Deck Railings & Stairs in Tempe, AZ

Deck railings and stairs are where a deck's safety shows. A railing has to resist someone leaning or falling against it, and stairs need solid stringers and even risers. In Tempe, they also need materials that do not get too hot to touch or fade quickly in the sun. We build them for new decks and replace them on existing ones.

Railing materials in the desert

• Aluminum: powder-coated, lightweight and maintenance-free. Lighter colors stay cooler to the touch than black.
• Composite: matches composite decking and does not need staining.
• Cable: stainless cables with open views, often over a pool or toward the mountains.
• Glass: unobstructed views and wind blocking, at the highest price, with more cleaning in dusty months.
• Wood: the lowest cost, but it needs the same refinishing as a wood deck.

Hot handrails

Metal and dark railing tops can get hot in full sun. For railings people will grab, such as stair handrails, we talk through lighter colors, composite or wood top caps, or shade from a cover. It is a small choice that makes a deck much more pleasant from May through October.

Strong posts are what matter

A railing is only as strong as its posts and how they connect to the deck frame. Posts notched thin or held with a couple of nails are a common cause of wobbly railings. We use blocking and through-bolts or tested post-mount hardware, and on composite systems we follow the manufacturer's installation instructions for the posts and brackets.

Stairs built to code

Residential building codes set limits on riser height and tread depth, require consistent sizes from step to step, and call for handrails on stairs past a certain number of risers. Most Tempe decks are low, but even a two- or three-step stair needs a firm landing and solid stringers. We build stair landings on a pad or footing, not loose gravel, so the stairs do not shift after monsoon rain.

Monsoon wind and railings

Glass panels and privacy screens catch wind. During monsoon downbursts, gusts in Tempe have reached 60 to 71 mph, so solid infill puts more load on posts than open balusters or cable. We account for that when choosing post spacing and hardware.