Why is
fiberglass any better than other products?
Fiberglass is neat and attractive,
and it's resistant to salt, corrosion, and chemicals; it won't
rust, rot, crack, peel, blister, or deteriorate, and it's extremely strong. Structural fiberglass retains its high strength
over time, so there is no loss of dependability over the life of the product.
Structural fiberglass is not vinyl, and it doesn't expand in hot
weather, nor does it need any metal reinforcements to hold its shape and
strength. It doesn't get brittle or shrink in cold weather, either. Even
extreme cold won't affect it. It's colorfast and virtually maintenance free
- maintenance is reduced to washing.
Do
the railings come in other colors besides white?
Yes. All styles of Armor-RailŽ come in white, green, sand, and black.
For a color swatch, see your dealer or our printed color literature.
Can I paint the
railings?
Yes. Armor-RailŽ can be painted
or trimmed in any color using a good quality, exterior grade paint. The factory
recommendation is Polane exterior urethane paint. Sand all surfaces to be
painted lightly, using very fine grit sandpaper. Wipe the sanding dust clean,
and apply automotive plastic primer only to the molded brackets and caps
(if they are to be painted). Then apply exterior grade coating using even
flow of paint.
Can I cut
the railing sections?
Yes. Sections of pre-assembled
Armor-RailŽ come in convenient lengths of 8', 10', 12' and 14' that you
can cut to suit your needs. For efficiency, try to cut short sections evenly
out of longer pieces - for example, cut two seven-foot sections out of
one 14-foot, or three four's out of a twelve.
What is
the recommended method for cleaning?
To remove dirt, use common household
cleaners, like dishwashing detergents, and a garden hose. For stubborn
stains and mildew, use a cleaner made for vinyl siding. Do not use bleach
or other products which may affect the color. Do not use abrasive detergents,
scouring pads or devices, sanders, scrapers, or other tools, and do not
use pressure-wash devices.
Does Armor-Rail meet building codes in my area?
Yes. Armor-Rail meets or exceeds
most ICBO and UBC code requirements for dimension, safety, and strength.
The railings are made in 36-inch, 38-inch, and 40-inch heights, and can
be installed at a 36-inch or 42-inch railing mounting height, as required
by local codes. The required toe space can be 2 or 4 inches. Check the building
code for your area and choose the mounting height and toe space for your
area.
How do I use the Flush Mount Post Bracket?
Locate posts at least 2" from
the edge of the deck. Position them alongside the floor joists, and make
sure the decking is firmly attached to the joists at the location of the
posts. Two of the Flush Mount Bracket's lag bolt slots should face the
inside of the deck, and the flat vertical section of the bracket should
face the railing assembly bracket where the rail sections will be attached.
Bolt the bracket securely to the
deck. The bracket should not be attached only to the deck flooring. Use
an additional support block under the flooring and attach the bracket by
bolting through the flooring and into or through the support block.
Slide the fiberglass 4x4 post over
the flush mount bracket and insure that the post is square and plumb. Bolt
the railing brackets to the post. The screws are long enough to secure
the post to the flush bracket at the same time. The Armor-RailŽ Spec Book provides drawings and instructions.
Can
I use my existing posts?
Yes, if the posts are of sufficient
strength and condition. The best way is to cut them off and round the corners
of the protruding stubs just enough so the structural fiberglass 4x4 posts
will slip snugly over them. The fiberglass 4x4 posts attach to the wooden
stubs by assembling the railings to the posts. The bottom railing bracket
secures the post to the wooden stub inside it. The Armor-RailŽ Spec Book provides drawings and instructions
on the various methods of post attachment.
Can
I bolt fiberglass posts to the outside of my deck?
Yes. The best way is to drill
two 1-inch diameter holes (upper and lower) in one face of the posts, and
a 3/8" hole in the opposite face, in line with the larger hole. The small
hole is for lag bolts, screws or through bolts used for fastening the post
to the deck. Be sure to use large galvanized washers for extra strength
around the bolt heads and to prevent damage to the structural fiberglass
post's wall. The larger hole is there to admit a socket so you can tighten
the bolt. If you attach posts in this manner to the outside joists, and if
the railing sections are more than 6 feet long, you will need an Offset Center
Support. Use 1" Hole Plugs to cover the access holes. See diagrams and
instructions in Section 1c of the Spec
Book.
Can
I attach one end of a railing section to a wall instead of using a post?
Yes, if the wall is structurally
capable. Simply attach the end brackets of the railing section to the wall,
instead of a post or column. Use attachment hardware (not supplied) appropriate
to the surface.
How do
I use structural fiberglass columns to support a porch roof?
Simply substitute 4x4-inch or
5x5-inch structural pultruded fiberglass columns in place of - or in addition
to - 4x4 posts in your deck design. The end brackets of the railing section
attach to the fiberglass columns the same as to the posts. If you use 5x5
columns, be sure to take the extra width into account when calculating
the length of the railing sections. Diagrams and instructions are in the
Spec Book.
How do
I install posts on concrete or masonry?
The simplest way is to attach a Flush
Mount Bracket to the concrete or masonry surface using Tapcon fasteners.
