Exterior railings on a bridge

This is the first Mountain Laurel Handrails built by company owner James Pader sometime in winter of 2004. While employed as a carpenter building custom homes in the Highlands and Cashiers area of Western North Carolina, he built about 70 feet of railing on the bridge pictured above. The house itself had probably 140 linear feet more of railing, with a long breezeway going from the driveway to the main entrance and also on the rear porch pictured below

This exterior wood handrail was installed on a bridge over a small stream. The bridge was built with round log posts holding up the timber framed roof. Special pockets were carved in the round posts so that the square lumber of the handrail would fit seamlessly. Large diameter mountain laurel branches were used to match the stout look of the covered bridge. These exterior railings tie this bridge to its surroundings by mimicking the organic forms of the forest.