I am replacing my railing. At first, I was sold on vinyl, but today I was at Lowes/Ziggys and I think I like the powdered aluminum railings better.
The salesmen at both stores said aluminum will last longer, and the price is probably $50 more or less.
Does anyone have aluminum and do you like it?
Is anyone sold on vinyl?
Any feedback would be great.
Thanks.
Kate
Where is the installation?
Depending on the environmental conditions vinyl might be better than aluminum but could be reserved as well.
cheers Bob
I am replacing my redwood deck, at my front door, with concrete. After the concrete settles for about two weeks, I plan on installing the new railing. The entire area is covered overhead.
I live in central WA state and it gets up to 105 during the summer months, sometimes, and as cold as -10 which is rare.
Thanks.
I've not seen it, but I'd have to think that 10 years from now, the aluminum would be looking better. That is not to say the vinyl would be falling apart, siding last for 40 years or more, but it can get dull.
Is this an outside railing? Will it be in the sun. Aluminum can get very hot in the sun.
Are they vinyl or PVC? I have Sherline PVC railings with an aluminum I-beam inside the top rail. They are quite sturdy with a nice fastening system and very easy to clean. There are big differences in the strength of plastic railings as the price goes up.
Aluminum and vinyl are pretty flimsy, wont take much of a hit, dent, bend, sounds like you could fall right through them, wood or steel have strength. But I havnt seen the aluminum, aluminum is probably more expensive than steel, you are pulling a permit, ask the inspector what he thinks and what is "Allowed", stores sell what they have and not what is best. I use wood or steel.
We need more information. Is this a railing that will prevent someone from falling over an edge and from a height? Or just one that is hand high, and on the ground? You want to make it so that the stupidest clumsiest person in the world could not fall over it or through it, or some lardass teenager lean on it and do a half gainer down to the driveway. I would do ornamental metal, but that's what I'd do. I don't like vinyl, as it cracks in cold weather, and the same amount of aluminum would be about 3x the money, regardless of what the salesman says, unless you're using some cheap thin aluminum.
Do it right if means someone's life is depending on it.
steve
Hi, I have a length of Al railing on my back porch and Vinyl fence. Did not need anything to do with Al. Replaced couple sections of fence due to cracking. Al. is more solid for sure.
In those conditions I'd use either depending on how sturdy each proposed product will be for the intended use. I've see the full range of aluminum or vinyl fences, gates & patio covers; from super strong to real junk.
Wood is hard to beat for strength & stiffness, maintenance is an issue though :(
For aluminum I was concerned about a seaside or very damp environment.
"after the concrete settles" ???????
concrete properly designed & placed should stay just were it was put
I hope the person responsible for the design & construction has worked out the "deck to railing" connections. They are usually best cast in place as opposed to a subsequent bolt on arrangement.
cheers Bob
All other things being equal, aluminum will last longer. Irrigation pipe is made of a typical aluminum alloy, sees very harsh conditions, and usually lasts longer than its owner.
Then there's the issue of thickness and cross-section size. See if you can get to an actual installation and have a strong person really manhandle it.
Occasionally you hear corrosion rumors about aluminum in conctact with certain types of concrete, but if the aluminum is coated, I doubt that will be an issue.
Kate wrote in news:h7fo4s$pqc$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal- september.org:
We have aluminum railings with glass inserts - getting to end of third year now. The aluminum is great for sturdiness with no signs of corrosion - bolred to pressure treated wood decks and along a concrete retaining wall. The aluminum has a few small dents where it was bumped with shovels or something during moving time. PVC wouldn't dent but it could get black mould stains if you it is in the shade and damp - mould can't be cleaned out of PVC if it gets deep into the plastic. If the railing is high and dry and in the sun it won't mould but it may get stains from other sources such as tree sap.
The aluminum did need a few shots of silicon caulk to solve rattle noise from vibrations but it has been quiet for two years now.
We are in central Canada where it gets down to minus 35 and up to 90 degrees with lots of snow and rain.
That is exactly what I am thinking. My neighbors installed a vinyl picket fence six years ago. It is dull, and rough to the touch.
Many thanks.
It is under cover for the most part, but the sun will be hitting it for about six hours a day. It isn't something that will really be touched.
The brochure I have says it is called, "Regal Aluminum Railings". It is powder coated. Is this the info. you asked for?
Thanks for the info. The ones I am interested in are made of powder ocated aluminum. I saw them at Lowes/Ziggys Sunday, and they are quite strong. Like you said, the salesman did not recommend vinyl as it is alittle flimsy, and would not take much of a hit.
This deck is to the left of my front door. It is very small and holds a bench and table. Without a railing, one could jump off of it easily. It is not very tall. I am basically just "dressing up" the area. Code says I don't even need a railing. I just like the looks.
Thanks. Just the info. I was looking for.
I should have said, "after the concrete cures". It is my understanding that the concrete should cure before drilling holes into it to secure the new railing.
I had a redwood deck before, as well as a wood railing. I am just trying to keep things simple which is why I am interested in the aluminum or vinyl.
I did not want to cast the raining in place with concrete, just in case I ever needed to replace it. I felt that the type of railing that is bolted in place, and covered with a nice cap, would do the trick.
This newsgroup is awesome.
I saw quite a good portion of this railing already installed as a demo at Ziggys. It was very sturdy, and this is the one reason I am considering it. They had a vinyl display next to it, and it had quite a bit of give. I would not hesitate using vinyl for a privacy fence, but for a small deck railing, I have my doubts.
Yes, the aluminum is powder coated, and made by Regal.
Thanks for the feedback.
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