Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
EASY STEPS TO BUILD YOUR NEW BALUSTRADE AND GATE
Up the safety factor on your deck by replacing a rotten balustrade and building a matching gate that doesn’t open onto the stairs. Paint all your balustrading and gate in a new colour scheme to suit the refreshed look of the deck.
Gather your supplies
• Bottom rail 66 x 42mm profiled primed treated pine
• Pickets 68 x 18mm primed treated pine
• Handrail 85 x 42mm profiled primed treated pine
• Gate frame 90 x 35mm H3 treated pine
• Self-closing gate hinges
• Gate latch
You’ll also need Drill; tape measure; mitre saw; long 4mm drill bit; countersinking drill bit; 75, 60 and 40mm galvanised screws; clamps; spirit level; nail gun and 32mm galvanised nails; 150mm galvanised batten screws; exterior paint in chosen colours; painting gear; 40mm galvanised hex head screws; epoxy filler; exterior timber filler; sandpaper; acrylic gap filler
For you to note
Treat all cut ends of primed treated pine using wood preservative, then seal with paint prior to installation.
Here’s how
STEP 1 Remove the existing balustrade. This is best done by unscrewing from posts and removing as one piece.
STEP 2 Measure between deck posts to find length of your bottom rail. Cut to size with mitre saw. Position rail between posts and sit on 50mm thick timber blocks. Predrill on an angle through rail and into post using a long 4mm drill bit. Use 75mm screws to screw together.
STEP 3 Measure and cut handrail. Cut 2 pickets (1 for each end) to sit temporarily on bottom rail and fit into channel of handrail, the top of which must be 1 metre from deck. Clamp pickets to posts and sit handrail on top.
STEP 4 Predrill on an angle through underside of handrail into post, then screw together with 75mm screws.
STEP 5 To determine gap between pickets, decide on a nominal gap, say 55mm. Add this to width of a picket then divide this number into distance between posts, less the nominal gap. This will give you the number of pickets needed and from there you can calculate how big the gap will actually be across this section of balustrade between posts, here 52mm. Cut spacing block to this width.
STEP 6 Cut pickets to length. Place first picket in channel of handrail and sit on bottom rail. Use spacing block between channel and post. Use spirit level to make plumb, then nail through picket into top and bottom rail using nail gun.
STEP 7 Continue installing pickets, using spacing block. Occasionally check they are plumb and spacing is OK so last gap won’t be too small.
BUILD A GATE
STEP 8 Measure opening for gate between posts for gate frame. Measure at top, middle and bottom of opening to find the smallest measurement.
Also measure height of your opening, ensuring top of gate will match adjacent handrail with sufficient clearance under to open, allowing for pickets to finish 30mm below frame.