What is the standard height for a stair rail?
What is the standard height for a staircase handrail? 34 to 38 in. To meet building code requirements, the stair railing should be mounted so that the top of the handrail height is 34 to 38 in. above the front edge of the stair nosings.
How much does it cost to install a stairway handrail?
The exact costs per linear foot depend on the form and structure of each handrail. Integrated handrails form part of the staircase, running along the spindles or built into the wall. They cost between $30 and $100 per linear foot. They are made of various materials and come in smooth ungrooved designs or more elaborate grooved alternatives.
What height is a handrail required?
OSHA requires the top of the gripping surfaces of Handrails shall be 30 inches minimum and 38 inches maximum vertically above walking surfaces, stair nosings, and ramp surfaces. The height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system members, is 42 inches, +/- 3 inches, and may not exceed 45 inches above the walking-working surface.
How to measure for a basic handrail installation?
Step 1: Measure the Area
- The height of the steps
- The depth of the steps
- The distance between the edge of the step and the post markers (offset)
What other building regulations apply to staircase parts?
Handrails form just one part of your staircase. To ensure your staircase is safe, you’ll need to take into account the other stair parts covered by Part K of the Building Regulations. Treads and risers are key staircase parts directly related to handrail height:
How high should a handrail be?
You should fit a handrail at a height between 900mm and 1000mm from the pitch line of the stairs, or the floor for landings. This is approximately 35.4–39 inches.
How wide should a handrail be on a staircase?
Building regulations state that stairs less than 1000mm wide should have a handrail on at least one side. Stairs that have a width of more than 1000mm should have a handrail on both sides.
What is a riser on a staircase?
A riser is the vertical section between each tread on a staircase. A riser should be between 150mm and 220mm high, or 165mm and 200mm, and be at a consistent height on every step.
Where is the pitch line on a stair tread?
The pitch line is a virtual line that sits on top of the nosing at the edge of the stair treads. A stair tread is the horizontal part of the step on which you place your foot (or ‘tread’) when you climb the stairs. When you’re measuring the height of the handrail, don’t forget to take into account the diameter of the handrail too.
Do handrails have to be fitted?
To ensure handrails provide the right support to people going up and down the stairs , they have to be fitted in accordance with UK building regulations (sometimes referred to as ‘building codes’). There are a number of guidelines outlined in Part K of the Building Regulations which set out the handrail requirements for staircases:
Do you need a handrail on the first two steps of a staircase?
Part K of the Building Regulations states that you don’t need a handrail on the first two steps of a staircase, such as on bullnose steps, where the newel post is positioned on the third step.
How high should a handrail be on stairs?
Handrail height on the stairs should be no less than 34 inches and no greater than 38 inches. The way this is measured is to begin at the leading edge of the stair nosing and run an imaginary vertical line upward until it reaches the top of the railing.
How far should a stair railing be from the wall?
For example, the minimum hand clearance between the railing and the wall that it is mounted on is 1 1/2 inches. Yet, if the railing is pushed out too far, there is the risk of violating another section of code that provides for 27 inches of walking width between the two railings of a double-railing staircase.
How far away from the wall should a railing be?
When you have just one railing on a staircase, the inside (stair-side) edge of the railing must be at least 31 1/2 inches away from the wall on the other side of the staircase.
What is minimum railing distance?
Minimum railing distance means the walking space between a handrail on one wall and an adjacent wall that has no handrail.
What is the staircase code?
Staircase code is rooted in a set of solid ideas that all revolve around the notion that gravity isn't our best friend on staircases. So, the staircase code dictates that there must be handrails on the incline portion of stairs and guards on the horizontal parts.
How far apart should stair rails be?
When you have two railings (one on each side of the stairwell) those railings must be at least 27 inches apart from each other, measuring between the inside (stair-side) surfaces of both handrails.
What is minimum hand clearance?
Minimum hand clearance means the distance between the handrail and the wall. In other words, this is the area where your hand goes.
How far from the top of the stairs should a hand railing be?
If your stairs were installed after 15th March, 1991, your hand railing cannot be shorter than 36 inches from the top of the tread on the stairs. Stair hand railings must also not have any protruding edges that can cause potential injury, either. Guard railings must also follow approved guidelines. There are also tread and riser laws too.
How high should a hand railing be?
There is one date you need to remember: the standard railing height requirement was set March 15, 1991. If your current stair railing was installed prior to that date, you will probably (or should) have a hand railing of between 36 and 37 inches from highest surface of the stair treads. This refers to the tops edges of the handrail and not the lower edge. If a staircase has risers equal to or more than 30 inches in height a hand railing needs to be installed at 36 to 37 inches from the top of the tread. A hand railing must be installed of there are a series of steps rising more than 30 inches from ground point.
How far should a hand railing be from the top of the tread?
If a staircase has risers equal to or more than 30 inches in height a hand railing needs to be installed at 36 to 37 inches from the top of the tread.
Do you have to obey stair railings?
There are regulations set down for legal requirements of a stair railing height, which must always be obeyed when constructing or remodeling a home. If a person intends to replace or renew a stair case they must follow these legal codes with regard to building regulations. Continue reading below Our Video of the Day.
