Outdoor Stair Railing: How to Take the Right Measurements

Your deck is finally finished and it looks great, but you and the fam can't fully enjoy it safely until you get that railing up.  Almost all of the measurements are made, but those darn stairs are the tricky part.  You're not sure exactly what measurements you need to make or how to make them.  Sound familiar?  Don't worry, we hear this all the time; even from professionals.  Measuriing for outdoor stair railing can be tricky.  That's why we've put together the following guide below with step by step instructions to help you get it right.

 

Calculate The Stair Angle

1. Measure the rise/run of your stairs. 

• The rise is the vertical distance that your stairs cover.  You can measure 1 step from bottom to top (a) if your stairs are all a uniform height.  If not, measure the entire rise from the ground to the top of the top step (A). 

• The run is the horizontal distance that your stairs span.  Again, you can measure 1 step tread from front to back (b) if your stairs are uniform.  If not, measure from the bottom edge of the first step to the point on the ground under the edge of the top step (B). 

 

2) Plug the rise/run into an angle calculator.

 

Click the screenshot to go to the stair railing angle calculator

• No need to be overly complicated here and work out the trigonometry ourselves.  There are plenty of free tools online to calculate angles.  Try this one, which can be accessed through the web, or downloaded as an app.  Make sure to hit the angle button before entering the rise & run, then hit calculate.

Calculate The Stair Railing Length 

 

 1) Let Pythagoras Be Your Friend

 

• In the drawing above, the rise is the distance from the surface of your deck to the ground.  The run is roughly the distance from the spot on the ground where your railing post will be anchored to the spot on the ground under where your top railing post will be anchored.  That's a little different measurement then the rise & run in the angle calculation above.  The reason is that the length of the railing depends on where you set your posts.

• Remember in high school when you slept through geometry on the premise that you would never use it?  Well, think again.  Calculating the length of your stair railing actually is actually based on a fundamental relationship in geometry called the Pythagorean Theorem, which basically states (in terms of railing) that the squared length of your stair railing is equal to the squared rise of your stairs + the squared run of your stairs, or A^2 + B^2 = C^2. 
  
  For example,  suppose your rise & run (A & B in the drawing above, respectively) are 40" & 60".
  
  Then:  40^2 + 60^2 = C^2
  
  working through this problem gives us the following steps:
  
  1)  1600 + 3600 = C^2
  2) 5200 = C^2
  3) C = the square root of 5200
  4) C = 72.11 inches
  
  So the length of stair railing that you need is 72.11 inches.  Which brings us to another important point.  Since most outdoor stair railings come in whole sizes like 3ft., 4ft., 5ft., etc. what do you do when your measurment is between 2 sizes?  The answer is that you probably need to round up to the next size.  In this case though, .11 inches isn't very much and we could probably move our posts closer together by that much and stick with the 72" or 6' railing.

So, that's it.  it might seem like a lot of complicated steps, but it's actually pretty easy once you get started.  Of course, if you need help, you can always email us and we'll be happy to help you.

Once you have all of your measurements in hand, you're ready to order your outdoor railing system.  Check out the fantastic Westbury Aluminum Railing or Key-Link Aluminum Railing Systems  Both come in multiple styles, sizes, and colors and it's easy for do-it-yourself installers.

A Great Chain Link Fence Guide at DoItYourself.com

One of the subjects that we've been contemplating writing about is an introductory buying guide to chain link fence to help do-it-yourself installers.

While doing research on the topic to come up with ideas, we came across this great chain link article from DoItYourself.com which discusses most of what we would have wanted to write about.  In particular, it covers all aspects of chain link, including: wire fabric, framework, posts, fittings, and gate hardware.  It also discusses benefits and drawbacks to various steel gauges and coatings (ie. galvanized, aluminized, and pvc).  All in all, it is a thorough introduction into the finer points of chain link fencing.  So, rather than re-invent the wheel, we'll provide some of the articles key points below and recommend that you read it in its entirety if you are thinking of building a chain link fence.

Quick Takeaways from the DoItYourself.com article

• Don't choose a wire guage that is too light because it won't hold up to wear and tear
• Choose materials that, at the least, adhere to the minimum standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
• If you want to dress up your fence with color, choose pvc coated wire
• Match your gate framework and fabric to your fence.
• Choose high quality fittings to ensure better performance from your fence and gate.

What is a...Routed Fence System?

A routed fence system is one that uses pre-cut holes in the posts to hold the panels in place, instead of brackets and screws.  The holes, which are precisely machine cut into the posts to match each specific fence model, are depedent on the post's function; which means that there are different posts for lines, corners, ends, and gates.  The panels usually either snap into place, or are secured using lock rings, depending on the type of fence.  Contrast this with a bracketed system, where all of the posts are blank and brackets are screwed into the posts to hold the fence panel in place.

Illustration 1: A series of routed line posts for a 3 rail fence system.  

 

Illustration 2: Routed fence posts with panels inserted.

 

Why should I choose a routed fence? 

Of course, the fence you choose will depend on your specific needs, but in general routed systems offer several benefits that bracketed systems can't, including: no visible screws or brackets, typically a lower cost per foot due to reduced hardware requirements, and ease of assembly.

Buy a Routed Fence System Online

Bufftech Vinyl Fences
Regis Ornamental Aluminum Fences

Installing a Fence on a Slope - Option 1: Rackable Panels

A common question that homeowners and do it yourselfers have when planning a fence is "How do I install my fence on a slope". We talk briefly about this in our DIY Fence 101 Guide, but the number of inquiries that we receive on this subject means that we need to explore it a little deeper.

Rackable Pre-Assembled Fence Panels

Fencing a sloped yard can be one of the most challenging fence projects that a Do It Yourselfer, or a professional installer for that matter, can undertake. Luckily, many pre-fabricated fence panels, like ornamental aluminum, steel, and vinyl are designed to be Rackable, which makes the task much easier.

What is a rackable fence panel?

A rackable fence panel is a panel that can adjust to follow the slope of your yard. Whereas standard fence panels have a profile that is rectangular, with rails that run perpedicular to the pickets and posts, a rackable panel's profile looks more like a diamond.
The drawing below illustrates the difference between a standard ornamental fence panel and a panel that has been racked.  When installed on  a slope, the rails will still run parallel to the ground, but the pickets will no longer be perpendicular to the rails.

There is a limit to how far a rackable panel can adjust; which depends on the material, grade, manufacturer, and style.  For example, rackable ornamental aluminum and steel fence panels will typically rack between 20 and 30 degrees for residential grade

Signet Fence sells rackable, pre-fabricated vinyl and aluminum fencing online.  Below are the links to the product pages in our online store, as well as the amount of rack that you can expect from each fence type.
Rackable White Vinyl Privacy Fence - racks up to 7 inches per 8 foot section.  Can be installed on a slope of about 7 degrees.  Vinyl Panels can also be cut to enable further racking.
Rackable Residential Aluminum Fence - rack up to 20 inches per 6 foot section.  Can be installed on a slope of up to about 28 degrees.
Rackable Commercial Aluminum Fence - rack up to 8 inches per 8 foot section.  They can follow a slope of about 8 degrees.

Whatever fence material you choose, it should be a system that is pre-assembled from components as opposed to one that is cast or welded. Solid, one piece fence panels have no moving parts and cannot adjust to the angle of your hill without stairstepping, which we will cover in the next post.

Consult the fence manufacturer's documentation to see if a particular system racks enough to fit your needs before purchasing.