Another thing to parents with decks, there now are standards for the width between slats or spindles on your decks similar to cribs. Make sure yours meet the building codes to prevent injury to your children. Make sure your builder knows the laws before he starts. Don’t just ask him if he knows them, ask them what they are. My husband is a licensed builder and will not build a deck that is not legal.

That wording was confusing- it’s not that the ends have to be solid, but if you do use a solid panel you shouldn’t cut openings out of it. The exception if if they are too small to allow a head to pass through, and oriented such that they don’t create a toehold. And never cut any abrupt shape changes into a top rail.