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vrooje · Mar 31, 2007, 08:25 AM

Hi,

The metal stair rails on our concrete front porch recently broke and we had to remove them.

I would very much prefer to replace them with wood rails, which I think are far more attractive.

However, looking around the neighborhood, I only see wood rails with wood patios and decks, and metal railings with concrete steps.

Is this just a coincidence or is there some reason I shouldn't install wood railings on concrete steps?

Kstar4u · Apr 1, 2007, 08:57 AM

It's possible that the weather in the area that you live may be a factor (snow, etc.) but if you install metal post/column bases in the concrete where your posts will be and hold the wooden post at least one inch up off the concrete... seal it good and you can pretty much build/design any wooden railing. It's important to keep a gap between the concrete and the wood posts. Not only does this help to prevent termites in the railing but it also prevents water from leeching up the post and damaging it. Be sure to seal the bottom of the post before you install it (you won't be able to do it later). You can use treated lumber for the posts but treated lumber doesn't usually have a smooth or sanded surface.