JrMillworks Railing Installation Instructions

Apply one coat of stain or finish on all rail components prior to assembly, then touch up as needed after installed. Then follow manufacturer's instructions for 2nd coat. Directly after finish cutting any railing or balluster piece, and before installing or assembling, it's very important to coat the end grains with a coat of “Anchor Seal” clear liquid wax.

Total height of ground level railing should be approx. 36”. Second floor decks should be 42”, and maximum spacing allowed between any railing members should not exceed 4”.Consult with your local building dept. as it may be different in your area.

Use spacer blocks to evenly position the foot rail off of the top of the deck. A 2x4 on edge (3-1/2”) provides a nice space.

Lay the foot rail alongside your posts, mark and cut the length for a nice tight fit. Center the foot rail in between the posts - keep the spacer blocks in place, until the section is completely installed.
You'll need a 5/32” drill bit, an 1/8” drill bit, a couple of #2 square drive bits, a couple of #10 Torx bits, a good countersink, a couple of electric variable speed drills, and saw horses with a piece of plywood with a straight edge stop screwed down to the plywood. Don't even think about not pre-drilling every screw - and making sure the pilot hole is deep enough. It's more of a problem trying to withdraw a stripped screw. Using a 5/32” drill bit, start drilling through the top of the foot rail about 1-1/2” away from the end. Drill straight down about 1/8” to get a bite, and then angle the bit to approx. 45 degree angle and drill through the foot rail and into the post. The 5/32” pilot hole, should extend well into the post to prevent the screws from snapping. If your bit is not long enough to do that (4”+) then remove the foot rail and drill deeper into the posts. After drilling the pilot hole, follow the same angle with the counter-sink making sure you'll be able to completely burry the screw head. Use a #9 yellow Torx screw or a ceramic coated DeckFast screw approx. 4” long, and get a good bite into the posts. This screw will take the brunt of any downward pressure on the rail system so make sure you will be screwing through some beef on the foot rail.

Use a 3' wide work table or a piece of plywood on top of your deck to assemble the ballusters to the lower drip cap and the upper sub rail. Level and brace your posts into final position. Measure and cut the sub rail and the drip cap to fit snug between the posts. Find the exact center of the length for the upper sub rail and the lower drip cap, and mark it. Make a spacing pattern a tad smaller then 4” wide and about an inch or so smaller than your balluster length to use as a spacing block between ballusters. You'll be attaching the center balluster first, and then working to the left and right so each section will have its own even spacing of ballusters.

The drip cap has a 7 degree angle, so you'll need to cut the balluster bottoms at 7 degrees. For safety purposes, the drip cap should probably taper down to the inside of the deck. It's important to use a mechanical stop when cutting the ballusters so that all are exactly the same length. Calculate the height that you want on the ballusters and precut them all to the same size. Note that your stairway ballusters may be a different height with a different cut on the bottom, so leave these until later.
Position the center balluster first and drill through the sub rail and drip cap and about ¾” into the balluster using the 5/32” bit and the counter-sink. Use 1-3/4” #9 yellow Torx screws making sure the screw heads are definitely sunk below the surface. Sand or smooth out any raised splinters from the screw hole. Using your spacing block, line up and attach the rest of the ballusters.

Install one section at a time, as you will likely be force fitting and moving the posts a bit after each section. Mount the assembled rail section in place on top of the foot rail, and center the section on the post. Attach the drip rail to the foot rail. Pre-drill and counter sink a few small head stainless finish head screws and cover the head with exterior dark wood fill or wood plugs. The stainless steel screws are soft and will break off it not pre-drilled and countersunk enough.

Using 1-1/2” #8 Torx head finish head screws, screw 2 toe nail screws through each end of the top sub-rail. Drill straight through the end to get a bite, then angle up so you exit the top about ¾” away from the end, then drill down through the top enough so that you can sink the finish head flush. See- photos -Sub-Rail Installation Procedure below.

Cut and fit the handrail for a tight fit. Pre-drill and mount from the underside of the sub rail up into the hand rail using 1-3/4” #9 yellow Torx screws as above. Use at least 4 screws across the length of the rail section making sure the handrail is screwed tight to the sub-rail so there is no wobble.
Additionally, you may want to toe screw each end of the handrail through the side lower bevel cut of the handrail. Do this from the outer edge - the yard side of the rail, so it's not visible while standing on the deck. Use a counter sink then fill with some exterior dark wood fill or caulk. Touch up this area with stain when all done.

The codes on stair railing are that the foot rail should be no higher than 6” above any position of your steps. Again check your local building codes. In general, you will try to keep your hand rail height at the same height as the level railing as if it just continued at the same height on the angle going down. Again, it's usually best to actually lay the rail pieces in position, mark and cut.
The 7 degree balluster cut has to be maintained in addition to the angle of decent of the stairs. This will be a compound cut. Set your chop saw or table saw to a 7 degree bevel then to the angle of the stairs.

Mount your post caps using some heavy bodied adhesive in a caulking gun such as PL Premium. Note the temperature requirements are 40 degrees or better. Pre-fit the post cap then remove and apply about 4 blobs of adhesive so that it will be gushed down when the post cap is finally mounted. Be careful not to put too much on so it doesn't ooze out onto the posts. Wipe off any excess immediately. Any missed spots may have to be sanded off clean, as there are no real solvents for PL Premium.
After all railings have been installed, walk around and feel for any sharp edges of the railings, or post caps. These hardwood edges can cut you if not eased.

After touch sanding, using a rag, touch up with a light coat of whatever finish is being used. If you purchased your railings already finished with Penofin, then only apply a thin light coat for touch up. Read and follow instructions on the can. You may notice some white sap streaks in the Ipe, these should dull out and get darker in time. If you can find a brown magic marker, that might work on a temporary basis.

Call in a floor sander and let him clean and prepare the entire deck surface ready for your finish. Soon after the finish has been applied and is dry to the touch, use some clear “Anchor Seal” wax coating and apply to all end grains of all boards.
Finally, please take some photos, and e-mail them to me including the contractor's name so I can build a portfolio and help promote the contractor.

Sub-Rail Installation Procedure
Using 1/8” bit, drill straight into the edge of the sub-rail enough to get a bite, then angle it up so that you will exit the top at a distance about ¾” in from the end. Then using a 3/16” bit, drill down from the top into the exit hole about ¼” so there is room to countersink the screw heads. Mount the 1/8” bit again, place the sub-rail into position, and drill down from the top pre-drilling into the 4x4 post. Use 1-1/2” #8 finish head Torx screws. Make sure heads are sunk below top of sub-rail. The last photo on the bottom right shows the screws as they would be into the 4x4 posts.

		First drill straight into the end just to get a grip. Then drill upwards at about a 45 degree angle until you come out the top.
		Then drill down just to get a grip. Then drill the top with a countersink until the screw heads are completely sunk in flush with the top.

A - Use 3-1/2" - to - 4" screws here for the toe screw through the top of the foot rail. You can also toe screw through the outer edges of the rail - if the sub-rail attachment isn't so great. Fill it with wood fill and stain over it.

B - Use 1-3/4 #9 screws here. Predrill and countersink all screw holes.

C - Use 1-1/2" Finish Head Torx Screws or Stainless Steel Finish Head 1-1/2" to fasten the sub-rail to the posts. This is the main upper attachment - see illustrations above.