Railings St. Louis Trusts
“They did an amazing job”
“Kirkwood Fence is one of the best companies I have ever coordinated with. The staff is friendly and informative. Todd and his team were very knowledgeable and represented themselves with great pride and professionalism in their work. Communication was timely, installation was streamlined. Which all bear testament to the company’s reputation and standards. I highly recommend Kirkwood Fence.“
– Aarron H.
When designing our outdoor landscaping, whether it’s for your residential home or your commercial property, adding a railing can add an extra element to your landscaping, helping it to stand out. A lot of people do not consider railings as an aesthetic element to the outward appearance of their home or building, but railings add another dimension.
Now, there are both functional and aesthetic reasons to get a railing. Most people are familiar with the functional reasons, such as providing support when people are walking up the stairs or an added safety measure to prevent people from falling off a high surface. But from an aesthetic perspective, adding a railing can elevate your curb appeal landscaping. Here, we will walk through some of the major types of railings and why they are important to have!
Stair Handrails
From a functional perspective, adding railings to your stairs makes sense! When people are walking up or down the stairs, having a railing makes it easier to maintain balance, especially on stairs that are more narrow or smaller. Adding a railing also prevents people from falling over the side of the stairs, as the railing will prevent the fall. Aesthetically, adding a simple railing design can elevate the look of boring stairs.
Porch Railings
Functionally, adding a porch railing is not necessary, as porches tend to be lower to the ground. However, aesthetically, adding a railing to a porch can transform the look of your porch. You could add a low stone railing that can make your landscaping look much more sophisticated, or you could add a trellis-type railing that makes your landscaping look more dainty. Imagine a porch, where there is white and pink stone, with outdoor deck chairs and maybe a little garden. Now imagine how adding a railing could add some privacy and make your porch look even cozier and more welcoming!
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Access Ramp Railings
Access ramp railings are necessary from a functional perspective, as you want to increase all measures of safety for those who need to use the access ramp. In fact, depending on the height and slope of your access ramp railing, you may be required to install a railing. If your ramp is over 6” tall, legally, you must install a railing. The railing must be on both sides of the ramp, and the surface must be slip-resistant.
Choosing an Aesthetic
Wooden railings tend to have more of a homey feel, while steel railings tend to look more industrial. You can choose to add ornamentation to both your wood and metal railings, though you want to avoid too much ornamentation. Both classic and modern designs tend to focus on slight ornamentation, nothing too gaudy or too big. For wood railings, posts and caps will be the focus of the ornamentation. You can choose the size and style of your posts and caps to match the aesthetic that you want to have. If you want to be fancier, you can have lights installed under the caps, which can add a more modern, romantic feel.
Metal railings allow for more customization, compared to wood railings. You can change the panels, the rails, and almost all other aspects of the metal railing. You can choose to have horizontal or vertical panels, or even no panels at all! You can even change the color of the railing!
“I’m very happy with the results“
Kirkwood Fence was super easy to work with and everyone there was so friendly. The whole process went well and I’m very happy with the results. I will definitely recommend to friends and family.
– Alison T.