(ARA) – For years, homeowners considered railing the icing on the cake when considering a deck – it was nice to have, but not essential.

Those same homeowners are now realizing that finishing their decks with a complementary railing system can provide the added safety and beauty needed to truly capitalize on their investment.

While the deck is the foundation of any outdoor living space, adding railing can dramatically change the look of that space. Style and placement of railing can make the space appear open or closed and polished or rustic. Railing can be installed in colors to match, offset or complement the existing deck or porch.

“Over time, consumers have seen the more finished look that railing provides and responded accordingly,” says Stephen McNally, vice president of sales and marketing for TAMKO Building Products. “We’ve seen significant increases in our annual railing sales and had to step up production to meet the customer demand for these products.”

Installing a railing system is a great option for homeowners who have already invested in a deck and want to continue adding to the value of their home with a small remodeling project.

Railing projects provide a big “bang for your buck” by carrying a smaller price tag than a full deck or other larger remodeling projects. And many new railing systems are designed for do-it-yourselfers and contractors with prepackaged kits and pre-routed pieces.

Composite railings are gaining popularity because some products are strong enough on their own that they do not require metal reinforcements. Tam-Rail Composite Railing is an example of this type of material. The railing is made with a patented three-layer technology that encloses a blend of foamed wood composite material between two layers of PVC. The resulting system is so thick, stiff and rigid that it doesn’t require metal reinforcement to meet building codes. Despite this three-layer strength, the product is still lightweight and low-maintenance.

“Composite railing, in particular, is now seen as an attractive building product that performs well at an appealing price,” McNally says.

Some of the benefits of composite railing systems like Tam-Rail are hidden fasteners, a wide variety of railing lengths, fixed-angle bracket adapters, stair kits and the ability to install the post mounts in concrete, wood or composite decks.

Whether adding railing to a porch or a deck as a do-it-yourself weekend project or a professional contracting job, installing railing will add instant style and impact to your home at a reasonable price.