Installing railings stair

Installing a stair handrail can be a challenging undertaking. The rail system must be securely supported by newels that are solidly fastened to the framing of the floor or wall. The cherry stair rail shown in this project appears courtesy of L. Smith Stair Systems, which provides detailed step-by-step instructions for installing the components. The company also provides a handy checklist of required parts and supplies to make sure you include all the necessary components and fasteners.

Check with your stair parts supplier for any special tools or accessories that will make the project go smoother. For example, to make installation of the stair balusters easier, we used L. The IronPro system eliminates the need to to bore angled holes into a rail to house the balusters, relying instead on small screws and adjustable fittings. When planning your hand-rail, give a call to your local municipality to check the building codes in your area, which are very specific for stair construction.

In the town where I live, the minimum height for a stair rail is 34 inches and the maximum height is 38 inches measured from the top of the tread nose up to the top of the rail. The balusters must be spaced no more than 4 inches apart.

When planning for the stair rail, we found it helpful to make a diagram of the proposed rail design, complete with specific measurements, to make sure all the parts would assemble correctly on site. And, of course, style is major concern. The overall design can incorporate a rail that mounts over the newel posts or terminates post-to-post against the sides. Will your balusters rest on open treads or mount onto a kneewall? Whereas our project used iron balusters, there is also the option of wood balusters that vary in shape, style and species.

Newels vary in design from simple box designs to larger ornamental pieces with decorative trim. Handrails also vary in size and shape, and you want all the associated stair components to fit against each other in an attractive and proportional manner. Stair rail construction is a complicated endeavor, so the best way to plan it is slowly and carefully, with attention to every site-specific detail that might affect its installation.

Rather than rehash L. Be prepared for each stair project to differ somewhat regarding on-site challenges. First step in handrail replacement is removal of the old system, which we took out when we replaced the treads.

To do this, we used a recip saw to cut the handrail free against each newel. This enabled us to lift the handrail off the stair, and the balusters remained attached to its underside, enabling us to remove all of them at once. Next, the old newels were removed by prying the trim boards from around the 4x4s and cutting the posts flush with the floor.

On a kneewall stair, the balustrade should be centered on the kneewall. For our staircase, the location of the old newels determined placement of the new ones to hide the old post stumps. At the top of the staircase, the landing newel connects to a guardrail which terminates at a half-newel that is mounted to the wall. A half-newel is just what it sounds like—a matching newel post that is cut in half lengthwise at the factory to mount flush against a flat wall. While the old newel locations worked fine for our stair design, they did require notching the newel bases to fit over the treads, which presented an extra hurdle during installation.

Take careful measurements and be prepared for such inconveniences during your own installation. The newels from L. Smith are constructed from 1x solid cherry and built with a hollow center that fastens over a wooden mounting block.

Fill any hollow voids at the newel base with solid blocking and nail or glue into place. For final assembly, apply adhesive at all points of contact between the mounting block, the filler blocking, and the interior of the newel. For a belt-and-suspenders approach, drive finish nails through the sides of the newel into the blocking. Divide the run of the tread distance from riser to riser by the required number of balusters per tread to find the center-to-center distance for the other balusters.

Round this up to 3 spaces. Thus, 3 balusters per tread are required. Use Kee Klamp fittings and galvanized pipe to build the sturdy frame of the rail. Then, run the cables parallel between the pipe for an interesting and aesthetically pleasing handrail. This wall-mounted handrail was constructed with materials from a Simple Rail wall-mounted kit.

Often, porches are designed with a flat top rail, which can be challenging to grip. For a sturdier option, consider attaching a durable grab rail, like the one pictured above, that matches the design of your porch.

Mark designed this sleek handrail for the stone staircase in his backyard. As you can see, by adding a ground-mounted handrail, he adds an extra safety element to his staircase.

Adam from Toronto created this sleek handrail. He used Standard Railing Flange fittings to attach the legs of the handrail to the steps. If you plan to create a similar handrail, you will also want to incorporate Single Swivel Socket, Malleable Plug, and Rail Support fittings into your design.

As you can tell from the projects shown above, there are many different types of stair railings. A few of the major styles include:. In addition to these design styles, there are different ways to attach your stair railing. You can decide to attach your railing to the ground.

This usually works best for outdoor steps. A wall-mounted railing attaches to the wall and is generally used for indoor staircases. Or you might decide to install a ground-and-wall mounted handrail.

This can work in almost any environment and adds a level of stability to the handrail. Before installing your stair railing, you should make sure you have the right tools for the job. Besides the materials needed for the handrail, you will need an Allen wrench, hammer, and a standard drill for the installation.

If you plan to install your railing outside, you might also need a hammer drill useful for attaching the railing to brick or concrete.

Before you start installing, you need to decide exactly what type of railing you want. We will focus on an indoor wall-mounted railing for these instructions, but you can build any railing that works best for your staircase. Once you know the type of handrail you want, gather all of your materials so you can start attaching them to your staircase.

It is crucial to get the correct measurements for your grab rail before installing anything. The simplest way to collect this measurement is to ask a friend to stand at the bottom of the staircase with one end of the measuring tape. With the other end in your hand, walk to the top of the staircase. Make sure to keep the tape 3 feet off the ground. The spot where you positioned the ends of the tape is where your railing should begin and end. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.

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