Deck Guard Safety
When I was a 7 year old boy I had no fear of heights. I loved to climb on top of things: curbs, dirt piles, and yes, deck railings. Somehow I never broke a bone till I was an adult. A common problem I see in homes are guard rails on decks that would allow (or for my 7-year old self, encourage) children to climb onto or over the railing. Many deck guard rails do not adequately protect a child or an adult from falling off the deck. This blog describes the characteristics of a safe guard rail on a deck.
Safe for Kids
Any part of a deck more than 24 inches above the ground needs to have a guard that is at least 36 inches high. The guard needs to have vertical balusters separated by no more than 4 inches. The 4 inch spacing prevents an infant from being strangled. The bottom of the guard should be no more than 4 inches from the deck floor. No furniture should be next to the railing that would encourage a child to climb up onto or over the railing.
This deck guard is horizontal. It might encourage a child to climb on it. Its construction is unlikely to support a 200 pound sideways force.
Safe for Adults
A deck guard needs to be strong enough that the guard won’t collapse if an adult stumbles against it. Standards call for a guardrail to be able to withstand a 200 pound sideways force. I don’t test that on a house (if I did, I would break a lot of guard rails), but I do point out guard rail construction where it appears that the railing might collapse if an adult stumbled against it.
Easily Graspable Handrails
The handrail on a staircase for a deck needs to be “easily graspable”. A 2x4 used for the handrail is better than nothing but is not easy to grab in a panic. The same is true for typical wrought iron railings. An easily graspable handrail is at least one and one-half inches away from any wall so that you can get your hand around it. The shape of the handrail should be such that you can easily get your hand around it and hold on tight. The diagrams below show some cross-section shapes for graspable handrails. These diagrams are from the Wisconsin Administrative Code which is similar to codes used in other states, to national codes, and to international codes.
Deck Inspection Recommended
When I inspect a home, one of the most important things I look for is the safety of the deck - not only the guards, but the deck structure itself. According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, between 2016 and 2019 there were about 2,900 injuries and two deaths associated with collapses/ failures of decks, balconies and porches. The CPSC recommends that you have your deck professionally inspected. I am trained for deck inspection and would be happy to inspect not only your deck, but your entire home for safety hazards.
