Corner modules have recessed, handrail-receiving mounting pockets bounded top and laterally by non-recessed boundary edge portions, but open at their bottom ends, and vertically taller than the end face of the handrail interval of steepest incline. The mounting pockets of the corner modules are factory-produced with very neatly made edges, whereas the end faces of handrail intervals are cut on-site for a particular installation, and tend to have cutting imperfections at the end face edges, such as chips, splinters, burring, edge waviness, etc. The handrail intervals, having underfaces with longitudinal slots, are mounted on baluster tops provided with articulate flanged connectors having tabs fitting firmly but slidably into the underface slots; thus the handrail intervals can be adjusted until they assume their needed relative positions, whereupon screws passing through holes in the flanged connectors penetrate the handrail underface deep within an underface slot. If re-positioning requiring new screw locations is necessary, the previous screwholes are hidden because located deep within such slots. Each corner module is pushed down from above into position on the ends of associated handrail intervals to be joined, its mounting pockets increasingly accepting and accommodating such ends, the non-recessed top and lateral boundary edge portions of the mounting pockets covering and hiding cutting imperfections at the end faces of the associated handrail intervals. If a particular corner module has a vertically measured excess of material at its bottom, the latter is severed before or after mounting of the corner module.

A keyed decking system for supporting a handrail on a deck surface and a method of making same. Keyed rail and end support posts are easily constructed by adding a modified mortise and tenon joint to currently available rail and end posts. The use of this joint not only increases the strength of a handrail built therewith, but also increases the speed of building the handrail as well. In addition, by increasing the overall strength of the handrail, aesthetic considerations can be given more freedom thereby resulting in a wider range of deck and handrail designs. The slots used to make the modified mortise and tenon joint are sized to accept 5/4".times.6" standard decking material used as rails. Keyed rail posts are used at the corners and in place of some of the balusters at locations no greater than three feet apart. Keyed end or gate posts are used wherever a gap in the handrail occurs (at gate locations or ends of the handrail).

A preassembled handrail structure is supplied in relatively long lengths and consists of top and bottom rails separated by a row of pickets. The structure makes use of a special joint where the ends of the pickets are attached to the rails. These joints are made so that they can be put together by application of pressure. In this way an entire length of the handrail structure can be assembled in one operation by pressing both top and bottom rails into engagement with the corresponding ends of the pickets in one compressing operation. Handrail structures are delivered as complete units to the site. In place of posts to mount the handrail structure on a deck, use is made of a series of mounting brackets bolted to the deck on which the lower rail is anchored by use of a specially designed attachment.

An easily assembled pre-milled railing system having upper and lower rails supported between spaced newel posts and a plurality of balusters disposed between the upper and lower rails. The balusters have upper and lower ends with respective parallel aligned spline grooves that continuously extend across the balusters ends. The upper rail is provided with a continuous elongated spline groove extending along the bottom side thereof. The lower rail is provided with a continuous upwardly projecting spline tongue that extends therealong on the top side and penetrates the lower end spline grooves of the balusters. An elongated spline has an upper side continuously received in the upper rail spline groove and the lower side of the spline is received in the upper end spline grooves of the spaced balusters. The elongated spline is first secured to the upper end of the balusters by nailing downwardly through the spline into the upper ends of the balusters. This spline is then secured to the upper rail in the spline groove by screws which penetrate upwardly through the spline into the upper rail. The railing is uniquely illuminated with an optical light transmission rod that is illuminated from a lamp mounted within an accessible compartment within at least one of the newel posts.

A baluster or spindle is formed by a casting method, and has a rigid, dense, hollow outer shell forming a decoratively shaped body portion having closed, planar opposed ends. A conduit extends completely through the baluster, providing attachment means to a railing system. The hollow interior of the baluster is injected with a high density polyurethane foam to increase its weight, density, and resistance to breakage. The method of forming a baluster or spindle includes the combined method steps of placement of a mesh sheet adjacent each end of the mold, and then subsequent agitation of the mold. Agitation includes simultaneous spinning and rocking of the mold about its longitudinal axis. The mesh sheet retains the casting material against the end surfaces of the mold, and is completely encapsulated by the casting material such that the mesh sheet is not visible on the surface of the finished product.