10 HOTTEST TRENDS IN DECK RAILINGS

------------ BY DAVID KOENIG

DECK RAILINGS, once an afterthought, have become a primary focus in outdoor living projects. With the options multiplying, make sure you sell and stock what contractors and homeowners want.

“Since product availability is no longer a major issue and consumers are much more price-conscious than in previous years due to the economic climate, stocking an on-trend product that can satisfy buyer’s design-oriented preferences at a reasonable price point will be critical to maximizing investments up and down the channel,” notes Don Douglas, senior product manager at Fortress Building Products.

Here’s what’s hot in railing materials, colors and styles: Aluminum,

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Aluminum, Aluminum

By far, the trend most cited by railing manufacturers was the growth in aluminum. BuyRailings.com, among others, is experiencing particularly strong growth in aluminum railing systems, which offer durability, anodized or color finishes, infill panels, and easy installation.

Powder-coated aluminum railing provides the low maintenance that is demanded of all outdoor living products, is simple to install, and is available at a lower cost than composite railing,” explains Rob Mitchell, president and CEO of Vista Railings. “It also has growing design versatility available, as picket, framed glass, frameless glass, cable railing, and privacy wall.”

“We’re seeing a lot of people switching from PVC, steel and composites to aluminum,” adds Joseph Moriarty, new business development manager for Specrail Aluminum Products. “It may not be cheaper than wood, but it offers advantages strength-wise, is easy to install, stands up to the elements, and won’t rot or rust. Those are big advantages, especially in any area near water. And it’s so versatile. We offer a lot of options in color and infill materials. Other materials don’t offer as many options.”

Christopher Manduka, co-founder of Cable Bullet, also foresees continued growth for aluminum rail components.

“Aluminum is not only long-lasting and requires minimal maintenance, but has an expediency and ease-of-install that appeals not only to professional contractors and homeowners, but also DIY builders,” he says. “Aluminum systems, by nature of the materials, are a more applicable option for affixing to existing structures.”

Deckorators, which introduces dozens of new products each year, is banking heavily on aluminum in 2023, with a wealth of new aluminum railing enhancements. New additions include expanded post sizes, two-piece brackets, color-matched cable rail spacers, and bracket install templates to improve ease of installation, and customization for its lines of Aluminum Contemporary Rail, Contemporary Cable Rail, and Aluminum Rapid Rail.

Open-Concept Railing

The second-most-mentioned trend was the rise in cable and glass railings, driven primarily by homeowners who want railings that don’t block their nice views. “Consumers want or need a railing either for safety concern, aesthetics or to meet building codes. But they don’t want this to limit the view of their outdoor living space or the view from the deck or patio,” says Mary Gearhart, marketing manager for Digger Specialties. “Both cable railing and glass railing are growing in popularity allowing the safety of railing while not obscuring the view.”

Robert P. Viviano, president of Invis-A-Rail producer 3G-Industries, also sees the “increasing trend toward the need for transparent railings. (Use on) lakefronts and ocean view areas is a no-brainer. However, we are seeing an uptick in your average backyard for transparent rails where customers want to see the kids and garden areas.” always match. If you look at all the composite railing out there, it’s all smooth with zero embossing. This really creates a dilemma for the customer as they have this nice woodgrained-out deck and when they get the matching color railing, it’s as smooth as can be. For us, it is the opposite; we are able to put a nice grain on all the railing products to give a matching look and feel.”

Darker Colors

Privacy Railing

While many homeowners do seek railings that open up their views, others want to achieve the opposite. “With the proximity of houses in newer neighborhoods, there is an increasing demand for privacy in your outdoor living space from your noisy neighbor,” notes Vista Railing’s Mitchell. “This can be achieved in a variety of ways using more opaque railing infills including frosted glass, composite slats, or decorative panels.”

Mix & Match

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Expect to see more dark, textured colors in railings, primarily driven by the desire to lessen view-blocking. “Darker colors, particularly with black, your eye looks beyond the railing to the view beyond,” explains Vista’s Mitchell. “This effect is enhanced when the railing surface is non-glossy—in other words, a flat or textured black. Think textured black aluminum railing with stainless steel cable infill.”

The wide variety of colors and textures now available allows deck designers to better match the exterior of the home, to carry the interior theme outdoors, or to create interesting combinations.

