Residential Railings in Madison, WI Gallery

Residential Railings in Madison, WI FAQ

Why do I need to install residential railings in Madison, WI?

You will first need to consult your local codes and authorities but the general rule is if you have a deck, patio, stairs or general surface that has a drop-off of thirty inches or more; you are required to install a guard railing.

What are the requirements for Madison residential railings?

Again, please check your local codes and authorities where you live in the Madison area.

1. Most codes generally require a height of 36” for residential and 42” for commercial or multi-family dwellings.
2. In both cases, you are limited to a maximum opening anywhere throughout the railing system of 4”. In other words, you should not be able to pass a 4” diameter ball through the railing.
3. There are also codes governing the load barring capacity, fail point, of railings. Typically, a railing must not deflect more than an inch when two hundred pounds of force is applied vertically and horizontally but not consecutively.  This is definitely an issue when using vinyl and cable rail materials.

Because of the numerous codes and potential danger associated with railings, we recommend that you select a fabricator with a history of building high quality railing systems. Since railings are used for safety reasons and are installed to prevent a person from falling, it is imperative that your railing products work one-hundred percent of the time.

What about stair railing requirements in Madison, WI?

Stair railings in Madison, WI must comply with standard guard railing requirements in addition to having a grab rail for guiding you up and down the stairs.

1. The grab rail must be specific in size, profile and location. Typically, grab rails are approximately 34” above the nose of the stair tread.
2. A grab rail should be no larger than two inches in diameter or similar shape.  It should be installed with few obstructions, allowing users to safely run their hands up and down the railing.
3. Stairs 36” or less in width require one grab rail.  Wider stairs will require more than one.
4. Commercial railings often require a one foot horizontal run of railing at the top and bottom of the stairs to allow the user to grab the railing before stepping up or off.
5. Handicap railings will require a one foot horizontal and vertical return at each end with a second lower railing allowing people in wheel chairs to reach the railing.

Again, we recommend that you select a quality fabricator in Madison with a long history of building stair railings.

Can you custom build my Madison residential railings?

We have fabricated literally thousands of different custom railing designs using the following process.

1. We have catalogs and website photos full of railings designs for you to review when designing your custom railing. We also recommend that you search the Internet as railing fabricators and home builders are promoting more and more of their products on-line.  A popular railing accessory provider, King Architectural Metals, has an excellent website with several design assistance tools and views.
2. At AmeriFence one of our veteran Computer Aided Design (CAD) programmers, will provide you with CAD drawings of your dream custom railing.  It’s always a good idea to demand a CAD view of your railing before beginning the fabrication process to create your unique railing design.  If your first glimpse of your new railing at installation time, you may be very disappointed.  CAD views will provide details that include material selection, all necessary dimensions and even a three dimensional view.
3. Once you have selected a design, we will personally field review your application.  All custom railings must be field verified by a professional fabricator.  Never purchase a railing locally or online without having the physically fabricator review your installation site.  It is very easy to overlook little site details such as base trim, carpet to tile, set-backs, reveals, etc. that only a professional fabricator will be keen to notice.
4. With five certified welders, AmeriFence Madison will build your railing product to the highest standards.  All custom metal products should be fabricated in accordance with AWS D1.1 standard.  AWS is the acronym for the American Welding Society.  This group is the governing agency that sets the standards for steel fabrications.  D1.1 is the written standard for welding steel materials.  D1.2 is the standard for welding aluminum materials.  Always request that your fabricator build your railing to these standards.
5. With hundreds of color samples and paint applications, we will work with you to select your railing colors.  There are as many types of paint applications as there are colors.  The most popular and widely used are the following:
   1. HVLP or High Volume Low Pressure paint process is the most popular application.  This process has the benefit of getting paint into tight corners and angles of you custom railing.  It is a wet paint application that should include a two coat application of a quality primer and top coat.
   2. Electro-Static.  A wet paint application that charges the paint particles and applies an opposite charge to the railing.  When the paint is applied it is immediately attracted to the metal surface, providing a very consistent coating with no overspray.  This process should be applied in conjunction with the HVLP system as electro-static paint is difficult to get into the tight corners and angles of the railing
   3. Powder Coating. This coating provides a plastic like candy apple coating to metal products. It is powder that is applied to the fence and then melted in an oven, creating a baked-on tough coating.
   4. Galvanizing. Leaving your fence with a shiny silver coating, galvanizing seals the fence from rust and corrosion with a zinc rich finish. Though this is a great application to prevent rust; unfortunately, most paint applications do not adhere to the shiny galvanized finish unless first brush blasted.

A railing can be, and often is, the focal point of your home. We truly understand this fact and we at AmeriFence Madison believe every custom railing should be treated like the fine work of art that it is.

With over 50 years of experience, you can count on AmeriFence Corporation of Madison to install your product on time and to your satisfaction.