# Porch baluster spacing



## NC-SC GC

IBC / IRC requirements is a maximum of 4" BETWEEN the pickets not O.C., unless they are not plumb, then the code states a 6" sphere cannot pass through. 

Simple way to do it is cut a small block 3 3/4 (to be safe) get the center of your run and work it both ways using the block, as long as you made the first one plumb you will have no reason to use the level again. When your finished it will have the professional look with proper spacing.


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## sawduster

OK, for what it's worth, I've just joined here, and have been reading posts all day.

This is the first one I've been inclined to add my 2 cents to!

Spacing ballastry isn't all that difficult. 

Measure between your two newels/posts what ever, add 2x the minimum diameter/cross section of your baluster to it. Example: A square 2x baluster/spindle might be 3" and , but a turned baluster might be only 5/8" at the top, and there fore 1-1/4". Therefore, an 8' run would either be 8'-3"s or 8"-1-1/4"s total. (It's totally driven but how large your baluster is!) 

Again add the minimum diameter/cross section of your ballaster to 4" and divide the total run (see above) by that number. This, will give you the number of balusters you need. Round that number down (or up if you are feeling lucky!) Again divide your total run by that number, and that will give you a uniform center to center spacing, but you need to subtract half the width of your minimum baluster from the first measurement from your newel/post.

OK I meant to make this easier, and I hope I did. But after a re-read! Good luck! 

(I might mention, that AutoCad works well too!)


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## neolitic

Welcome to explaining construction
without drawing on scrap lumber
or waving your hands. :clap::laughing:


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## sawduster

Thank you neo, but I posted before I reviewed! And had to re-cut, oh I mean edit! *another dumbass has jioned*!


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## ctm603

after much futzing and frustration, I made an excel wizard so I'd never be confused again. Hope it helps!!!


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## KennMacMoragh

I've done it two different ways. 

#1. I've tired calculating the gap between each one and cutting a spacer block for it. That works o.k but when I get to the end, my spacing is always a little bit off. Then I have to adjust the last couple of them to make it work out right. 

#2. I've done it with a combination square through trial and error. I measure the total span and take a good guess at what the on center spacing will be. Then I set my combination square to that number and lay out each picket on the rails. If it's off, then I adjust it accordingly.

Each way seemed to work fine. I am pretty decent at math, so I can figure out how big to cut a spacer block in just a few minutes and then run it through my calculator for each panel. That's if I'm using the first method. It seems to me, if I had to do a whole bunch of railing panels, my first method would work better. If I had to do a small deck, or just a repair, the second method works better.

As for the guys that use a 2 x4 to space each one, or the ones who just start in the middle and lay out each one the same in each direction. I suppose that works and it would look o.k, but to me that just seems like a lazy way to do it. I've seen railings that were done like that. The gaps on the end is always smaller than the gaps in the middle. Or the gap on one end will be smaller than the gap on the other end. And if you look at it, it can look a bit sloppy. It looks more professional when every gap is exactly the same. 

Anyway, here is my method of doing the calculation. The other methods confused me, and I usually don't carry a computer on the job site. I would write this down and carry a calculator that can do feet and inches. 

Total span is distance between posts. This is assuming 1.5 inch pickets, picket on each end, 4 inch max gap.

(total span - 1.5)/5.5 = (# of gaps), round up
(# of gaps + 1) = (# of pickets)

Then take that many pickets, shove them all together and pull your tape on them. That's your total picket width.

(total span) - (total picket width) = total gap width
(total gap width) / (# of gaps) = spacing between pickets.

That's how big to cut your spacer.


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## SLSTech

Seeing we are reopening a 2006 post for about the 5th time... 



Greg Di said:


> I've always wondered why anyone would settle for being an inspector when they could make much more money building things instead.


Confucius say
Those that can't do - teach
Those that can't teach - inspect

Great info in here though, all I can say is thank god for scrap wood & a construction calculator


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## KennMacMoragh

Greg Di said:


> I've always wondered why anyone would settle for being an inspector when they could make much more money building things instead.


