Some advice on wood for a deck railing

[DG930]

Hi all,

I have a decent design in mind using 4x4, 6x6, 2x6, and 2x4s. It doesn't have to be pre-made railing components. I'm struggling with what kind of wood to use.

I'd like something that looks nice and will last a really long time.

Cumaru and IPE are an option though cost is high and sources seem very limited.

Domestic hardwoods are less expensive and seem more available, just not sure what would hold up and look good. There is a domestic company advertising black locust, not sure if that is any good.

Any recommendations for wood species and where I might source it?

Thanks!

 

[KenC]

Interior or exterior use? What kind of finish do you plan? Those and some other details will help folks make a recommendation.

Western red cedar, Oak(white or red), old growth pine, poplar and a host of others can be made to work with the right finish. But the interior vs exterior, especially if fully exposed to weather is the key question in my mind.

My personal favorite is salvaged pine from early in the 20th century or late 19th. Can come from old logs (river salvage) or old buildings being repurposed. Heavy, hard, fairly rot resistant and really pretty to my eye.

The black locust mentioned could be a good choice but is not commonly available, at least in my area. is a truly durable wood.

 

[My Old Tools]

I tore out my old wood railings and replaced them with stainless steel posts and stainless steel cable. The posts were built by my cousin that does stainless welding for a living and the cable and components were all on Amazon. The top rail is 1.25 x 6 treated deck board stained to match the deck. The swager is from Harbor Freight, about $40.

 

[DG930]

Interior or exterior use? What kind of finish do you plan? Those and some other details will help folks make a recommendation.

Western red cedar, Oak(white or red), old growth pine, poplar and a host of others can be made to work with the right finish. But the interior vs exterior, especially if fully exposed to weather is the key question in my mind.

My personal favorite is salvaged pine from early in the 20th century or late 19th. Can come from old logs (river salvage) or old buildings being repurposed. Heavy, hard, fairly rot resistant and really pretty to my eye.

The black locust mentioned could be a good choice but is not commonly available, at least in my area. is a truly durable wood.

Outside deck and fully exposed to weather. I should have been more specific.

Untreated pine doesn't live long around here and I was hoping for something with a higher aesthetic and lower maintenance.

Also, I'd like to avoid a finish that needs to be stripped off when it fails.

 

[DG930]

I tore out my old wood railings and replaced them with stainless steel posts and stainless steel cable. The posts were built by my cousin that does stainless welding for a living and the cable and components were all on Amazon. The top rail is 1.25 x 6 treated deck board stained to match the deck. The swager is from Harbor Freight, about $40.

That looks great. I'm definitely doing cable. What is the longest span you have between posts?

 

[Ultradog MN]

Forget wood.
It rots, cracks, checks, splits and needs frequent paint or stain.
Go with steel - it's once and done.

 

[My Old Tools]

That looks great. I'm definitely doing cable. What is the longest span you have between posts?

About 5 feet if i remember

 

[gahrajmahal]

I had presssure treated posts and rails with aluminum spindles between. The wood warped and twisted pulling out the stainless screws and some connections rotted . I replaced the damaged and twisted sections and used this composite wrap to cover the pressure treated rails and posts. It’s been five years now and it’s holding up great.

Ultra dog is right though, if you can afford aluminum, it’s one and done. I put some on my son’s stairs deck. But it was much less railing than I have. Mine is around 50 ft. All together.

UltraDeck® 2 x 4 x 67-3/4"Composite Fence Rail Sleeve

Our wood/plastic composite material is manufactured using all post consumer wood products. Manufacturing with post consumer wood fiber eliminates the need to harvest trees in order to create building materials. Also, reusing this wood supply reduces the amount of materials delivered to your...

www.menards.com

 

[MongoTA]

Cumaru and IPE are an option though cost is high and sources seem very limited.

Any recommendations for wood species and where I might source it?

Thanks!

I bought a load of Cumaru a couple years ago from Advantage Lumber in NY. Price was good, but it wasn't until they had a free shipping offer that I bought. It'll mostly be used for outdoor projects. Horizontal board privacy fence, a dock down by the water, countertops for outdoor kitchen, doors for the wood fired oven, outdoor furniture, etc.

 

[DG930]

I bought a load of Cumaru a couple years ago from Advantage Lumber in NY. Price was good, but it wasn't until they had a free shipping offer that I bought. It'll mostly be used for outdoor projects. Horizontal board privacy fence, a dock down by the water, countertops for outdoor kitchen, doors for the wood fired oven, outdoor furniture, etc.

Thanks. I looked at Advantage Lumber and the dimensions of Cumaru I wanted would have had to be shipped on my dime from two different warehouses in the southeast. I didn't want to pay or wait. I found a local broker that had this stuff called Angelique which is a lot like teak. I'm picking it up Monday.