Vista Railings is seeing homeowners mixing black balusters with white railing and posts, which matches their house trim.

“Mixing and matching railing colors and textures can also offset a beautiful composite deck,” says Matthew Bruce, VP–sales for MoistureShield. “For example, composite railings maybe work best in white, matched to the deck color or as an edgy contrast to black.”

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“I think the most important thing driving the railing business is matching railing to the decking, either complementary or contrasting,” says NewTechWood America’s Richard Lam. “One of the issues that falls on other composite decking companies is that it doesn’t

Fortress’ Douglas says, “Matte black will continue to be in high demand, especially since black has become a popular color choice for house window trim. Homeowners are paying close attention to these types of finishing details because they want their outdoor living space to complement their home’s exterior—creating a truly seamless design aesthetic.”

Customized Options

How the deck will be used should determine how it should be designed. “For function, consider how the homeowner lives on their deck,” says MoistureShield’s Bruce. “If they entertain, a flat cocktail top rail may work well or if they like to relax and take in the view, selecting a round baluster or trendy cable rail will enable them to enjoy the view.”

Personality-Driven Design

Since exterior design trends tend to follow interior trends, 2023 should lead us to a transitional period from neutral tones and blank spaces to a combination of rich colors dotted with modern touches, suggests Chase Moritz, director of marketing and communication for Envision Outdoor Living Products. “Designers are predicting a strong desire to have more fun with surroundings and create a personalized, color-rich space. We crave stimulating color and texture palettes and ‘plain Jane’ decks don’t provide the visual interest that creative installations and colorful accents do.”

He considers homeowners to be more design savvy than ever before and with so many resources online, from Pinterest to their favorite influencers or TV personalities, they’re able to curate a specific look for their space. “The balance to the rich color palette for any space can be balanced with modern railing that mixes materials for an added punch,” Moritz says. “Antique bronze aluminum railing with black horizontal balusters are right on trend for that personality driven design.”

3G Industries responded to more traditional home styles’ demanding railing transparency without looking “too contemporary” by introducing a black powder-coated stainless infill system. The line has quickly grown to 50% of Invis-A-Rail’s sales compared to its all stainless system.

Easier Installation

“DIYers, installers and homeowners are looking for a fast installation,” says Digger’s Gearhart. “With the current workforce issues, being able to install a quality railing in a short amount of time is a money-saver for the consumer when hiring an installer, and the ease of installation for a DIY installer is a must for the self-installation warrior.”

Moritz says, “As homeowners become more comfortable with DIY projects, they will lean toward products that look great and feel simple to install on their own. For those who want a sleek modern look but may be intimidated by cable railing, a horizontal baluster infill is a great option. At a fraction of the cost of cable rail and simple installation, we are anticipating this to be a popular product for the DIY crowd.”

Invis-A-Rail’s Viviano agrees that the need for simpler installations is increasing due to the shortage of skilled labor. “Simpler is better and also fewer SKUs to deal with is better,” he explains. “We keep hearing from dealers how they like the fact Invis-A-Rail is only a two-part system that covers both the level and stairs.”

Low Maintenance

As we have come out of the pandemic, people seem now to be busier than ever with getting back to normal, which means taking advantage of any opportunity to get rid of unnecessary maintenance on chores around the home.

Envision’s Moritz advises, “Low maintenance railing options—like aluminum, vinyl or steel—save real time and money in the long-term for homeowners who don’t want to spend their down time staining or painting their wood deck and railing each spring. They’re instead able to spend that time relaxing or entertaining in their beautiful outdoor space.”

Safety & Accessibility

Deck safety is always a critical aspect of any outdoor space and ensuring the products homeowners and contractors choose to put on their projects meet code compliance and testing requirements is extremely important. You want to know that the products chosen will keep family and friends safe.

Likewise, adds Moritz, “as the Boomer generation retires, they’ll be spending more time at home in these spaces they’ve worked so hard to build for themselves. Aging in place becomes a big factor in that next phase and building a space that’s accessible as they age is important. Choosing products that enable that accessibility, like railing with a graspable top rail or even an ADAcompliant secondary handrail, ensure they can use and enjoy that outdoor space for as long as possible.”

Lock on these 10 deck railing trends to help your contractor and homeowner clientele build the decks of their dreams. MM