Wood Railing

Wood railings are a common feature on decks - but you can set your wood railing apart from the rest by adding distinctive balusters, post caps, or lighting.

We carry a wide range of balusters that are perfect for upgrading a worn-out wood railing. Whether you want decorative face-mount balusters, sleek round or square options, or even stunning glass balusters, you can browse our options and call our team at 1-888-824-5316 to learn more about how they’d fit in your current wood railing setup.

Post caps are a brilliant way to give your traditional wood railing some new flair. We’ve got wood and metal options, including lighted post caps to extend the usable hours you’ve got on your deck.

That’s only the beginning when it comes to lighting options. Spice up your wood deck railing with a sparkling lighting plan, including lights mounted on posts, under rails, or in your deck stairs.

Wood deck railing is made up of (1) rails, (2) posts, and (3) infill, as shown below:

Rails are the long, horizontal beams - most wood railing systems will have a top rail and a bottom rail. Posts are the thick, vertical pieces that give your railing strength. Posts and rails create a square or rectangle; infill sits inside that square or rectangle. Infill can be wood or aluminum balusters - smaller, vertical bars parallel to your posts. But railing can also use mesh panels, glass balusters, glass panels, or metal cables as infill.

Yes! Wood rails and posts with sleek metal infill makes for a classic deck railing that blends the traditional and the modern. Vista’s Wood Deck Railing Kits feature a beautiful blend of wood and metal, or you can browse our baluster options to pair with your existing wood railing.

Not always - some wood railings will have holes drilled or grooves cut in top and bottom rails to fit balusters. Metal panels from Wild Hog can install into grooves in wood, or into Hog Tracks. To make sure you get all the components you need for your specific wood deck railing setup, give our team a call at 1-888-824-5316 for a custom deck project package.

Yes - Vista makes it easy to add wood railing to your stairs with full deck stair railing kits for both its Tuscany line and its Somerset line. Wild Hog’s metal infill also comes in angled panels for stair installation.

Wood stain will protect your wood deck railing from the harsh outdoor elements. We recommend staining your wood railings every two or three years. DecksDirect carries a handful of great stain options to fit your wood and desired color:

• Messmer’s UV Plus and UV Plus for Pressure-Treated Wood
• Penofin RenewAll and Verde Interior/Exterior Formula penetrating oils
• Ipe Oil Hardwood Deck Finish by DeckWise

To clean your wood railing, use a wood-specific cleaner like DeckWise’s Wood Deck Cleaner and Brightener. The cleaner will bring the natural color and wood grain back to your wood surfaces, and the brightener will restore the pH balance and make your wood railings shine again.