As any good contractor can tell you, you never know what you’ll find when you start to explore an older cottage.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the interior or exterior, the chances are something unforeseen will pop up and you’ll need to find a quick solution.
Kevin Cardwell of Muskokify says the only way to deal with this is to be fluid and adaptable to almost any situation.
“It happens a lot when it comes to replacing existing railings,” he explains. “Sometimes we’ve found rotten posts that needed to be replaced, in other situations it could be specific joists or blocks, and in a few situations the whole deck needed to be replaced.”
Kevin has spent decades finding and installing the best railings, shutters, screens, and more for his clients. But, even with the best products on the market, the railings can’t be safely installed unless all components of their support system are in good working condition.
This means that sometimes a project that seemed like a simple switch from a traditional railing system to a modern type is delayed because the deck needs repairs.
“There have been more than a couple of times when we found decks that were so rotten, the support beams were crumbling at the touch,” recalls Kevin. “Until all those issues are addressed, you can’t install anything on top of the deck.”
Several options
Once the deck and support system are repaired, though, there is a wide range of railing options available.
Aluminum picket railings offer the look of traditional wooden pickets but with more durability and longevity and almost no maintenance. Frameless glass railings, on the other hand, offer unsurpassed views.
They can also be mixed and matched. At a recent project on Lake of Bays, the property owners put glass railings on the lake side of the building and aluminum pickets on the driveway side.
It’s an appealing look and provides the right amount of function in each area, explains Kevin.
“They wanted those stellar views on their deck to really capture the essence of being at the cottage,” he says. “On the other side, they wanted safety and a nice look at a more modest price point. The aluminum looks great – it’s a nice, sleek black tone that goes well with the rest of the exterior look. Both the glass railings and aluminum are very low maintenance and will last decades.”
TEXT CHRIS OCCHIUZZI
PHOTOS SCOTT TURNBULL
