Mount Deck Rail Posts
Notching posts over the band board, staging the carriage bolts so plumb survives tightening, and blocking so the rail takes a real lateral load.
Build a 42-Inch Deck Rail With Receiver-Mounted Balusters
For a 42-inch rail height (required here because the property is a rental), cut the posts to 40-1/2 so the top cap brings it to 42, screw baluster receivers to the centerline of the top and bottom rails on a 4-inch layout, and sandwich 36-inch balusters between the two rails before fastening to the posts with pocket screws.
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The Problem
Rail height and baluster spacing are both code numbers, and the parts have to add up to them: this deck is on a rental property, where the local requirement is 42 inches instead of a typical deck's 36. The stack of post, rails, balusters, and cap has to hit that number exactly.
The Technique
- Work the stack backward from the required height. Here: posts cut at 40-1/2", plus a top cap plate, lands the rail at 42". Stock 36" balusters fit inside that with the top and bottom rails.
- Lay out baluster positions every 4 inches along the bottom rail, and transfer the same marks to the top rail so the two match.
- Screw a receiver at each mark, centered on the width of the rail board, on both rails.
- Sandwich the balusters: set each one onto its bottom receiver, then bring the top rail down over the tops — fiddly for a moment, not terrible — so every baluster is captured top and bottom.
- Fasten the assembled section to the posts through the pocket holes drilled in the rail ends.
Safety note: Rail height (36"
residential in much of the US, 42" for many rental/commercial situations)
and the 4-inch-sphere baluster gap are code items — confirm your
jurisdiction's numbers before cutting posts. The posts themselves must be
mounted to resist a lateral load; see the companion tip on
mounting the rail posts.
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