'American' Style Top / Lower Rail

Clear grade Western Red Cedar top / lower rail planed smooth on 4 surfaces with eased edges.

A popular method of constructing deck railing in North America is to attach 40 x 90mm top / lower rails between square newel posts and run a 40 x 140mm cap rail across the top of the posts. Square balusters are attached to the top / lower rails. The top of the baluster butts up to the underside of the cap rail and bottom of the balusters can be cut at 45º to give a more finished look.

There are a number of variations of this style using the same components but this method is easy to construct, very solid and sturdy and gives a clean contemporary appearance. The wide cap rail provides a flat surface that is great for resting drinks when entertaining on your deck.