Handrail Installation
A handrail is meant to provide an extra means of support when going up and down stairs, and it should not be confused with guardrail. While many times handrail and guardrail will go in together, they both provide different safety protections and have different requirements for installation.
Here are the basics when it comes to handrail installation:
1. Handrail is required when you have 4 or more risers in residential application. Three or less risers do not require handrail.
2. A handrail must run the full flight of stairs, from the bottom riser to the upper riser.
3. Handrail must be continuous, meaning no person should have to take their hand off the handrail due to an obstruction (like a newel post, for example) at any time when moving up or down the stairs.
4. A full landing, at least 3ft deep x 3ft wide (or as wide as stairs) is considered a break in the flight of stairs and therefore allows for the handrail to stop and then start again.
5. Handrail is required to be placed between 34 and 38 inches above the stairnose to the top of the handrail.
6. All handrail must be returned to the wall or newel post.
7. Handrail must be gripable. A 2x4 is NOT considered gripable. The IRC has specifics on types of handrail are considered gripable but to keep you from getting confused, I have added a diagram to the right to help clarify things.
8. Handrail must be at least 1-1/2" off the wall (which is usually predetermined by the attachment brackets).
For some reason, handrail is one of the most common correction calls I make when I am out doing final inspections and it usually involves 1) not returning the handrail to the wall or newel post, 2) making the mistake of thinking that the top rail on a guardrail is acceptable or 3) not measuring height off the stairnose.
Double check everything before you put holes in your walls and make sure you have the correct rail and location!
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