What the deck needed … ready-made spindles

Sunset, May, 1988

What the deck needed . . . ready-made spindles

Formal flourishes characterize the shape and railing of this second-floor deck. Its outer edge is shaped almost like a piece of symmetrical molding: straight lines parallel to the house wall connect a convex arc in the center with flanking concave arcs. The ends square off and tie back to the ends of the house.

Echoing the elegance of the deck's shape and new French doors that open onto it are the balusters supporting the railing: 129 ready-made spindles ordered from a hardware store.

The house-long deck replaced a 6- by 12-foot one that provided the house's only outdoor living space. The new one "completely changed our life style," say the owners. It gives them a sunny outdoor area, provides new views, and improves the flow of the house by opening all of the upper-level rooms to the deck.

Owners Ruth and John Pizzo helped in the most painstaking part of construction: all the spindles (they're usually used indoors) had to be sanded, primed, resanded, and painted with two coats of white enamel. Sandwiched at the top and bottom between 1-by-4s running between 36-inch-high posts, the balusters are spaced about 7 inches apart on center. To give the railing additional strength and detail, to top has a cap with rounded edges. Curving sections of the cap rail were cut from 2-by-12 stock to keep the number of joint lines at a minimum.

Designer-builder was Gary Marsh of All Decked Out, Novato, California.

Photo: Curves and angles combine at deck's edge; brown-stained cap rail and posts contrast with white-painted balusters