# Exterior railing/safety for a second story door with out a deck. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-railing-safety-for-a-second-story-door-with-out-a-deck/424344 "2007-10-28T16:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-railing-safety-for-a-second-story-door-with-out-a-deck/424344/1 "2007-10-28T16:18:04Z")
What is this called? I am finishing up our 2 story addition and want to put off the second story deck. In fact we may never put a deck on the second story. Change of plans, now we have a door to a 10 foot drop. I’d rather not switch it over to a window. And who knows, perhaps a deck someday. I’ve seen this on small hotels and such. It’s usually a decorative, wrot iron piece about 4 feet wide by 4 feet high. Bolts to the side of the house on the outside to keep people from making a first step into a 10 foot drop. I think I could go to a business that makes security storm doors, and they could whip one right up. Though I don’t know if it has a name. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-railing-safety-for-a-second-story-door-with-out-a-deck/424344/2 "2007-10-28T16:53:15Z")
A window balustrade. [Window balustrade.](http://archicentre.com.au/theterraces/gallery/FEB200517_0013.jpg) [Outside view.](http://archicentre.com.au/theterraces/gallery/FEB200517_0018.jpg) [Wrought iron window balustrade.](http://www-dcf.ds.mpg.de/Allgemein/Updates/2006_09_01_Paris/Fenster.jpg) [French window balustrade.](http://www.verdigrismetals.co.uk/balcony%20balustrades/charley%20forged%20steel%20balustrade%207%20thumb.jpg) [Son of French window balustrade.](http://www.verdigrismetals.co.uk/balcony%20balustrades/ang%20french%20windows%20balustrade.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-railing-safety-for-a-second-story-door-with-out-a-deck/424344/3 "2007-10-28T17:00:41Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] A window balustrade. [/quote] Bingo. Didn’t know what it was called. Decatur eh? Lived in Towanda, near Bloomington/Normal from 1969-1975. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-railing-safety-for-a-second-story-door-with-out-a-deck/424344/4 "2007-10-28T17:18:21Z")
Contact an ornamental iron shop to produce that. My local pricing would indicate ~ $100 (unpainted). ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-railing-safety-for-a-second-story-door-with-out-a-deck/424344/5 "2007-10-28T17:33:40Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] Contact an ornamental iron shop to produce that. My local pricing would indicate ~ $100 (unpainted). [/QUOTE] That’s what I’m thinking. I’m 100 miles from anyone that can do it so it may take a little sneaker shuffle. My Mom had custom built steel security/storm doors made for her house. So I might contact them. I gotta come up with a design though. We are in a mountain contemporary home. A curvy design does not fit too well (angles and glass). I don’t really want it to look like a jail either. Hmmmm….. perhaps something that incorporates a flower box……