Front garden railings in Dublin: what to know before ordering
Front railings do more work than people give them credit for. They define the boundary, stop a small child reaching the footpath and set the character of the house from the street. In much of Dublin they also have to sit comfortably beside a century of existing ironwork.
Matching the street
On Victorian and Edwardian streets across Rathmines, Ranelagh, Phibsborough and Drumcondra, the original railing pattern is usually still visible somewhere on the terrace. Copying the spacing, the bar diameter and the head detail matters more than copying the exact finial, because it is the rhythm the eye reads.
For newer estates the choice is freer. A plain vertical bar railing with a flat top rail looks clean and does not date, and it costs less than any decorative pattern.
Height and the 100mm rule
Most Dublin front railings sit somewhere between 600mm and 1100mm above the wall, depending on whether the wall is already substantial. Where there is a drop of any height behind the railing, guarding requirements apply and gaps should not allow a 100mm sphere through.
If the railing is purely a boundary at ground level with no drop, the regulations are less prescriptive, but the 100mm spacing is still worth following where children are around.
Fixing into an old wall
Original railings were usually set into lead in the capping stone, and removing them often leaves damaged or drilled out pockets. A new railing can be core drilled and resin anchored into sound masonry, or set on a base plate fixed to the capping.
Old granite and limestone cappings are worth preserving. We survey the wall before quoting, because a crumbling capping may need repair by a stonemason before any steel is fixed to it.
Finish and lifespan
Hot dip galvanising followed by powder coating is the finish we recommend for front railings. Black is the traditional choice in Dublin, but any RAL colour is available. Paint alone on bare steel will need repainting within a few years in Irish weather.
Send us a photo of the wall and a measurement along the front, and we will quote the railing including gates and posts.
Want this priced for your own job? Send us your drawings or a photo and we will come back with a fixed price, usually within one working day.
Common questions
Need this done properly? Talk to the workshop.
Send us drawings, a sketch or a site photo. We come back with a fixed price and a firm lead time, usually within one working day.