ALUMINUM VS. STAINLESS STEEL RAILING SYSTEMS

When it comes to choosing a material for a railing system, architects and building professionals need to weigh the options in terms of their project goals and budgets. Two of the more common base materials for railing systems are aluminum and stainless steel.

Aluminum is a popular choice because the material is strong, lightweight, easy to work with and, when properly separated from more noble metals like stainless steel, rust and corrosion resistant. It is also durable and can handle long-term exposure to most weather, all while keeping its original appearance for many years. This popularity has made aluminum railing systems common for off-the-shelf purchases. Because aluminum is relatively easy to cut to length on-site, it allows the contractor to self-install, thus helping to keep project costs low. It also lends itself to a wide variety of styles. Aluminum railing systems can be designed to look old fashioned or more modern, depending on the railing design. As mentioned, the railings can (and should) be powder coated, which provides not only specific color choices but improves the longevity and durability of the product. Aluminum railings are also easy to maintain and require very little in the way of cleaning. They are also eco-friendly in the sense that the material is recyclable.

While aluminum is a popular choice for many reasons, stainless steel has several advantages over it for railing systems. As a major benefit, the surface hardness and strength of stainless steel is much greater than that of aluminum, making it more scratch resistant, durable, and easier to maintain. This means a stainless railing system is more likely to provide a lifetime of use.

Because stainless steel is a much stronger material, it takes less material to generate an equally strong railing system, which is why aluminum posts and handrails tend to be much larger than their stainless steel counterparts. A “strength-equivalent” stainless steel post is 50 percent thinner than an aluminum post.

Steel has many advantages over aluminum, including strength and longevity. In exterior applications, stainless steel can outlast aluminum by decades with little maintenance. This image shows stainless steel railing configured with a side mount post, cable rail, and flat top rail.

Aside from the strength and maintenance benefits, stainless steel railing systems can be customized by the architect or designer to meet the specific aesthetic and practical needs of the project. Rather than relying on the pre-designed options of aluminum railings, architects can optimize their design to make the most of the sightlines of a deck railing, and provide their clients with a personalized visual aesthetic that meshes seamlessly with the building design.

Stainless steel railings offer a wider variety of infill options that can maximize safety, while minimizing visual obstruction of the surroundings by the railing. For example, in situations where physical safety is of paramount importance, a tempered glass infill may be used to provide a solid barrier between the building occupants and the other side of the railing. Glass infill can also help reduce the impact of the wind, which can also be a hazard on some buildings. The strength and durability of a stainless steel railing system can provide this added level of safety, all while emphasizing a sleek, modern design.

Finally, stainless steel provides a much greater visual impact to the project. While a well-designed aluminum railing system will be functional and can look nice, stainless steel delivers that “wow” factor that makes people stop, look again, and admire.

THE MILL HOUSE

Aluminum posts and handrails tend to be much thicker than their stainless steel counterparts. A “strength-equivalent” stainless steel post is 50 percent thinner than an aluminum post, which can help open up interior spaces and create a more contemporary design.

Building design and construction along the Maine coast presents some challenges unique to the rocky geography and the maritime environment. The rugged coastline is beautiful, and the weather is variable, with hot summer days to wild winter storms, and everything in between. But no matter the weather, residents who choose to live in Maine, either for the summer or year round, do so to appreciate the natural beauty of the area.

In 2014, the Maine chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Maine) awarded its biennial Design Award to the Mill family’s island retreat on Chebeague Island, which is located in Casco Bay, several miles off the coast of Portland. Designed by Carol A. Wilson Architect, the 2,600-square-foot home is built on two acres of land and boasts a 180-degree view of the immediate coastline and seascape. One of the key design features of the house is its railing system, which seamlessly integrates the indoor and outdoor spaces, while providing an added layer of safety for the building occupants.

The patio and porch areas include a cable railing system with sleek post profiles and a flat stainless steel top rail. The thin cabling infill and minimalistic posts helped the designers ensure that the view from the patio was virtually unobstructed, all while gracefully merging the aesthetic of other elements of the home design with the outdoor space. The designer featured the integrated railing system as a way to accent the entire home, rather than simply using it as an afterthought.

The decision to incorporate a prefabricated stainless steel railing system into the Mill House design was prompted in part by the challenges of building on an island: all materials for the project needed to be ferried in from the mainland, and all building waste needed to be ferried out. By selecting a prefabricated railing system, the design-build team benefitted from a custom system that was easy to transport and simple to install, and that minimized waste on the site. Given the parameters of construction on this site, the benefit of having customized railings that did not have to be fabricated on-site saved project time and cost.

But the decision to use a prefabricated stainless steel railing system went beyond the benefits of reducing time and money: the durable nature of stainless steel is ideal for the harsh Maine coast environment, and the railing design options allow for a minimalist aesthetic that does not detract from the view.

A final element of this design choice is that the strength of the stainless steel system meets the safety needs of the structure, while providing a nearly transparent barrier along the porch. The prefabricated system also greatly reduces the chances of injury on the job site, particularly in comparison to having a railing system built and installed by a local fabricator.