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A wooden porch railing system may look good from a distance, but with age, it deteriorates, looks bad and can be a safety hazard. When you purchase new railing, consider non-wood composite products that offer several advantages over wooden railing. In addition to being both attractive, durable, and virtually maintenance free, composite railing products come in pre-assembled components that cut the labor and make installation easy.

Remove the Existing Railing System
Remove the existing railing and posts. In this project, they were toe nailed into position, so we cut them with a reciprocating saw, leaving small stubs where they attached to the porch columns and floor. Use a claw hammer and pry bar to remove the railing and post stubs. Remove nails with the claw hammer.

Install Newel Posts for the Stair Rails
Dig a hole for the newel post at the lower end of the first stair railing. (The railings will attach to porch columns at their upper end.) Begin with a shovel and finish with a clamshell posthole digger. Dumping the dirt directly into a wheelbarrow will save moving the dirt twice. Cut the composite sleeve for the newel post to length using a chop saw. Cut and place a pressure-treated four-by-four post inside the sleeve and then cap both ends of the sleeve with the special plastic inserts provided for the railing system. Position the post assembly in the hole with one face square to the house/porch and use a bar level to ensure it is vertical. Hold the post in position and backfill the hole with gravel and soil. Repeat the last five steps for the other newel post.

Install Post Brackets
Mark the newel posts in preparation for pre-drilling holes for the railing brackets. Do so by first positioning a pre-drilled bracket against each post. Insert a pencil into the bracket screw holes, and use it as a template to transfer the required hole positions to the face of the post. Bore holes at your marks with a power drill and a small bit. Level a bracket on the post, clamp it in position and secure it with rust-resistant screws driven into the pre-drilled holes. Repeat the last three for both of the brackets on each post.

Attach Mounting Plates
Position and attach the first of the purchased mounting plates to fix the stair railings to the porch columns. The rear surface of the plate has a concave surface that fits against the rounded/convex surface of the porch columns. Markings stamped on the plate indicate the upper end and the center of the plate where you will drive a single screw to secure the plate to the column, but you should mark the center of the plate and a base line for the railing bracket base added in the next step. Repeat this step for the other three mounting plates. Position and secure the purchased railing bracket bases on top of the mounting plates for the upper and lower rails of each stair rail section. Insert plastic plugs provided to conceal the screw holes and keep water out.  

Prepare the Stair Rails
Cut the composite rails to length based on the measurements for your porch stairs. The chop saw works well for this straight cut. Attach the provided plastic angle brackets to the cut ends of the stair rail section. Set the railing and plastic angle bracket assemblies in place, lower them slightly until they engage the railing bracket bases.

Secure the Stair Rails
Insert anchor pins through the sides of the angle brackets into the bracket bases and snap them into place. Lock the entire assembly into position, driving rust-resistant screws into the rail beside the angle brackets. Repeat the process for the other side of the stairway. Apply the special adhesive to the inside lip of the cap and set the cap in place on top of each of the newel posts.

Install the Metal Posts for the Porch Rails
Mark the porch floor where you will install the posts to support the horizontal rails along the edge of the porch. These posts will have an inner steel column/core and a mounting flange at the bottom. The number of posts required will depend on the length of your porch rail. Follow manufacturer’s directions on placement and number. Position the first metal post and use a bar level to ensure the post is vertical. If necessary, use washers or a shim of treated lumber to ensure it stands perpendicular to the porch floor. Pre-drill bolt holes through the two corner holes in the post flange on the house side of the post. Ordinarily, you would pre-drill all four of the corner holes, but two of the holes in the flange sit on top of the porch rim joist. Consequently, we drill only the two holes with full clearance through the bottom of the porch. Insert a washer and a bolt downward into each of the two holes in the flange. Place the supplied backer plate and washers over the two bolts from the underside of the porch, and then add and tighten nuts with a socket wrench. Drill pilot holes through the remaining two corner holes on the outer edge of the flange, boring through the porch and into the rim joist beneath. Insert lag screws and then tighten them with the socket wrench. You will repeat the last seven steps for each of the metal posts you install.

Dress the Metal Posts
Slip the provided black plastic form over the post and slide it down to the bottom over the flange. Add the white composite post cover over the post and form. Drop in a black plastic insert into the top of the rail post assembly. Fit a black plastic form on top of the insert to make a snug fit between all these post components that will support the horizontal rails. Slip a white composite trim ring over the top of the post and slide it to the bottom to rest on the porch floor. You will repeat the last five steps for each metal post.

Install Post and Column Brackets
Position and attach rail-mounting cleats to the top and bottom of these assembled posts to hold the pre-built lengths of horizontal railing. Position and attach concave mounting plates to mount the other end of the horizontal railings to the round porch columns, driving a screw through their centers. Mark the center of each plate and a base line for the railing mounting cleats in the next step. Add rail-mounting cleats on top of the mounting plates and secure them with screws.

Install the Porch Rails
Use a chop saw to cut the railing sections to length. When you mark the length on the railing section, center it so that you leave the same amount of rail on both ends without cutting into a baluster. Fit the cut ends of the rails with end brackets. Position each rail assembly in the span between the column and the post, lowering it so that the cleats engage with the end brackets to hold the rail securely in position. Tap the top of the railing several times with the palm of your hand to ensure that it seats properly. Install a rust-resistant screw into the bottom of each end bracket to lock each railing assembly in position. Apply glue to the interior lip of the remaining post caps and set them in place.

Examine the railing system and decide whether to repair or replace it. When the wood has rotted and the railing has become a safety hazard, your best option is to replace it. Purchase ready-made railing components from your home improvement store and assemble your tools. You will be working with power tools and hammers, so be sure to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Before you start, ensure that you read the manufacturer’s directions and can identify the different pieces by name and purpose—particularly the brackets and other mounting components.