Monday, November 26, 2012

Railings - Adding Safety And Style to Your Home!


What do balconies, staircases, decks, and viewing areas have in common? They all have railings. Without railings, these structures are not only bland and unmarked but downright dangerous. Railings are very important for high balconies and viewing areas, in particular. People often enjoy seeing as much as possible when they are at these high vantage points, and railings provide this for folks by allowing for a secure, safe area to lean on. Without railings, some more daring people may try to lean forward regardless of the danger, potentially causing grave harm to themselves.

Railings are important for staircases as well, but for a slightly different reason. The act of going up or down stairs can throw many people slightly off balance, so the presence of a railing both provides a handhold and also a straight line that the eye can follow up or down, aiding in maintaining balance. Unless they are very high up, railings are not as necessary for decks, safety-wise, unless the presence of small children is likely. In this case, the presence of a visible barrier can help kids stay on the deck.

Railings are also a very easy way to lend an architectural style and beauty to a structure or building. In fact, some cities are well known for their beautiful balcony railings, such as New Orleans stateside and Paris internationally. A building does not even have to have a balcony in order to benefit from the architectural beauty that railings can provide. False or "Juliet" balconies, so named after Juliet of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for the balcony she stood on while her lover courted her, are very narrow balconies that cannot reasonably fit an adult, but can provide a place to lean out of a window and keep flowerboxes. These balconies can have railings just as ornate or grandiose as those of full balconies.

Window railings are a further reduction of your standard balcony, and they are precisely what the name indicates-railings that go across the window at around chest height or lower, depending upon the proportions of the window. These too can easily lend interest and beauty to the appearance of a building. Deck railings are typically made of wood and limited, design-wise, to the capabilities of wood (unlike iron, which can be shaped into ornate designs including filigrees, flowers and vines). Sometimes iron can be combined with the wood to add extra visual interest.

Staircase railings can be either wood or iron, or other metals, or even glass, depending upon the designer. Since most staircases are located indoors, this makes choosing materials much easier-no need to consider the weather!

Showcase the Beauty of Your Deck by Using CAMO Hidden Fasteners   Outdoor Slipcovers, Make Your Patio Furniture Look New Again   Choosing the Right Deck Builder   Understanding Pressure Washing   



0 comments:

Post a Comment


Twitter Facebook Flickr RSS



Français Deutsch Italiano Português
Español 日本語 한국의 中国简体。