Aluminum Railing Maintenance

Aluminum railings are a common choice for Canadian households, either as pure railing solutions or in cooperation with glass or wood materials. Aluminum railings can be made with a range of finishes and colours, as well as custom pickets and baluster tops. If you are in need of an upscale and personalised deck or other outdoor railing solution, aluminum railings can be the ideal choice.

Aluminum is lightweight, which makes for fast installations, and is 100% recyclable. Aluminum railings can withstand the harshest Canadian weather conditions for decades. Aluminum railings also require very limited maintenance, which makes them perfect for busy homeowners.

You can trust your aluminum railing needs to Mountain View Sun Decks. We have years of experience installing a range of pure aluminum and combination railing styles.

Easy To Install

Aluminum railings are very durable but are also lightweight. Aluminum actually weighs roughly 1/3 of what a wrought iron or steel railing would, without sacrificing any aspects of durability or aesthetics. This lightweight nature of aluminum makes for efficient installations. Each vertical baluster in an aluminum railing will commonly have 2 fastener holes and these balusters are spaced roughly 5 feet apart. Efficiently installing aluminum railings is one advantage of the material’s lacking early maintenance requirements.

Low Cost

Aluminum railings are very cost effective. Wright iron railings can be as durable though are prone to rust and are very expensive to develop or install. Wood railings can be the least costly installation project though can rot and peel after a single year of use. Aluminum railings offer low-cost initial installations and have very limited maintenance requirements year after year. Aluminum railings provide you with the best of both worlds in regards to railing cost and future maintenance needs.

Durability

Aluminum rails are painted with custom paint materials that are baked at over 200 degrees Celsius. Unlike wood and iron railings, paint touch ups are not annually required. Powder coating can also be applied to help increase the weather resistance and overall longevity of your aluminum railing. Railings that are near pools should be inspected every 6 months, though a railing that is in a dry location only requires an annual inspection.

Aluminum Railing Cleaning

Annual inspections of aluminum railings will not commonly discover issues with the paint structural integrity of the railing. Though these inspections can find dirt, evaporated water and more that has caked onto the railing. The railing can simply need a quick wash and wax.

  • Washing – Mix a light detergent in warm water. At first, test a small spot to ensure that your solution is not causing and colour changes and that it is effectively removing dirt. Then simply wash away.
  • Waxing – Using a car paste waste, the railing can be effectively coated in wax. This process will bring back the desired colour of the railing and can protect the railing from future dirt, water oxidation and windblown dust.

Be sure to not use abrasive cleaners or solvent-based cleaners or any steel wool products in your aluminum railing maintenance efforts. If you have any questions, call or email Mountain View Sun Decks! Our team designs, installs and maintains aluminum deck railings, patio railings, and exterior railings.