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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2014 21:57
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See the railings on this loft? Thinking about adding some sort of vertical slats so that a kid or pet can't fall through.
Ideas? Wood? How about wrought iron? How far apart?
Thanks in advance.
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knock
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2014 22:12
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Many options on materials, depends if you are going for function or aesthetics.
Openings should not allow the passage of a 4" sphere.
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2014 22:23
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Ok.. so let's say I'm going for aesthetics... where do you get old looking wood? The only place I've gone to get wood is Home Depot... I'm gonna have to think out of the box (but looking for ideas too).
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2014 08:25
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I got nice looking weathered fence boards from a fence contractor, will use them in my ceiling.
The reason for the 4" sphere rule is that a baby can get his/her head thru a larger width, and then fall thru.
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SubArcticGuy
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2014 11:22
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How about a nice looking rope weave? Some manila rope weaved among the poles could look good...doesn't solve the bottom gap though...perhaps you could put a another rope or tension cable at the bottom to tie too...
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2014 12:58
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Sounds good conceptually. The question always is- could an eager playful kid work their way thru it and fall? Maybe some kind of rope netting- check this out
http://www.westcoastnetting.com/netting-products/amusement-park/handrail.html
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2014 13:42 - Edited by: SE Ohio
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Our loft rail (see picture below) was constructed of 2"x2"s and 2"x3"s, ballisters spaced with a 2 x 4 (~3.5" spacing). Cut and drilled and sealed all ballisters at on-grid home to install at off-grid cabin. Cut 2 x 3's to length with old-fashioned handsaw, assembled everything with cordless drill and 2 batteries. Got it all done between breakfast and lunch IIRC. Note this loft has low ceiling and I just wanted to keep sleeping kids from sliding off, but concept could easily be stretched for a higher ceiling.
Could do the same with cedar ballisters left outdoors to age a bit or stained for a rustic look. There are some pretty fancy ballisters to be had at many big-box hardware stores.
Another member purchased a BEAUTIFUL wildlife scene metal casting from Menards and made that his loft rail http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/6_1441_5.html#msg39151
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MJW
Member
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2014 20:24
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We sided the interior of our place with 7 inch pine carsiding. Had a good bit left over so I ripped it down and used it for the railings.
A light sanding and a couple of coats of poly and they were good to go.
For stability we used 2 x 4s for the posts, lag bolted them in and covered them with the ripped siding.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2014 20:29
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42 inch height is the minimum in the building code. Used to be 36, but then people kept rolling over the top of them, so they jacked it another 6 inches.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 15 Feb 2014 16:11 - Edited by: trollbridge
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Here is one way it has been done using aluminum deck spindles spaced 4 inches apart to "fill in" the loft railing. In this picture ignore the fish panel being upside down...it isn't anymore  That was just a little oopsy that happened when getting rushed at the end of the weekend.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 15 Feb 2014 21:14
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I've saved photos for awhile. I really like the look of these railings for my log cabin:
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Truecabin
Member
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# Posted: 18 Feb 2014 11:43
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Silver that looks nice but unless its diy then $$$
i would never make a loft railing 36 or 42 in a cabin, save that for a commercial apartment
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TheWildMan
Member
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# Posted: 18 Feb 2014 13:28
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cedar fence boards are a dollar each at home depot, last I checked (they are thin and meant for picket fences). they should work.
if your more creative I would suggest finding dogwood shrubs with 1-2" wide stems and cutting them, shaving them, letting them dry and having a more unique rustic look.
I built a picket fence out of them, railings and they are used in making baskets so they are flexable and strong.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 18 Feb 2014 20:32
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Hi Truecabin, Yes it is a DIY project. We will be using the white cedar that grows on our property. No staining required,the wood in the photo is to dark for our cabin. Only expense will be the sealer.
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jenellespencer
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2014 02:13
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How about rebar. I think it looks great.
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Don_P
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2014 06:42
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Another option using metal is a sheep & goat panel.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/feedlot-panel-sheep-goat-16-ft-l-x-48-in-h
I've cut them to fit in between the wood parts and installed them by drilling 1/4" holes in the wood to insert the steel rods that make the panel after painting it with rustoleum. The panel is cut a few inches oversize and the protruding rods are inserted in the predrilled holes.
We also have several people locally who deconstruct and recycle old barns and houses. They are a source for old wood, railings, mantles, etc.
A couple of code corrections, there are 2 different things that we normally call railings. One is a guard, what we're looking at in the op. The minimum height is 36". The other is a handrail, the railing that runs up a flight of stairs. That needs to be 34-38" above the line that runs up the nosings of the stairs. In either the spacing between elements cannot allow passage of a 4" sphere. That code was actually written by a grandmother. The reasoning is that a small child can get their body through the gap, but their head would hang. The old spacing requirement was 6" prior to that and I seem to remember a 12" requirement but my old book is out on loan.
To continue with the code language, the infill on a guard or handrail is supposed to be able to withstand a 50 lb per square foot load in any direction. I've never seen anyone test that other than in a lab but do attach the parts well. The rail itself needs to be able to withstand a 200 lb load in any direction, I've yet to many railings that would pass that test but again there is a good underlying intent to think about. People at large gatherings line up along and lean or sit on the rails. Each one adds a few pounds until the connections become overloaded and everyone takes a tumble. This actually happened to a group of us off a deck on a mountainside in college. Luckily for us the keg wasn't leaning on the rail and all was well but I do know of deaths from failed railings. These are one of those life safety elements to build well.
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