That's not entirely true. I've heard that too, that inspectors don't make any money. However, I've been an inspector before, and if you work your way up, you can make a decent amount. Same with being a carpenter, you can make a little bit, or you can work your way up and make a lot. Funny thing is I find it takes more brains being a carpenter than an inspector. But inspection is a lot easier on your body.


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## BuiltByMAC

KennMacMoragh said:


> As for the guys that use a 2 x4 to space each one, or the ones who just start in the middle and lay out each one the same in each direction. I suppose that works and it would look o.k, but to me that just seems like a lazy way to do it. I've seen railings that were done like that. The gaps on the end is always smaller than the gaps in the middle. Or the gap on one end will be smaller than the gap on the other end. And if you look at it, it can look a bit sloppy. It looks more professional when every gap is exactly the same.
> 
> 
> (total span) - (total picket width) = total gap width
> (total gap width) / (# of gaps) = spacing between pickets.
> 
> That's how big to cut your spacer.


How professional is it for one set of gaps between two posts to be different from the next set of gaps? With your method, the gap spacing on a hr section that is 6' wide would be different from the gap spacing on a hr section that is 5' wide. If those two sections are next to each other, the eye will catch that the balusters are spaced differently from one section to the next. I would think that seeing a handrail like that would stand out more than one that had every gap at 3 7/8" with the end gaps varying...

Mac


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## KennMacMoragh

BuiltByMAC said:


> How professional is it for one set of gaps between two posts to be different from the next set of gaps? With your method, the gap spacing on a hr section that is 6' wide would be different from the gap spacing on a hr section that is 5' wide. If those two sections are next to each other, the eye will catch that the balusters are spaced differently from one section to the next. I would think that seeing a handrail like that would stand out more than one that had every gap at 3 7/8" with the end gaps varying...
> 
> Mac


Because if you plan out where to put your railing posts, they should all be close to the same. You shouldn't have a 5' and a 6' section. True the first poster said he's repairing an old railing. But he said they could vary from 7' to 8'. With sections that big, the spacing shouldn't vary more than 1/8" using my method. And you're not going to see that. 

If you had a 5' section next to a 3' section and the spacing ended up calculating to be 3/4" different. Then I could see how it would look dumb. If that was the case I would improvise and space them out as good as I could. 

But personally with all the railings I've looked at, I've never seen that stand out before. I have seen lots of railings where the first gap is about 2 1/2", the rest are 4". And it just doesn't look professional to me.


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## Kent Whitten

Big Dave said:


> I wonder who measured to decide that a baby's head is bigger than 4"


10cm's (4" ballpark) is when the doctor tells her to push. Who knows if that's where it came from, but after 4 kids, I know it's 10 cm's, the size of that doctors fist. :laughing:

I've seen this question come up and I've tried explaining it to a few people the best I can without confusing them. It is really quite simple to figure out. 

First, you need to understand that you lay out your ballusters/pickets equal (IMO) and you need to be UNDER 4". The way the code book will read to some inspectors is that a 4" ball CANNOT fit through your ballusters, which means 4" spacing is not to code.

Next, you will need to figure the AMOUNT of ballusters that will leave you less than a 4" opening and it depends on which way you like to lay out your ballusters. I've seen it done 2 ways. A balluster on the ends of your railing attached to the post, or no ballusters attached. Dividing the opening by 5.5" is usually good enough to get your count but not always. Round up on your count.

Next, how to figure it out. Being a framer by trade, it has always been about layout to the side of your piece, not the middle. It's more accurate this way anyway, so just do it! You need to understand WHERE to start and end for your measurements that will give you the measurements you need. I drew a simple layout example to show you.










Now, out in the field, I would suggest you have a construction master handy to quickly do the math. If you have a simple calculator and know how to convert decimals and such, you'd be fine also. And if you're good at hand math, then that'll work also. Construction master is just better and quicker.



.


