Keylink Railing Systems

Which Keylink series should you choose?

Start with the top rail. It is the part you see, and it is most of what separates the three series. American is the 1-3/4 inch flat rail that takes every infill Keylink makes. Chesapeake is 2.85 inches wide with a channel that accepts a deck board or an aluminum cap, which is the rail you set a glass on. Outlook is the slim one at 1-5/8 inches with a 5/8 inch baluster, for a baluster railing at a lower price. All three come at 36 and 42 inch heights on the same 2-1/2 and 3-1/4 inch posts, so one deck can run American around the perimeter and Chesapeake at the entertaining area without changing post stock.

Which infill fits your deck?

Square baluster is the least expensive and the only infill with no horizontal foothold, and American offers five profiles: square, round, twisted, hammered and bowed. Horizontal cable is 1/8 inch stainless at 2-7/8 inch centers and gives the most open view of the four. Vertical cable arrives with the cable already strung at 3-1/4 inch centers, in bare stainless or black oxide. Rod rail is a rigid 5/8 inch aluminum rod powder coated in the railing color, so you get the horizontal lines with nothing to tension.

What does the Keylink warranty cover?

Lifetime for the original residential purchaser and 20 years commercial on the product, plus a 5 year prorated labor warranty on residential. Keylink covers the system, and that includes the stainless cable and cable hardware on a cable railing. Claims run through us as the dealer.

How is the finish made?

Keylink powder coats in its own facility, certified to PCI-4000 by the Powder Coating Institute. The standard finish meets AAMA 2604, which is rated for 5 Delta E or less color change and about 30 percent gloss retention at five years. The Coastal Upgrade puts an AAMA 2605 topcoat over an epoxy primer for salt air. You get six standard colors, four satin colors, and coastal versions of the three most common.

Does Keylink meet deck railing code?

Keylink engineers its systems to the IRC and IBC guardrail load requirements and publishes evaluation reports we can send to a building department. The infill geometry is built around the 4 inch sphere rule: square balusters at 3.53 inches clear, horizontal cable at 2-7/8 inch centers, vertical cable at 3-1/4 inch centers. Your building official makes the final call, so tell us your jurisdiction and we will send the documents it asks for.

How do you light it?

Placid Point is the Keylink lighting line, and it wires through the posts and rails rather than around them. Post cap lights, recessed post and stair lights and an under rail strip all run at 3000K off the same waterproof connector and control hub, so you can add a light later without pulling new wire.