The part everyone touches
On a covered deck the rail is the piece people lean on, set a drink on and look past. It has two jobs that pull against each other: be solid enough that nobody thinks about it, and stay out of the way of the view. Action Installations designs its handrails to be safe without looking bulky or out of place, which is the right instinct on a deck where the view is the whole point.
The company says it installs every railing as a licensed, bonded and insured contractor, and that the result on your stairs, decks and patios is fully up to code. That is their own statement of the standard, and it sits next to a lifetime guarantee on the installation. Rails are built for the wind, rain and snow the Northwest delivers, since a rail lives outdoors all year.
Glass, pickets or cable
Glass is the choice when the view is the reason for the deck. Panels keep the sightline open, which matters on waterfront decks and anywhere the cover above is glass too, and they stop wind without stopping light. Action Installations offers modern glass systems for exactly that job, and the photos further down this page include glass-railed decks and a balcony.
Picket railing is the traditional answer and works with almost any style of house. Vertical pickets read as part of the building rather than an add-on, and they suit stairs and long runs where a classic look is wanted. The company customizes each installation to the style of the home or business, so the pickets are matched to the building instead of bolted on as a generic kit.
Cable rail is the third option on their handrail list, and the photos show it under black-framed glass covers: thin horizontal lines that hold the edge of the deck while the water stays in view beyond. It is the lightest of the three looks, and it suits a deck where you want a rail that is present for safety and nearly absent for the eye.
Rail that belongs with the cover
A rail and a roof built by separate crews tend to disagree: one frame color on the cover, another on the rail, posts that do not line up with the cover's beams. Because Action Installations builds covers and handrails both, the two can be planned together, with a matching frame color and posts that land where the structure expects them.
On a waterfront deck the view decides the rail. Glass or cable keeps the water in sight from a chair, and a picket rail suits the side of the deck that faces the yard. One deck can use more than one. The estimate is free and held on site, so the options can be held up against the actual deck, with sample pieces in hand.
