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Replicating Original Handrails

Older neighborhoods often have very creative  porch railings (guards) but no stair railings. This customer wanted something for her parents to hold onto when conditions were cold and icy.  She wanted them to be built in the original style.

Code Questions

The Building Codes for Railings

The following are excerpts from the International 2006 Residential Code (IRC 2006). This is now the adopted code of Lafayette, Erie, Louisville, Broomfield, and many other municipalities in Colorado.

TMC faithfully replicated the porch rail on the stairs. However, a 3-½” x 3-½” top rail is not allowed on a stairway (read sidebar). An extra handrail had to be installed, one which was easier to grip.

Replacing old poorly built steps

Tread covers are installed on top of the existing treads, after first cutting off the existing tread nosings. They are 3/4” thick. New riser covers were also installed.

Adding 3/4” to the height of each tread often creates a problem. Now the top and bottom risers have different measurements than they did before, and might become tripping hazards.

However this bottom riser was already too close to the tile floor. And at the top, the existing carpet had made the top step too high. The tread covers resulted in all the risers being close to the right height. This is one case where tread covers corrected an existing problem.

Coming up - Job Cleanliness

The desire for cleanliness on the job site is changing the way General Contractors approach their work - and it affects the cost of the project.

Stay tuned because in March TMC will guide you through your options for  job cleanliness, and how much you might pay.

Every year The Master Carpenter does a variety of work, everything from built-ins to bathrooms, from kitchens to decks, from small repairs to major renovations.

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Here you see the original steps to a porch. They are tilted downward, creating a hazard. The owner wanted newels on the porch to match the column. TMC built new porch guard rails to match the porch style. The stair balusters, in this case, were attached directly to the stair stringers to avoid having newels at the bottom.

The steps are now level. The risers are now equal height. This is important. Stair risers of different heights will tend to be tripping spots.

The sidewalk under the bottom stair was slightly tilted to one side. This creates a problem with the bottom riser which is now higher at one end than another. The solution is to make all the risers the same height where people actually walk - in this case, dead center.

When it comes to stairs and railings, safety comes first, followed by attractive design. Usually both can be achieved.

Replacing Interior Railings

This next project is a railing replacement. The old railing was sub-code in that the balusters were two far apart and the newels were not firmly attached.  The old balusters had been installed upside down, and the newels looked a little too tall. The owners love stained wood and wanted something more attractive.

These stairs and railings meet all the codes listed at the right. Everything is nailed down solidly, and the new balusters are now right side up.

One rule of decorating is that a person’s first impression of your home is made when they walk in your front door. Now, everything lines up nicely and has a pleasing appearance. The quality of the wood has been enhanced beautifully with stain and varnish.

R311.5.6 Handrails. Handrails shall be provided on at least one side of each continuous run of treads or flight with four or more risers.

R311.5.6.1 Height. Handrail height, measured vertically from the sloped plane adjoining the tread nosing, or finish surface of ramp slope, shall be not less than 34” and not more than 38”.

R311.5.6.2 Continuity. Handrails for stairways shall be continuous for the full length of the flight, from a point directly above the top riser of the flight to a point directly above the lowest riser of the flight. Handrail ends shall be returned or shall terminate in newel posts of safety terminals. Handrails adjacent to a wall shall have a space of not less than 1-1/2” between the wall and the handrails.

  Exceptions:

    1. Handrails shall be permitted to be interrupted by a newel post at the turn.

    2. The use of a volute, turnout, starting easing, or starting newel shall be allowed over the lower tread.

R311.5.6.3 Handrail grip size.  All required handrails shall be of one of the following tpes or provide equivalent graspability.

    1. Type I. Handrails with a circular cross sections shall have an outside diameter of at least 1-1/4” and not greater than 2 inches. If the handrail is not circular it shall have a perimeter dimension of at least 4 inches and not greater than 6-1/4” with a maximum cross section of dimension of 2-1/4”

    2. Type II. Handrails with a perimeter greater than 6-1/4” shall provide a graspable finger recess area on both sides of the profile. The finger recess shall begin within a distance of 3/4” measured vertically from the tallest portion of the profile and achieve a depth of at least 5/16” of the profile. The minimum width of the handrail above the recess shall be 1-1/4” below the tallest portion of the profile. The minimum width of the handrail above the recess shall be 1-1/4” to a maximum of 2-3/4”. Edges shall have a minimum radius of 0.01”.

R312.1 Guards. Porches, balconies, ramps or raised floor surfaces located more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 36” in height. Open sides of stairs with a total rise of more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 34” in height measured vertically from the nosing of the treads.

R312.2 Guard Opening Limitations

Required guards on open sides of stairways, raised floor areas, balconies and porches shall have intermediate rails or ornamental closures which do not allow passage of a sphere 4” or more in diameter.

  Exceptions:

    1. The triangular openings formed by the riser, tread, and bottom rail of a guard at the open side of a stairway are permitted to be of such a size that a sphere 6” cannot pass through.

    2. Openings for required guards on the sides of stair treads shall not allow a sphere 4-3/8” to pass through.

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What about porches less than 30” above the ground? Do the same codes apply?

I spoke with a member of the Lafayette Building Department. They prefer that any railing or guard be built according to code. However, they have no jurisdiction to enforce the code when the porches are less than 30” above the ground.

Happy (and safe) building, folks.