Up here in Duluth, our weather is very difficult. Whether you are dealing with heavy lake-effect snow loads sitting on top of your deck or clay-heavy soils shifting during the spring thaw, your outdoor living space takes a serious beating year-round. When you are looking at adding or replacing a railing system, you cannot just slap it together and hope for the best. Duluth Custom Decks sees what works on local homes, from the hillside neighborhoods down to Park Point, and what you need to know for Deck Construction and Railing Installation in Duluth, MN.
Timing Your Railing Installation Around Duluth Weather
Timing is very important when you are working outdoors in northern Minnesota. If you try to anchor posts into frozen ground or pour concrete footings when the temperature is hovering below freezing, you are asking for trouble. Frost heave can push posts out of alignment before the concrete even cures properly.
Duluth Custom Decks generally tells homeowners that late spring through early fall is the best window for any major deck work. Once the ground thaws completely and stabilizes, usually by late May or June, we have a solid window of workable weather. Fall can also work well before the freezing winds off Lake Superior start chilling your bones, but you will want to beat the first hard freeze.
How Local Conditions Affect Your Materials
Different materials handle our extreme temperature swings in their own ways. Wood shrinks and swells as it goes from humid summer days to sub-zero winter nights, which can loosen fasteners over time. Aluminum and composite railing systems hold up much better against the elements, resisting the warping and cracking that drive homeowners crazy.
- Metal systems will not rot or splinter under heavy snow packs.
- Composite sleeves protect wood posts from moisture intrusion.
- Properly spaced balusters prevent safety issues when the wind howls.
Duluth Custom Decks makes sure every post anchor and bracket is rated to withstand high winds and heavy loads so you do not end up with a wobbly handrail after a heavy winter.
Protecting Your Investment Year-Round
Once your railings are up, keeping them secure means staying ahead of the seasons. Take a walk around your deck every fall and spring. Check for loose bolts, especially where the posts tie into the rim joists. Clear heavy drifting snow off the deck rather than letting it pile against the lower sections of the railing, which can trap moisture as it slowly melts during those brief winter thaw days.
For homes and businesses in Duluth, Duluth Custom Decks provides Deck Construction and Railing Installation services.