Aluminum Railings - Post Top System...
The Post Top railing styles, shown below, have a more traditional look than Panel / Post systems since the Top Rail (hand rail) sits atop the posts creating the sleek look of a one-piece, continuous railing.
This type of railing is often preferred for a balcony, a commercial railing or, even, an upscale deck railing.
Post Top aluminum railings are available in both Residential / Commercial grade (3/4" balusters) and Industrial grade (1" balusters).
Post Top Railing Styles...
All these aluminum railing styles are available in both 36" and 42" heights.
All railing panels come in standard 6' and 8' widths. We can also provide shorter panels in 1' increments (3', 4', 5' and 7'). Panels can be field trimmed to meet exact needs at installation time. If you provide us a sketch, hand-drawn or computer generated, via fax or e-mail, we will do our best to quote sections that come closest to your exact measurements. This will help minimize cutting and wasted material.
Installation Method...
The Top Rail is secured to the posts from underneath using connector plates. No posts extend above the top railing.
Corners, Ends and transitions to stairs are all accomplished using "caps" and connectors. For example, a corner is made as a separate cap and the Top Rails butt up against it from either side. (See photo below.)
The Post Top railing designs always employ hidden fastener rail ends for
the bottom and any middle rails on three rail styles.
The two exceptions to the hidden faster rail ends are installing between
existing objects (walls, deck posts, etc.) and on stairs.
When installing panels between columns a
"tabbed" rail end is required. One is shown here to the left.
Middle and bottom rails on stair railings always use Adjustable Rail Ends to accommodate the angle of the
stairs, see the Install Stair Railings
page for more info.
Where
Top Rails Meet...
The Top Rails on a Post Top system butt up against each other,
as shown in this photo, creating a clean, almost invisible seam, where necessary.
Both rails are then secured to the post from below with
a Connector Plate. The Hamilton Top Rail design is shown in the photo.
For a better understanding of how these systems work, see
Install Post Top Railings.
Or, you may click Panel/ Post for an overview of our other type of Aluminum Railing System.
Request A Free, No Obligation Aluminum Railing Quote
Save This Page 
