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.

Getting Lawn Equipment and Garden Tools Ready for Winter

Waking up this morning and seeing the first frost on the ground was a great reminder that winter is just around the corner. And, while it isn't quite time to put everything away just yet, it is a good time to start winterizing some of the equipment that you aren't likely to use for the rest of the season.  That includes power equipment like lawn mowers and weed trimmers, as well as tools like shovels, hedge clippers, and post hole diggers.   Winterizing lawn and garden equipment doesn't take very long and is a great way to ensure that tools remain usable for years.

Below are a few tips for winterizing your lawn & garden equipment

Lawn mowers and other fuel powered equipment

• Sharpen all blades
• Dump or run out the old gas
• Change the oil
• Grease all fittings

Shovels, rakes, cultivators, and other tools

• Soak to soften caked on dirt then brush it off
• Sand any rust spots & coat metal with cooking oil to prevent further rust
• Drain and coil garden hoses
• Store in a dry place like a shed or garage

Plus: Here's a link to a 60 second radio spot with some more tips from Bob Vila on Fall Equipment Prep

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.

Featured Projects: Delightful Gardens Delights Customers with Great Design and Westbury Aluminum Railing

Our featured customer projects this month are from Delightful Gardens Landscape Company, a design and build firm that has served Williamsburgh, VA and surrounding areas for over 20 years.  Company Owner Don Newsom was kind enough to share some recent examples of their work with us. Check out the awesome pictures below.

Project 1: A Low Maintenance Design

Description: Composite decking materials, PVC trim, and Westbury Aluminum Railing were used to meet the customer's primary goal of reducing maintenance.  He considered PVC railing and composite railing, but eventually settled on the Westbury based on appearance and cost.

 Before:

After:

Project 2: A Well Connected Design
Description: This project was designed by Delightful Gardens to provide a sense of connection between the elevated first floor of the house and the garden below.  Planters and Westbury Aluminum Railing were used to maintain the view of the lake from the deck and from inside the house.

Before:

After: 

Project 3: Creating an Outdoor Room
Description:  Don and his team used Westbury Railing to provide a sense of space and dimension on the deck without cutting off the view of the adjacent patio and landscape.

Photos Compliments of:

Delightful Gardens
7242 Merrimac Trail
Williamsburgh, VA 23185
(757) 345-0123

If you are a Do-It-Yourself or professional customer that would like to showcase your fence or railing project on our blog, send us an email with pictures and a description of the project to info (at) signetfence.com.

Hiring a Fence Contractor. Tips to Protect Yourself from Scammers.

It's inevitable.  Every time there's a slowdown in the economy, or a natural disaster, the number of people looking to take advantage of others seems to increase exponentially.  Lately, we've been reading a lot of stories about criminals posing as legitimate contractors, taking payment for fence installations, and then never showing up to do the work.  The vast majority of contractors are honest, hard working people just trying to make a living; but, just like in any industry, a few bad seeds make life harder for the rest.

Photo from istockphoto.com.

That's why its so important to know who you're hiring and to take steps, like the following, to minimize your risk. 

1. Ask for proof of insurace - Liability and workers comp. insurance are required for any above-board contracting company.  If the contractor doesn't have workers comp insurance, you could be liable for any injuries that happen to them or their crew.
2. Never pay in full up front.  In fact, if you're contractor suggests this...Run!  But, it is common for contractors to ask for half up front and the remainder on completion.  They do this because the materials are usually half the cost of installation and they figure that if you stiff them, at least they can cover that expense.  Depending on the contractor, you may be able to negotiate that down to 1/4 up front.  Remember, the less you pay at the beginning, the less risk is involved for you.  However, don't pass on a well respected contractor just because they ask for half up front. 
3. The best way to find a great fence installer, or any contractor for that matter, is to get a referral from friends and family, or find them through an online review site like angieslist.com or localpages.com.  Often the best contractors don't have big sales teams or spend thousands on flashy advertisements;  they know their work speaks for itself and a steady flow of referral traffic keeps them busy. 
4. Buy your materials separately.  If your contractor is demanding half up front, order your materials online and have them delivered to your home, so that you are only handing over half of the labor costs.  But be careful, some contractors won't install materials that you haven't purchased directly from them.
5. Don't automatically choose the least expensive estimate.  Grandma always said that "you get what you pay for".  Often, the contractors that give the lowest estimates are able to do so for a reason.  Either they are using inferior materials, cutting corners in the installation, or lack experience and are trying to build a reputation.  Every once in a while, you get lucky and find a great contractor at the best price.  Just make sure that you've done your homework first.

Our New Clearance Fence Section Is Live

Our new clearance fence section is now live and we're kicking it off with huge savings on an overstock 209 ft. commercial grade Regis 4233 fence system.  We'll continue to add deals every week, so keep your eyes peeled because we only have a limited number of most clearance items.

Arched Fences and Gates

If you want to add a little flair to your fence design, get non-linear with arches.  Arched fence panels and gates can break up the continuity of your fence line and give it a more dynamic and customized look, particularly if there are an abundance of straight-rail fences in your neighborhood.

Arches can be a fun and informal way to add a little personality to your fence.... 

(Fences from left to right: Bufftech New Lexington w/ S-Curve Panel, Bufftech Danbury Concave, Regis 3230 w/ Arch Gate)

Or They Can Be A GRAND Way To Enhance The Elegance Of Your Estate Gate. 

(Above: Regis Designer Arch Gate w/ Puppy Pickets and Gold Quad Finials)

We sell a wide variety of Arched Fence Panels and Estate Gates.  If you would like more information, email us and one of our fence pros will be happy to help you.