Custom Belly Picket Railing
A home improvement company in the Philadelphia area was expanding the outdoor living area for some clients. Their design intent was for wrought iron railings. The first step in the railing design process was for the builder and client to come to our shop to view our gallery of many railing designs. We showed them a shop tour so they could see actual railing projects being created. It was perfect timing because we had a balcony railing design on the powder-coat line that the client absolutely fell in love with.
The balcony railing design was a 2 ¼” cap rail with 1 ½” X 1 ½” bar channel. 1 ½” square posts and pickets were created from ¾” square solid architectural grade aluminum with a classic belly picket. It also had a beautiful radius curve at the bottom of the classic bump bend at the top.
So, for the client and the builder, a visit to our workshop and design gallery was super helpful in their decision-making process. They were able to see firsthand how sizing affects mass and overall rail design and character when comparing ½” square bar to ¾” square bar.
The back terrace design made it challenging for the railing layout with numerous 90° turns, plus a radius in the railing. The stairs also had 45° turns as well. We measured the entire balcony railing project and designed it to the client’s selection of ¾” square belly picket design in solid aircraft grade aluminum.
The actual creation of the terrace and stair railing was challenging to get just right. With our team’s hard work and dedication, we managed to produce a beautiful end result.
After built, we sand-blasted the entire project to promote finish adhesion and longevity. Then we applied a primer, and a matte black topcoat. We completed the project in a durable eco-friendly powder-coat that is 99.99% reclaimable and emits 0 VOC’s into the atmosphere. We utilized recycled content solid aluminum material allowing this iron railing project to be indistinguishable from traditional wrought iron railings. So, it will provide the client many years of maintenance-free safety and beauty for this Philadelphia home.