Can You Use a Lattice As a Deck Railing? (What You Need To Know)

You don’t traditionally see lattice being used as a deck railing. In fact, it very rarely makes its way outside non-privacy fences. But, doesn’t this mean that you can’t use lattice as a deck railing? Let’s take a look.

While you can use lattice as a deck railing, it isn’t often encouraged. While the aesthetics of a lattice deck railing are great, it can be somewhat tough to maintain. It is also very difficult to attach to the railing posts.

Now, don’t let this put you off using lattice as a railing. It really is something that looks great and can work for you, but we feel it is only fair to walk you through some of the downsides, but also some of the pros of using lattice.

The Pros Of Using Lattice As a Deck Railing

Lattice is pretty unique as a deck railing. For various reasons, you probably won’t find that many people opting to use lattice as a deck railing. This means that you can really stand out from the crowd and make your yard seem incredibly unique.

There is nothing that looks quite so aesthetically pleasing as a lattice deck railing can look too. A lot of people have used lattice railings as a way to encourage plants to grow up the side of their deck. Although, do bear in mind that this is something that can carry its own issues. We will talk more about that soon.

For the most part, the lattice is also going to be incredibly cheap to use too. Lattice is available in a variety of different woods, which means you should have no issues tracking down a lattice deck railing that works for the look that you want to push in your yard.

The Downsides Of Using Lattice As a Deck Railing

There are a couple of issues with using lattice as deck railing, but it is going to be dependent on where you live. For starters, lattice may not be up to certain building codes when used on a deck. This can either be down to the gaps between the wood on the lattice, or due to the overall strength of the lattice.

What you have to remember is that while deck railing is often chosen for aesthetics, it serves another much more important purpose. That is to prevent people from falling off of the deck. The problem with lattice railing is that it can be an incredibly weak fence. If somebody falls into poorly installed lattice railings, then it can just give away, which can send a person plummeting off of the deck. We can’t imagine that this is something that you want to have happen.

Thankfully, there are ways in which you can get around this. For starters, you can try and track down a company that can install lattice deck railings for you. They will be able to help to ensure that everything is installed up to code and is 100% safe to use. In most cases, this means that the lattice deck is able to deal with 200lbs of pressure on it, although this may vary based upon where you live.

Some people may also find that lattice deck railings can be a bit trickier to maintain too. However, this is mostly going to vary based on time to clean. Remember, there are going to be a whole lot of surfaces to keep clean and paint on a lattice deck railing. As you don’t mind dedicating a few hours every few months, then this is probably not going to be a huge downside for you.

Should You Get a Vinyl Or Wood Lattice Deck Railing?

Honestly, this is up to you.

Vinyl lattice deck railings are good enough nowadays that they can really mimic the look of real wood. They tend to be much more affordable than they were in the past too.

Obviously, wood is going to look slightly better up close. Wood is also going to be a lot tougher as a material, which may come in useful when it is used as a lattice deck railing. Although, do bear in mind that wood lattice deck railings are likely going to require a lot more maintenance. This is because they are going to be far more susceptible to the elements. Chances are that you would have to replace a wood lattice deck railing years before you would have to replace an equivalent vinyl one.

Should You Get a Lattice Deck Railing?

If you are willing to put up with the downsides of having a lattice deck railing, then we don’t see why not. They do look good, after all. As we said before, they are also going to look very unique.

Just remember that due to the weakness of lattice deck railings, they may require a lot more support when you install them. This includes framing the lattice railing. This can give your deck a different look from using any other type of fencing.

The only time that you may really want to avoid getting a lattice deck railing is if you have children. This is because the lattice wood can be easy for a child to get their head stuck in (this is why building codes exist!). Sure, this applies to a lot of other types of railing, but it does seem to be a far bigger problem if you are dealing with lattice.

Conclusion

You can use lattice for a deck railing, but a lot of people will avoid using it. This is because lattice deck railings can be tough to maintain. They are also a lot weaker than traditional railings, which means that they are not going to be that safe if installed incorrectly.

If you are going to use lattice as a deck railing, then you will want to ensure that you take the time to install it properly. This includes giving a little bit of extra support to the lattice.

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Can You Use a Lattice As a Deck Railing? (What You Need To Know)