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## skymaster

Man oh man and here all these years I thought I knew how ROFLOL.
Wow does all this make my head spin. 
All I have ever done and it works: decide on centers: IE 3 3/4 space plus the spindle IE 1 1/2 ok that is 5 1/4, measure the entire space and divide by that number. You get a whole number and a fraction. take that remainder add to it the 5 1/4, divide that in half, that is the center of the first spindle, run the 5 1/4, you get the same space at the end. 
Just like framing joists first one is 15 1/4 then 16 it all works out everytime.


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## KennMacMoragh

skymaster said:


> Man oh man and here all these years I thought I knew how ROFLOL.
> Wow does all this make my head spin.


I know, everyone says it's easy yet everyone has a different way of doing it and everyones method confuses everyone else, haha. Oh well, use whichever way makes the most sense to you.


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## orange Garrison

what ever code is in your area just start from center asnd work your way out!remember to take a count of needed balisters odd number, balister on center ,even, space on center. works for me!


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## boydsdodge

I take total run of railing + spindle width and devide it with spindle + space I want. Then round off the number you get and that is your amount of spindles you will need, now take the spindle amount and devide that into your first number which is the total length of railing plus spindle width.
96"+1.5" = 97.5" devide by 4.5 (1.5" spindle 3" space) =21.6 round that number off 22, that is the number of spindles you will need.
Now devide 97.5 by 22 =4.431818181
On your calculator when you get that total just put in 4.43 hit += and you will see that it will give you the next measurment for your next spindle placement. 4.43" +=8.86" then hit = again and you get 13.29" = 17.72" so on and so on.........
I hope that helps. I bought a construction calculator so it tellls me what 13.29 is in inches but I did do it for years using my brain.
4.43"= I think four and three eights of an inch close for what I am trying to tell you.


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## Burby

Here are some rails I did this past spring on a deck I built, it was about $48,000.00 there abouts. The H/O was confused as to the design she wanted for her rails, so I compromised and gave her 2 designs in one, hahaha, Her & Husband loved it so how could one go wrong? 
No calculator ever pulled out, tape only to mark my centers, just lucky and the more experience on has the more luck one has I believe.
Lay out one time with center marks, what ever is needed to equal on the ends, you make the adjustments as pickets are fastened, (everything here is screwed, I never nail, deck boards, pickets & rails, fastened with screws, post are thru bolts. 
The final details & finish coat of paint has not been completed on everything when these pics were taken, but it offers the idea. 
Every picket spacing is 3 3/4 to 3 7/8 to ensure no 4" object would fit between the pickets. As soon as deck boards were completed, the deck was being used by the H/Os hahaha. But we have worked together for over 16 years & they wanted to begin furniture placement, not actual use as with company & or children.


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## KennMacMoragh

That's a cool railing, where did you get that design?


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## Burby

KennMacMoragh said:


> That's a cool railing, where did you get that design?


From the H/O going round & round on wanting a different design than all others. :thumbup:

After we talked for an hour or so after she had spent days trying to come up with something different, I came home made a sample rail section, emailed her the pic & reply was "I love it, let's use that design"

here is the pick I sent her. Once approved I premade all the sections, including prime & 1 finish coat to allow spray painting the sections, prior to delivery & install. Worked great :thumbsup:


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## boman47k

I like the design, but do wonder about the impact resistance of the diagonals.


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## Burby

boman47k said:


> I like the design, but do wonder about the impact resistance of the diagonals.


It should exceed typical pickets that are nailed together.
Each picket on these rails are screwed in place, no nails at all. 
Bottom screws are 3" SS, top screws are 2" SS, then 2" again to fasten the top 1x rail in pic to top hand rail of deck, with 3 1/2" SS screws to secure bottom rails to deck post. 
The caulking applied is NP1, not latex. Not that the caulking is a fastner, but caulk two boards together with NP1 (bought at all roof supply stores).
You may agree it could be used as a fastener or at the least in part of a fastner system.


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