Advice on replacing wide timber handrail

[aus_dave]

First time post, long time lurker .

I'm trying to fix up a handrail on a deck. The existing timber is 290 x 45 permapine that's been skew nailed (!) into the top of 240 mm permapine posts. The spans vary but at the widest point they are around 2.5-3 m. Due to the poor fixing at the ends and the long spans the rails have badly bowed and cupped in the middle. See photos for more detail (as you can see, timber has weathered badly too).

If possible I'd like to replace it with a similar width handrail as it works well with the post diameter and it's handy for drinks and food .

At this stage the options are:

- use a stainless steel intermediate post (e.g. like these) in the middle of the longest spans, possibly with a wider flange at the top
- use a timber cross piece (hardwood?) recessed into top of posts, with the handrail on top and screwed down
- some kind of steel bracket or reinforcing to provide support where joins occur?

The balustrade wire is stainless steel and I would like to avoid timber intermediate posts if possible. In an ideal world something like a redgum handrail would be great but I suspect the cost would be astronomical, let alone being able to source timber in this width.

Any advice on this or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[wattlewemake]

Hi Dave,

I dont think you would have a problem sourcing that timber if you spoke directly to a sawmill. I spoke to a bloke about some maple in north qld and he was saying that he would cut it and shape it to how ever the customer wanted it. He was saying that he had made some giant ladies waist hand rails about 8" wide. Reckoned it looked really good. Saying that, it would be green timber but if you wanted to wait a year or 2 to season it abit I reckon it would be great.

Shane.