porch railings give added security to homes, unlike open porches.
If you have elevated porches, railings are important to prevent falling and accidents. This applies to pets, children, and adults alike.
Before you delve into a serious porch railing mindset, there are things to consider first.
Porch railing ideas are available anywhere but what is an important factor is what you need.
These considerations are key to achieving the perfect porch railing that can last.
What does your house look like? It’s best to choose a build and look for your porch railing design that complements your house. It will be odd to look at a house whose porch sticks out because the porch railings’ color is very different.
Pick the perfect size for your porch railings. It should not block your view when you look outside from your living room couch.
It should also complement the landscaping of your house. If you have bushes, flowers, or shrubs near it, it will add aesthetic if they look good together.
How much maintenance are you willing to give your railings? The type of material can affect how often you need to clean and maintain your porch railings.
The most important consideration for your porch railing is the material you will use.
This will affect the look of your porch as not all materials available might come in your desired color.
Other homeowners would like to enjoy viewing their landscaping from their porch.
Materials like glass panels give the most view while others can cause obstruction.
It’s important to choose the porch railing material that works best for you. We have listed the most popular choices for home porch railings available.
There are a lot of porch railing ideas you can consider when you use wood.
This is very popular for homeowners who want to DIY their porch railings. Special requests are also available at lumber shops for different styles and finishes.
The Technical Preservation Services of the National Park Service listed wood species materials. These were popular materials for porches and they considered workability, decay resistance, etc,.
TPS listed Redwood, Cedar, Cypress, and American Mahogany as excellent for damage resistance.
Eastern White Pine and American Mahogany have excellent material workability. Douglas Fir, Eastern White Pine, and Redwood have the best resistance to cupping.
Other features of wooden porch railings are:
Wooden balusters and railings are perfect for decorating to fit certain house designs. They are also customized by craftsmen before installation.
It needs more maintenance to prevent weather damage and termite attacks.
If maintained right, wood porch railings will last for more than ten years.
Glass porch railings or panels are suitable for modern homes. These can be expensive but are perfect if you have a good view to look at from your porch.
It’s also a good option for decks in vacation locations. This is also combined with metal or aluminum posts and rail frames.
For optimal safety and installation, it’s better to leave it to professional companies.
These are large, whole glass panels that need careful handling. Polishes are also needed for safety. Customization options include color tints and etchings.
Regular maintenance is a must to keep the glass panels in the best look and condition. This can last up to ten years or more if given care and maintenance.
Cable railings are one of the most durable among porch materials. You can choose to pair it with a wooden or metal frame.
Like glass panels, this can also provide an open design for viewing your surroundings.
Notable features of cable porch railings are:
This gives a unique horizontal railing arrangement. Perfect modern and minimalistic design for your porch!
The expensive cost is comparable to glass panels.
It requires less maintenance.
Wrought iron is a popular porch railing in New Orleans.
This showcases the architectural identity in our area with its modern appeal.
Other metal options are iron, steel, and aluminum porch railing.
This option is inexpensive and affordable for many homeowners.
Other advantages are:
You can choose to mix metal pickets with wooden railings or you can stick to metal railings.
Metal balusters are popular. They can come in various sizes, colors, and styles especially in the porch railing kits.
Easier to maintain. This porch railing material is not susceptible to warping, cracking, and rotting.
Durable in any weather as it does not corrode and rust.
Wrought iron porch railings can last the longest. A regular painting must be every one to five years to keep it in the best shape.
An aluminum porch railing can be powder coated to provide any color homeowners want.
These materials often come in porch railing kits for home installations. They can look like wood railings with more rot and decay resistance. They are costlier than the wooden materials in the market.
These are also other notable features of composite, vinyl or PVC porch railings:
It comes in many styles and colors. It can fit any design you would like.
Durable options need less maintenance but color fading can be an issue.
Highly resistant to excessive moisture. Pests cannot degrade your railings’ value as well.
Porch railings can spruce up any home. Once you have chosen the material that works for you, the value will increase for your property.
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