# Attaching wood railing to concrete porch



## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

I want to add a wood railing to my concrete porch for safety. The porch has 4 brick pillars that the railings need to attach to; they are 7', 6' & 7' apart and the last leg of the porch is 4' 6" and goes from last brick pillar to the cedar siding of the house. I plan on mimicking the railing currently on the kitchen porch which looks like it's just 2x6's for the top and bottom, 2x2 balusters and 2x2's sandwiching those balusters top and bottom.

How exactly do I attach the railings to the brick pillars? Is it necessary to attach the railing to the concrete floor too? If so, how?


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

anuvanoob said:


> -------- I plan on mimicking the railing currently on the kitchen porch -------


Pictures Please


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## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

The kitchen porch railing. Its actually 1x2's that sandwich the balusters, top and bottom










The front porch where I want to add a railing.


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

Use an L bracket with tapcon screws into brick or concrete. Looks like 36" up might be above bricks


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## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

Hmmm... I was hoping that wasn't the only solution. Is there another more aesthetically pleasing where brackets aren't visible?


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

It would be under 2x6 and you said there would be 2x2 on each side of 2x6 so it will tuck right up in there. Would be really hard to see. You could just toe nail tapcons screws in but you have more of a chance of breaking brick.

you can also spray paint bracket


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Go with vinyl railings or better yet composite railings instead.
Use Tap-Con's to attach them to the columns.


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## chitownken (Nov 22, 2012)

You could get creative with Red Head Wedge Anchors and cross drill the 2X6 like you would for a stair railing -> baluster connection. Would be completely hidden, but no way to ever take it apart again.


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

The bottom of your porch rail is a pool for rain water. A better way to build it would be to make the railing out of 2x4 on the ground. screw balusters in through 2x4. Then attach 2x6 to top and bottom of 2x4. Will give a simular look.


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## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

JustinK said:


> The bottom of your porch rail is a pool for rain water. A better way to build it would be to make the railing out of 2x4 on the ground. screw balusters in through 2x4. Then attach 2x6 to top and bottom of 2x4. Will give a simular look.


Good point about pooling with my design. With your proposed design, what do you mean exactly by "make the railing of of 2x4 on the ground"? And "screw balusters in through 2x4"? The 2x4 takes the place of the 1x2's? With the 3 1/2 positioned vertically?


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

By ground I mean make the railing on the porch floor or workshop. You can not build it in place because you need to attach balusters by putting a screw through the 1 1/2 inch width of 2x4 into baluster. You cant do that for the bottom with porch floor in way. Look at the picture and you will see which way to turn 2x4. They didnt use a bottom 2x6 because their post is only 4x4. It is up to you if you want too.


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## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

Ooooooh, I see. Yes, that is a smarter design and still similar to the kitchen porch's railing. Is a 4x4 post necessary with the 7 to 8 foot railings? If so, is there a way around that (again, for aesthetic reasons... I don't want the railings to be busy or distracting from the house itself)?


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

You are pushing the limits for the span but only from sagging. You can add a short piece of baluster from the porch floor to bottom rail in middle if it starts to sag.


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## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

Ya, I saw that on a couple of example pictures; how do I do that exactly?


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

Just screw in from the top of 2x4. If there is a baluster there then angle the screw one from each side. Countersink and use wood filler if your worried about seeing screw head. 
If you want to get fancy your can use 3/4 drill bit and drill through baluster stop 1.5" before end. pre drill hole for screw and attach from bottom before you install railing. Railing should less than 4"off porch floor by code.


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## anuvanoob (Nov 14, 2011)

Thank you so much for all your help!


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

2 1/2" is what I put bottom rail height off deck/floor. use the same stock as the bottom rail and cut 2 1/2" blocks out of it, three for each rail adding the third to the middle. in that situation how historic homes have the rail connected is they drilled two holes a few inches up and down from rails into the brick ( positioned behind picket) and and plugged the hole with wood. they then set rail and nailed through picket into the wood plugs. the best way I've seen with decoration under top rail is to use cpvc 440 or 444 colonial casing butted up tight to underside and tacked to each picket, nothing on the bottom so it does not catch and hold water.


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