Garden Railings: Which Material to Choose and Why You Need Them

Anyone who is a garden enthusiast knows how relaxing and invigorating it can be to walk around and appreciate lush vegetation in different seasons of the year. Maintaining a home garden is an excellent hobby because it can beautify your property and help you relieve the stresses of everyday life. Apart from the plants and flowers that adorn a garden, other things can lend a unique appeal to its appearance. For example, if you want to create sections or install a pathway, garden railings can create that illusion. Railings are also especially useful if your property has cascading garden steps.

Why do you need garden railings?

Depending on the season, garden paths and steps can be particularly slippery. If you have stone paths in your garden, you need to take extra care so that walking around your garden remains safe for everyone. Here are other reasons why you need garden railings:

•        Compliance with building codes. This will depend on the area where you live. Some building codes require that if garden paths consist of four or more rising steps, you need to install railings on the side.

•        Safety measures. Building codes are enacted mainly to ensure safety. It is wise to add garden railings along a path to prevent slips and falls due to a slippery surface or because the trail is covered with rotting leaves and other vegetation.

•        Aesthetic appeal. If you have a formal garden, or one consisting of several sections, railings add to the beauty of the area. Different styles are available to choose from such as classic wrought iron and steel. Iron garden railings often look quite sophisticated and complement flower gardens well.

Because garden railings are versatile, installing them is an excellent idea regardless of the size of your garden or whether or not you have rising garden paths and steps.

Choosing a suitable material

In selecting a material for garden rails, you need to consider weather-resistance. Since rails will be installed in open areas, these will be exposed to the elements and prone to the effects of wear and tear. You may also want to consider the ease of maintenance and how well the material withstands the added issue of plants and vines climbing over it. There are two popular choices for building garden railings:

1.   Wood. Wood is perfect when the weather condition is dry. One advantage of wood is that it is easy to assemble and install. However, eventually, wood will rot when exposed to high amounts of moisture. Apart from this, you need to work more on maintaining wood railings to make them last longer.

2.   Iron or steel. Steel is suitable for any weather condition, especially if it rains a lot where you live. Manufacturers of steel garden railings add a protective coating to prevent them from rusting. Steel railings also look quite beautiful and lend an old-world charm to any garden. Steel is strong, durable, and won’t easily break or bend.

Choosing one over the other is a matter of preference. It also depends on the look or aesthetic you wish to achieve, as well as your budget.

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