Baluster Guard Rail Kit

Absolutely! All our rails come powder-coated with a 5-layer black finish that’s made to withstand even the most extreme weather conditions. This protective layer defends against flaking, chipping, scratches, and color deterioration. Outdoor paint of any color will adhere to the protective layer — in fact, weather-resistant paint can even add an additional layer of defense against the elements, while customizing your rails to look exactly the way you want.

Like any product made of metal, our rails will heat up a bit on sunny and/or hot days. However, our 5-layer protective powder coating is weather-resistant, and will prevent your railing from becoming too hot to touch. In the unusual circumstance that your railing becomes too hot, simply wiping it down with cold water will quickly cool it off again.

Building a metal handrail from scratch is a fairly time-intensive process, and requires several professional tools. You’d need to start by measuring the height and depth of your steps, as well as the offset distance between the edge of the steps and the post markers. Then you’d need to determine the angle of the rails, as well as the length of each piece of pipe, and buy correctly angled fittings as well as a sufficient amount of pipe. You’d likely also need to choose the correct flanges, swivel fittings, and malleable plugs, as well as fasteners for wood or concrete. After placing the flanges to mark the position of each fitting, you’d secure the fittings to the wood or concrete surface using a power drill, insert the vertical posts, then attach the fittings to the horizontal post and secure it in place.

Building your own handrail from scratch can be a fun weekend project, but our DIY prefabricated rail kits enable you to complete the installation in an hour or less. We include all the components and fasteners, so all you’ll have to do on your end is saw the lengths of metal down to size (if necessary) and secure the components in place.

The most important factor you should consider is to ensure the kit you choose is the right size for your installation scenario. If in doubt, it’s best to err slightly larger as you can always cut down the rail to fit. When selecting a kit, you should also ensure it’s sturdy enough to withstand the weight it’ll have to bear, and can withstand extremes of hot and cold.

Our railing kits come with the necessary drill bits and wedge anchors to secure the posts onto any surface, be it wood, concrete, or brick. If you are planning on installing the posts on harder surfaces like granite, you will need a diamond drill bit (5/16" x 3.5")—which provide for free. Send us a message if you need one.

To make the installation process seamless, we’ve also included a depth-measuring pencil, washers, and a hex nut driver.

For more instructions on how you can install the railing posts, watch this video:

If you need more information about the types of drills you can use with our parts, refer to this: