Sure, you can use the rails on the balcony as a makeshift tabletop, using it to hold your bottle of beer, bowl of appetizers, and whatever other stuff you like to enjoy in the open space outside the house. One wrong move, though, and the whole ensemble could lead to a serious mess. If you’d rather not deal with all of that, you might just want to install a proper countertop and the DeckMATE Rail Tray is equipped to do the job.
Designed to fit deck rails between 1 and 8 inches in diameter, it should work with the existing setup in most balconies and patios. It’s easy to mount, too, with a channel-locking system that should get you up and running in just under a minute.
The DeckMATE Rail Tray measures 44 x 22 inches (w x d), giving you plenty of tabletop space for holding everything from flower pots to a TV (hey, watching games outdoors while chugging beer sounds great) to the meats you’re cooking on the outdoor grill. Constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum and tempered glass with a heavy-duty locking system, it can support loads of up to 100 pounds, so you can perch the cooler on top during Sunday barbecues with no problem whatsoever. When not in use, you can employ it as a utility shelf for organizing erstwhile clutter in the deck, making it a versatile addition to any outdoor area in every home.
Price is a bit steep, though. Available from Brookstone, the DeckMATE Rail Tray retails for $300.