Quick Tip for Spacing Balusters Evenly | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2024
- In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor a quick, simple trick for spacing balusters evenly, and it doesn’t even require math.
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General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor a quick, cheap, and accurate way to space balusters during a railing project. This simple trick involves a trip to the fabric store for an elastic band, a tape measure, and some careful alignment to perfectly place balusters without complicated math and fractions.
Don’t Overthink Baluster Spacing
Most porch or deck projects require baluster installation, and this can be a challenging step. The balusters require even spacing that also meets code (typically 4 inches or less between balusters). And, the space between rails rarely ends up being perfectly divisible with whole numbers. This can lead to askew spacing and eye-catching mistakes. Guess what? It’s avoidable.
Head to the Fabric Store
If you want to space your balusters perfectly, evenly, and quickly, the first step is heading to the fabric store and buying a piece of elastic band (approximately 60 inches long). Grab a permanent marker while you’re there as well, as this project will require both.
Make a Measuring Guide
When elastic is pulled, it stretches evenly across its length. That makes it the perfect guide for spacing balusters (with a little prep work, of course).
Lay the elastic band out on a flat work surface. Place a weight such as a coffee mug or book on either end of the band to remove the wrinkles, but do not stretch it yet. Using a ruler or tape measure, use the permanent marker to mark the band with a single line across the width of the band spaced every 4 inches.
Use the Guide
Using the guide to space balusters between posts is simple. Place a piece of scrap baluster flush with the inside edge of one of the posts. Holding the band so that one of the marks aligns with the inside edge of the other post, stretch the band until a mark aligns with the far outside edge of the scrap baluster. Place a baluster along each of the marks for perfect spacing.
Note: Place the balusters to the side of the marks in the same orientation as the scrap baluster against the post. For example, if the scrap baluster is to the left of the mark, each baluster should also be to the left of the corresponding mark.
Where to find it?
Tom used a length of fabric elastic to measure out the railing and placed a dot every 4 inches across the band. He then stretched the band across the length of the railing starting at the front of the first post and ending about a couple inches into the end post to account for the thickness of the baluster. He then places the balusters to the left of each marked dot on the elastic which are now equally distanced all the way across.
Fabric elastic [amzn.to/3PFUShF] can be found at local fabric stores.
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Quick Tip for Spacing Balusters Evenly | Ask This Old House
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This program is a classic, a benchmark for home repairs, its members are professionals who are already part of our family, thank you.
I’m surprised it hasn’t been banned for being too White. I guess whenever BLM says it’s racist they will end it or add transgenders gays lesbians and all blacks. It’s only a matter of time
You never cease to amaze me, Tom!
Thanks for sharing this tip.
That is a great tip.
I wish I knew that last month when I made a railing...
The best tip I have seen yet, many thanks !!!!!
Best trick on the internet for spacing!!! Thanks Tommy and TOH
Great tip guys!
You guys are awesome. 👍
Thanks guys!
So clever!
That is an excellent tip 👍
Oh my gosh, this is ingenious.
holy smokes, that's brilliant!
Simple and quick
Love it
Clever. I just determined the spacing I wanted then cut a scrap piece of wood to that width and used it as a spacer. Just slide the spacer each time you secure a balaster. You can space it out beforehand without securing to make sure it looks right.
They spent the first 15 seconds of the video explaining that they don't have all day for doing that. And then you comment back that you 'just' do that making it sound like it's easier 🤪 Never ending loop. TOH: We don't have time to measure and divide, just do this! Doug: I don't have time to do that, i just measure and divide!
Ese es el que yo uso 😅
You dont have time to measue and do one sinple basic math problem, Yet you have time to.... measure a bunch of 4 inch marks and have the time to go get a freaking elastic band?!?! Makes total sense
Tom is the Bob Ross of carpentry!
Another method is figure out how many spaces, divide that into inside dimension and set balusters on center marks.
Great show online or on TV. Off topic, should I add my solar, backup batter, and upgrade to a 200amp panel before or after I do an addition to my house. Sorry for the randomness.
What an amazing idea!
Clever tip👍✌️
Brilliant!!!!!
That's brilliant!
Just measure the distance, measure the ballaster. Web sites tell you how to space.
After going bananas for an hour trying to use a tape measure this worked like a charm.
I wonder if anyone makes a special tape measure for this purpose?
I made a jig of 4” to space mine works good that’s intriguing idea
Your idea of making spacers is great but it doesn't account for the 4x4 that is less than 4" or the 2x2 balusters that are not 2". You keep winding up with some odd spaces at the ends.
So how do you know how long the elastic band is before stretching it. How do you know how many marks to put on the elastic band. Do you divide the distance between posts and decide by the code/4 inches?
Dumber than Kamala.
Inside to inside measure (between Newels )plus 1 baluster width
Divided by desired space (4”) and one baluster width
Gives number of units (Usually round up )
Then take the original number ( inside to inside of newel , plus one baluster width) divided by
number of units ( rounded up)
Will give you the far layout line
(Not center ) For actual space between baluster to baluster (fillet) minus one baluster width
I think that right ? Lol
mint
Genius!
That was frankly amazing.
Yeah now try doing that on an incline or where you have 2 different distances.
