Project Components
- System: Bay Area Railings RodRail Horizontal Rail System
- Mounting Type: Surface mount
- Post Type: 2x2" Square 6061 Aluminum
- Top Bar Type: 3x1 Aluminum
- Horizontal: 1/2" round aluminum
- Finish: Matte Black Powder Coat
- City: Mill Valley
- Price: Starting at $250 per linear foot installed
Project Overview
This Mill Valley home sits on a wooded hillside, with a deck and walkway wrapping the building among mature oaks and maples. The owners wanted a railing with more presence than cable but far less bulk than balusters.
We built our horizontal rod rail system for this one – round metal rods running horizontally between square posts, with a flat top rail, all powder-coated black. Rod rail sits between our cable and rect rail systems: heavier and more defined than cable, lighter and more open than a flat bar.
Against dark stained cedar and heavy tree canopy, the round profile catches light along its length in a way flat bar does not, so the railing reads as a deliberate detail rather than a barrier. It is a code-compliant railing that holds up to a damp, shaded, leaf-heavy site with no maintenance beyond the occasional wash.