Decking balustrade

[TheAngryDog]

I am in the process of sorting the balustrade on my decking as the existing one is utterly useless.

How sturdy does the balustrade have to be? I see aluminium ones for instance that are just screwed to the stop of the deck, which to me if someone was going to fall, it wouldn't stop them and would collapse with them.

Thanks.

[TheAngryDog]

Equus said:

TheAngryDog said:

How sturdy does the balustrade have to be?
Thanks.

If I told you that the balustrade should be able to resist, as a minimum, the loads given in BS EN 1991-1-1 with its UK National Annex and PD 6688-1-1, would you be any the wiser?

No Even googling just says that it "should be able to resist, as a minimum, the loads given in BS EN 1991-1-1 with its UK National Annex and PD 6688-1-1".

I'll keep on searching, thank you.

Edited by TheAngryDog on Monday 6th July 12:02

[TheAngryDog]

Equus said:

TheAngryDog said:

No Even googling just says that it "should be able to resist, as a minimum, the loads given in BS EN 1991-1-1 with its UK National Annex and PD 6688-1-1".

I'll keep on searching, thank you.

You can probably extrapolate the necessary information from THIS, but apart from the point load test (which is basically done by applying the necessary point load to the handrail/guardiing at mid span on a panel, and checking that deflection doesn't exceed 25mm), it still won't help you much without more comprehensive testing or calculations.

Thanks. Having a look at that has told me what I need to do, and what a lot of people do not seem to do, especially with metal balustrades. Most of them attach to the top of the deck, the guide you linked me to say to attach it to a support below the top level, so I may as well take up the deck edges and attach newel posts to the main joists with coach bolts, at least I will then know that they are nice and secure. Then it's making sure that the rails themselves are well attached so that they aren't easy to fall through.