Deck Railing Post Spacing Code
The international building code mandates that guardrails must be able to sustain a 200 pound force at the mid span between posts without excessive deflective.
Deck railing post spacing code. To ensure your system performs as well as designed be sure to space structural posts 4ft apart center to center. Use the longest pieces available with a continuous length for each side of the deck if possible. Building code requires support posts for the rail structure to be no further apart than 6 feet on a deck with 4 4 deck rail posts and no more than 8 feet apart for. To meet code standards the railings that span from post to post should be as sturdy as the posts themselves.
The size of the deck directly affects the spacing of the support posts. These deck railing height diagrams are a great reference for your design and building portfolio. Minimal nominal 1 thick riser material. Given that a deck railing s purpose is to prevent people from falling off of it it s critical to have proper deck railing post spacing to ensure your deck is safe.
To achieve this you should space rail posts no greater than 6 apart. To ensure safety individual communities in the united states regulate certain aspects. To make sure your baluster spacing is up to code follow the best practice to include three balusters for every foot of railing. We have also created separate illustrations for residential guards for the usa and canada depending on where you live.
While a 16 foot by 16 foot backyard deck for recreational purposes such as an outdoor kitchen and general lounging may only require deck posts spaced every 7 feet a larger deck may require that the spacing be narrowed down to within 5 feet. Handrails are required for stairs and must meet standards as specified by r311 5 6 3 in the irc code. Balusters and in fill rails must sustain a minimum testing force of 125 pounds over a 1 square foot area. Maximum nosing of 0 75 to 1 25 maximum nosing radius of 9 16 open risers.
Maximum 18 oc notched stringer spacing for 2 or 5 4 thick treads. To achieve the necessary strength it s best to use at least 2 6 railing either flat or vertical. What is proper post spacing. Building codes for deck railing.
If you re using a wood post system you ll need a structural post every 8ft with intermediate non load bearing posts spaced every 4ft between structural posts. They include the actual height of the rail above the deck the height above grade when a guardrail is required and important baluster spacing dimensions. This will ensure that they are placed no more than 4 inches apart although spindles can be placed from the center point but not to exceed a 4 inch gap depending on the aesthetic you want to achieve. Deck building code tips.
A deck with no or inadequate railings is an accident waiting to happen. The sweep space between the deck surface and the bottom rail must be less than 4.