Thread: Hand rail
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[email protected] bridgerfafc@yahoo.com is offline
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Default Hand rail


TOM MOORE wrote:
I have a closed staircase on both sides . What side do I put the hand
rail on?? Right going up or right coming down?? Any code on that?
Thanks for your input.
Tom



well, lessee...

you have to be able to have your hand on the rail anytime you have a
foot on a step. so if your staircase has a winder in it with a wide
tread you will probably have to have the rail on the inside of the
curve- unless of course the stairwell wall curves through the winder.
that'd be cool but more cost and work to build.... winders are a bit of
a bitch in that the riser height stays constant but the tread run
length varies from one side to the other through the curve (the treads
are wedge shaped). think of it as a section of spiral staircase
connecting two straight runs of stair and you've got it. the walking
path through the curve has to remain with the same run and rise as the
straight sections, and with the rail the same height and distance away
throughout. it takes a bit of layout to get a winder to walk right. the
result is a staircase that can fit into less floor area than one with a
landing. they are a bit dangerous for children and old people so be
careful where you use them.


if there is a landing with a doorway in it you will probably have to
have the rail on the opposite side of the stairway, unless, I guess the
landing is pretty large so that the doorway isn't within reach of the
stairs.

if the treads are longer than a certain amount, I forget what, you have
to have rails on both sides.