Our hand rail is detaching from the wall. This is the top
attachment on the hand rail at the steps inside the house. The center
attachment and the one at the bottom of the steps are both fine. They
don't budge at all. It's just the one at the top of the steps that is
detaching. It looks like there are anchors in there, but they
obviously aren't helping.
What can we do to get this repaired ourselves? We are moving
within the month and would like to have it taken care of before then.
Thank you to anyone who can help!

This can be a real persnickety problem.
What you may have to do is this:
Remove the whole handrail, to get good access to the problem hole.
Remove the old anchor, loose debris.
Sink a really good anchor--perhaps of the threaded/expansion type--much
deeper into the wall than regular lead/plastic anchors go--mebbe 2-4", if
necessary.
Then cement/epoxy around the anchor. If the anchor you used leaves a 1/4-20
stud protruding, cement/epoxy around that to make it very stable in the
hole, but don't get it on the threads, or you won't be able to nut onto it.
If it's an anchor in the hole (female-type), you'll have to re-attach the
railing while it's still pliable, ie, before it sets.
But then, removing the railing again, if nec, won't be so easy.

Anchors are their own art-form, something HD proly won't be able to help you
with, altho they might indeed have them. A good industrial hardware store
would better be able to help you with a selection. You might need a hammer
drill w/ a 1/2" masonry bit.

Another solution, altho not quite as seamless, appearance-wise, is to take
1/16-1/8" steel are hard aluminum sheet, maybe a 4x4" square or 4" diam pc,
attach that w/ 4 or so screws or anchors over/around the troublesome spot,
and then attach the railing mount to this square.

A lot of work for one loose screw!!!
--
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll
"shederr" wrote in message
ups.com...
Our hand rail is detaching from the wall. This is the top
attachment on the hand rail at the steps inside the house. The center
attachment and the one at the bottom of the steps are both fine. They
don't budge at all. It's just the one at the top of the steps that is
detaching. It looks like there are anchors in there, but they
obviously aren't helping.
What can we do to get this repaired ourselves? We are moving
within the month and would like to have it taken care of before then.
Thank you to anyone who can help!

On Mon, 1 May 2006 02:27:22 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

This can be a real persnickety problem.
What you may have to do is this:
Remove the whole handrail, to get good access to the problem hole.

I would only remove the handrail from the brackets, not the brackets
from the wall. Don't want more problems like we have now.

And I think the OP could get by by disconnecting only the problem
bracket from the handrail. And then from the wall.

Remove the old anchor, loose debris.....

Agreed--if that's possible. Might not be w/ some welded rails.
--
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll
"mm" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 1 May 2006 02:27:22 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

This can be a real persnickety problem.
What you may have to do is this:
Remove the whole handrail, to get good access to the problem hole.

I would only remove the handrail from the brackets, not the brackets
from the wall. Don't want more problems like we have now.

And I think the OP could get by by disconnecting only the problem
bracket from the handrail. And then from the wall.

Remove the old anchor, loose debris.....

On Mon, 1 May 2006 09:40:56 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

Agreed--if that's possible. Might not be w/ some welded rails.

Oh, yeah. For some reason I was only thinking of wooden rails.


This can be a real persnickety problem.
What you may have to do is this:
Remove the whole handrail, to get good access to the problem hole.

I would only remove the handrail from the brackets, not the brackets
from the wall. Don't want more problems like we have now.

I should have mentioned in my initial request that these are wooden
hand rails with brass anchors that have 3 screw holes to the wall. I
will try a new anchor (threaded/expansion type) and let you know what
happens

Completed the project this past weekend and it worked great!
Thank you!