The alternative method is as follows:
Drill two 1/2-inch diameter holes
into the concrete or masonry surface. The holes should be about six inches
deep, approximately two inches apart, and they should be located within
the area enclosed by the hollow end of the post when in its installed position.
Insert a 14" piece of 3/8" diameter
steel rebar in each hole and bond it into place with epoxy. After the
epoxy has set, slide the fiberglass 4x4 post over the rebar. Slightly bend
the rebar so that the fit is tight and snug. Attach the railing brackets
and railing in the normal way, and insure that the post is square and plumb.
Remove the top cap and fill the
inside of the post with concrete to a height of about eight inches. Reinstall
the cap. The Armor-RailŽ Spec Book provides
drawings and instructions on these methods of post attachment to concrete
or masonry surfaces.
How do the railing sections attach?
Snap the rail supports onto the
ends of the railing sections and use the supplied screws to attach the
rail to the posts. Drilling a pilot hole is recommended. Attach the bottom
rail first. The screws that hold the railing section to the post are long
enough to attach the post to the Flush Mount Bracket. It's a simple installation.
If the length of a rail section is six feet or more, snap the supplied
center support to the center of the rail section.
The Armor-RailŽ Spec Book provides drawings and instructions.
How
do I deal with steps and stairs?
Armor-RailŽ makes most stair
railing installations a breeze. First determine the slope of your steps.
Most manufactured units are Standard Slope, which means you can use our
ingenious angle brackets and pre-assembled railing sections. Remember to
use one size longer post at the bottom of the stairs than the intermediate
and top posts. Install the stair brackets, install the railing section, and
you're done. If your stairs are other than Standard Slope, you can use Armor-Rail
Adjustable Slope Stair Railing. This system allows you to orient the pickets
to the angle needed to accommodate a wide range of stair slopes. Armor-Rail
Victorian Stair Railing has its own system of re-angle-able mounting brackets
to adjust for non-standard slope stairs. For more detailed information,
see the Armor-RailŽ Spec Book, which
provides drawings and instructions for all of the stair railing systems.
How can I tell if my steps are Standard Slope?
Standard Slope steps have a 7"
rise and a 11" tread, or approximately 32 degrees from horizontal. To determine
whether your stairs are of standard slope, measure the rise, not counting
the thickness of the step itself, and then measure the tread, not counting
any lip or overhang. If these are 7 inches and 11 inches, respectively,
then your steps are Standard Slope.
What happens if I use Standard Slope Stair Railing
on a step that isn't standard?
The pickets for a stair railing
should be plumb, even though the rails themselves approximate the slope of
the stairs. If you use Standard Slope Railing on a step that isn't standard,
the pickets won't be vertical, and the railing wont be parallel to the slope
of the stairs. Functionality is probably not hindered, but it won't look
quite right.
What is the range of adjustability for the Adjustable
Slope Stair Railings?
The Traditional, Classic, and
Clear View Style Adjustable Slope Stair Railings will accommodate slopes
of 10 to 40 degrees. Victorian, Heritage, and Colonial Adjustable Slope
Stair Railings are designed in a different way, because of the shaped top
rail, and will accommodate slopes of 27 to 37 degrees.
How do I wrap
hand rail around a post?
Most building
codes require, and Shakespeare Composite Structures strongly recommends,
the addition of hand rail to all stair railings.
Install the handrail side brackets
on the posts oriented so that the hand rail will be parallel to the stair
rail at the appropriate height. Cut a section of hand rail to size, and
attach up- and down-angles to it. Cut a short section of hand rail and insert
into the angles, and then add a 90-degree angle turn at each post corner.
Add another short section of hand rail and another 90-degree turn. Add the
final short hand rail section and an end cap.
After snapping the hand rail assembly into the side brackets,
secure with set screws (not supplied). The Armor-RailŽ Spec Book provides drawings and instructions.
Can I use Armor-Rail on a wheelchair ramp?
Yes. The usual slope for wheelchair
ramps is within the range of Armor-RailŽ Traditional, Classic, and Clear
View styles. You might have to do some mitering and fitting of the hand
rail, but it will work fine.
Can I install
Armor-Rail around a bay or gazebo?
Yes. You can use 22.5-degree,
30-degree, of 45-degree angle brackets to install Armor-RailŽ Traditional,
Classic, and Clear View style railings around a bay structure or gazebo
application. Only 45-degree angle brackets are available for Victorian,
Heritage, and Colonial styles. Diagrams and instructions are in the Spec Book.
Are the
turned balusters in Armor-Rail's Colonial Style railing structural, like
the other styles?
Yes! All
styles of Armor-RailŽ are structural, including Colonial Style.
Can
I attach railings to a round column?
Yes. The Armor-RailŽ Round Column
Adapter kit accommodates round columns of 8" to 12" diameter. Simply apply
the adapter between the railing mounting bracket and the column during installation.
IMPORTANT: Be sure the column you're mountinfg to is of sufficient structural
strength. See Spec Book.for further information.
How can I determine how many pickets or balusters
I need for an adjustable stair railing?
The number of pickets (or balusters)
needed is the length of the stair railing in inches divided by 3ž (three
and three-fourths) inches.
Further questions?
If your questions aren't answered
here, see the Spec Book, or just call
Shakespeare.
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