I'm glad they revisited this trick. In this earlier video Tommy puts it in action "How to Build a Porch Rail" ruclips.net/video/q41UfUof21Q/видео.html. It's one of my top Tommy videos.
Find the center and use a block for spacing out from center
That ain’t all ways give you equal spacing to the post tho . His way gives it equal to posts
@@Ha-kf6ge ... once you figure the first set you can make a story poll to do more.
How long of elastic do u need wth
Is there a rule for the length of the elastic? For example, the distance between posts less 6 inches?
the code says "less than 4 inches between" so as long as you have that you are good.
isnt there a small app someone can cookup that can split that measurement into however many balusters I need?
Yes actually. Its called the calculator app. Its simple. You take the total distance in inches (which you should already know since im assuming youre the one who just cut the freaking thing) and enter that into the calculator app and hit the button that has a line with a dot above it and below it (looks like this> ÷) then the number 4. After that hit the button that looks just like that button but without the dots (looks like this> -) then the number 1. Now the important part, hit the button that has the two parallel lines running horizontally to each other (looks like this> =) and wallah theres the number of blasters you need.
Did not work for me. I tried marks at 2 inches thatI saw on previous video and 4 inch marks on this video and the marks are not an even distance apart. FAILURE I really hoped it would work. 😢
Go tommy
So, this is great BUT.... what length of elastic do you use? If I have a 3 foot piece of elastic and I have 6 feet between posts, does this work??
My question also
It doesn't. No resectable carpenter would ever use this "trick". For many reasons. One that you mentioned. Another is if you have 2 rails that are 2 different distances another is it wouldn't work on an incline for stairs. He says he doesnt have time for measurements yet he should already know the freakimg measurement cause im assuming hes the one that just cut the freaking top and bottom boards. And if not hes going to have to find the time to measure the distance eventually. This is just silly.
I did this with 2 different elastic bands. One I drew 2” increments, the other I did in 4” increments. I could not get consistent spacing on either. I’m frustrated!
Yeah cause no respectable carpenter determines spacing using a freaking elastic band. For many reasons but especially one like you nention. What if you have 2 different distances? What if you are on a incline like stairs? That "trick" wouldnt remotely work.
Where I live at in this small town we funny have a code enforcement officer. So most people balusters are 6-8 inches apart
Good for you. I live in place with no codes
@@marekkrepa9982 Then it's up to yourself to make your environment safe. And be careful around other people their contraptions who don't care for safety. I think i would just move to a first world country instead of risking getting into silly accidents.
He must be a funny code enforcement officer if hes allowing 6 to 8 inches between balusters. I dont know anywhere in the states thats legal.
@@bradsanders407 my brother is the code enforcement officer and he doesn’t care what we do. Makes his job alot easier.
I'm guessing this works the same for stair rails?
Haha yeah right. And good luck if you have 2 different distances.
That's a slick trick that doesn't require any real math. For my money, if I was doing a deck / porch I would lay out the first one like this then transfer the marks to a story pole for the rest. That way your spacing is uniform to the eye, all across the project. Any odd spaces can be adjusted for on the ends (+/- half inch?) and you won't notice if the rest are even.
And what happens if your posts are not exactly the same width?
@@sparks6666 ... balusters and posts are not the same size in the first place.
Umm.. they should be.
@@bradsanders407 in a perfect world on new construction, yes, they should be. Retrofits, repairs, or home that's 100+ years old, no such luck. There's always a fudge factor.
Lol years of college and then this
Lol
This video doesn't SHOW how to mark the elastic ACCURATELY. It doesn't prove at the end that it works either, by measuring the spacing.
I tried this today, and got nothing but inconsistent results.
Kevin is a type of guy who would take your weed, smoke it & then help you look for it.
Thanks for getting right to it! I can't stand all the unnecessary verbiage that makes a 4 minute vid into 12 minutes or more.
They don't have to be perfect
At the risk of upsetting a lot of people, the easiest way is to measure it in millimetres. Seriously, it is.
Sorry….not explained very well. Examples, why measure from one side of each baluster? How did the thickness make a difference?
if you were doing woodworking on a regular basis you'd have a better grasp of why you measure from the side (or center) for various jobs. In this case, measuring from the side allows you to see your mark with the balusters in place.
Doesn't have time to take a quick measurement of a distance you already should know the measurement for since you just finished cutting the freaking banister and do one quick 3rd grade math problem. Yet has the time to get an elastic band then MEASURE a bunchbof 4 inch marks on it. Then has to have someone hold one end and someone else hold the other or fasten each end so you can mark the placements. I give you credit though. It appears you fooled a good 20 people into thinking this is a good idea.
This didn’t work for me
I went and bought an elastic strip 3Meters long..... The divisions obtained varies largely. I guess it has to be a very good quality elastic strip if there is one available. It didn't work for me. I can use simple maths and results is much better.
Or you could just do your maths in mm.
Kevin is always stealing people's stuff
That's cheating!
That was literally the stupidest most time-consuming way I’ve ever seen them come up with a way to do this
Not necessary
He can’t be serious with this so called tip. He’s out there stretching this elastic band and then what? Marking the 2x4?
🚨No other way shown to lay this out without having an elastic band. Not very helpful.