Install front railing

Building the segments myself meant I could fine-tune the cost to exactly the dimensions allowed by our porch, and this porch railing method yielded the cheapest outcome. The downside was that more labor would be involved with installing the porch railings; however, I was never the one to back down from some good old hard work. I measured the distances between my porch posts then off we went to Home Depot. We putzed around looking at porch railing posts and found a style we liked.

Then we looked at the handrails. We technically could have just gone with a 2 x 4 for the handrail, but we wanted a little more pizzazz. Ultimately, we went with a handrail with some decorated grooves, and it came with slots for the rail posts, eliminating the need for me to space the posts out myself.

Before leaving the store, I picked up some galvanized L brackets to attach the handrails to the porch railing posts, and some 2 x 4s to serve as a base for the railings. With the porch railing materials ready to go and a free weekend ahead, I was ready to start installing the wood porch railings. Two of the longer wooden segments faced the street, while a short segment on the side connected the masonry wall to the end post.

Porch railing construction was fairly simple. I used exterior deck screws to attach the handrail to the railing posts, and the pre-cut slots in the handrail on the individual posts definitely sped things up. See the picture below of our porch railing install:. These feet were attached to the bottom of each porch post, and the segments would rest on them.

The bottoms were secured to the 2 x 4 feet, and the handrails were secured using L brackets to the porch posts. The short side of the wood porch railing segment took a little more time due to a wood-to-brick mount required. My solution was to bolt a piece of 2 x 4 to the brick wall and attach the porch railing segment to that. It would act just like the opposite end of the segment where the porch post was. I had tried using masonry nails but they started chipping the sides of the bricks.

Then I remembered the very first drill I bought was a hammer drill! I was naive at the time, and it sounded cool and looked awesome. So I had bought the largest drill in the store. Of course, now, I am wiser and know that hammer drills when the hammer mode is engaged repeatedly, driving the bit back and forth against the surface to help penetrate really tough surfaces like masonry.

Unfortunately, I did not have any masonry bits so had to run back out to Home Depot to pick some up. Regular wood bits would fail pitifully against a hard surface such as brick. I was excited to try out my hammer drill for its actual purpose. I got back home with my new masonry bits and pounded away at the wall. It sounded like a jackhammer, but it got the job done very neatly and quickly.

I bored some holes through the 2 x 4 straight into the wall and used some screws to make a secure connection. Now I had a wooden mounting point for the porch railing segment. One minor task remained, and that was to drill out a small hole at the bottom edge of the 2 x 4 mount for some existing coaxial cable to run through. After installing the wooden porch railings, the last step of the project was the painting. This was actually the most labor intensive part.

I had to paint each individual railing post and it felt like it took forever with a brush. Eileen normally does all of the painting on our projects, and since she was pregnant, I had to do it myself. Painting the wood porch railings would have went so quickly with a paint sprayer, but I did not have one of those.

Slowly though, the final picture started to take shape. I even repainted all the porch posts to make them pop with the railings. Not only did the front porch railings enhance the aesthetics, but they were also very functional.

We started spending a lot more time on the front porch, as the railings gave us a little more privacy and also served as a wonderful enclosure for our dog Zeus. We simply sat at the open end, and Zeus could be free to run back and forth within the confines of the front porch.

The difference was incredible — and the cost of the update was beyond reasonable. Our home got a nice upgrade with the fresh paint and front porch railings. It definitely boosted our curb appeal in a neighborhood of similar-looking houses.

We were thrilled with how nice the front porch makeover looked, and so was our realtor when the time came to put the house on the market. Check out how we sold our house in less than a week! Your porch with the new railings looks so nice. Love your landscaping too. Be a sweetie, Shelia. It looks a thousand times better!

Thanks for joining our party — I love reading about all your projects! Cheers, Kate xx. This project made a big difference in the appearance of your home.

The railings define the space and give a more finished look to your porch. Yours is very nice and has convinced me that we should go ahead with it. Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, have a great week. Thanks, Sandra!

The porch railings worked really well for us: We had a small townhome without much privacy. The railings added privacy and also made our home stand out amid all the similar townhomes. Those porch railings and the white paint make a HUGE difference in your curb appeal! I love it when form meets function to create a fantastic space.

Thanks so much for sharing at the happynowlinkup! That was a very nice uplift for the front of your home. The railings look great and if there are ever little ones around it will keep them from falling into the garden. A safer place to play for sure. Nicely done. Great to be here on the Blog Hop!

Thanks Olivia! Just added so much more to your curb appeal and I am sure made the porch feel more cozy for enjoying. Love it. That is why your insurance company is so eager to make sure that you have a front step railing installed. Whether you experience wintery weather or not, having a railing to grab onto eases people's entrance into your home, especially for the elderly.

We have a complete line of simple to install railings called Simple Rail. Each kit is a bit different depending on the structure of your step and what look you prefer. When you find the railing you want, simply specify the length of the grab rail and you're on your way to installing a railing for your home or business. Most railings require a few simple steps to install, and we have had customers comment again and again at how easy it is to install a Simple Rail railing ket.

You can click here to watch a few installation videos. This railing was installed directly into concrete, and then painted to match the house. William, from California, called it "stealth handrail" because it blended so well into the house and it's surroundings. This particular paint job was done by the owner himself, but if you desire we can supply the railing to you pre-painted additional cost. Like this project? Now building a simple handrail is even easier! Constructed with Kee Klamp fittings, Simple Rail handrails are durable and easy to install.

Our experts will help you select the items you need to create your project. Browse Simple Rail Kits. Projects Railing Simple Rail. This project is awesome!