Our dowel balustrade is manufactured  exclusively from hardwood materials. This is because hardwood is more durable than pine and able to span longer distances.

Wooden balustrade can be used to frame a front porch or patio, or along the edges of a parapet. It can be purely decorative, or a safety feature. Adding a front porch with a classic wooden balustrade can entirely change the appearance of your house – and add considerable value – both intrinsic and monetary.

Dowel Balustrade gives a great finish to Queenslander and Victorian style homes and can be used internally.

We make two styles of dowel balustrade, with a variation on each.

• Contemporary style with a round top rail and a round bottom rail (2 rail) with dowels in between. Designed with the home handyman in mind. Do It Yourself  installation where the  newels are pre- drilled to slip over the top and bottom rails.
  
• Traditional style with ladies waist handrail, rectangle bottom rail and dowels in between.

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VARIATIONS OF DOWEL BALUSTRADE

Most of the common types of wooden balustrades are dowel balustrades, using wooden dowels as balusters that fit into a top and bottom railing. As simple as that sounds, you’ll find a surprising variety of designs for dowel balustrades that vary in complexity.

A natural wood dowel balustrade can be a unique accent that gives your house a touch of elegance, or firmly declares it as belonging to a particular period or design era. From the simplest pattern of wooden dowel balustrade to the most complex set of double rail balusters, a wooden dowel balustrade is sure to increase both the curb appeal and the value of your home.

Classic styles of wood dowel balustrade are:

2 Rail Dowel Balustrade

The simplest dowel balustrade design uses plain wooden dowels fitted into top and bottom rails. The dowels are evenly spaced across the entire width of each panel of the balustrade.

A simple variation of a 2 rail dowel balustrade can be created by varying the spacing of the dowels in a pattern. By setting the dowels into the rails in clusters – three together with three inches between them, then a six inch space before the next cluster of three, for instance – you can create a patterned wood dowel balustrade that is unique and attractive.

2 Rail Dowel Balustrade With Fretwork Panels

Another way to vary the design of a dowel balustrade is by fitting fretwork wood panels into the top and bottom rails at intervals. A flat wood panel with a cutout design – perhaps a monogram, or simple stenciled flower design – accents the simplicity of the spaced wooden dowels that surround it.

3 Rail Dowel Balustrade

A more complex pattern for a wooden balustrade uses three rails rather than just a top and bottom railing for a dowel balustrade. The bottom and middle railing are set at the standard distance from each other. The third rail is 6 to 8 inches above the second, forming a double railing at the top of the balustrade. In addition, the placement of the dowels between the two separate sets of rails creates another design element.

There are other variations that combine the above styles of dowel balustrade – 3 rail balustrades with fretwork, for instance, or a two rail balustrade with double footing. Regardless of the style chosen, a simple wooden dowel balustrade can be one of the most attractive ways to finish your new stairway, patio or porch