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| Continuous Stair Handrails |
Building Code Problems
By Greg Vanden Berge 1/9/2008
I have had numerous problems with local building inspectors and building
departments over the years about continuous stair handrailing. When I
first started in construction the stair handrail was basically a
guardrail to keep people from falling off the staircase. Then the
building departments in some areas took it upon them selves to use the
handrail for something to hold on to as you are walking up and down the
stairs.
Well now in some cites the building department will require a continuous
handrail running the entire length of the stairway. This however is now
a national building code but is not always enforced. This becomes
confusing to your stair assembling carpenters that are told they need to
do it in one city but not the next. This is not a good thing for the
construction business in general.
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While working as a carpenter framing stairs for track homes doing my
best to keep up with changes as they came along in the Unified Building
Code. I found this really didn't mean a whole heck of a lot , as I went
from city to city listening to local building inspectors interpretation
of the U.B.C.
To this day I can not tell you for sure what one city wants in
the way of building a stair handrail system in your home. Now
don't get me wrong. If you build your set of stairs as per plans
you could be rebuilding them if the building inspector finds
something wrong. |
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Just
recently I told the owner builder of a home I was framing not to forget
and ask the inspector about the continuous stair handrail. Would he need
to make it continuous and if so would if have to run past the last stair
treads 12 inches at the top and bottom of the stairway.
When I came back to build a handrail on the front and back porch I
noticed the stair handrail was installed . There was two problems with
the stair handrail. The first problem was the 37 inch tall stair
guardrail which would have been fine 15 years ago but today in most
cities you need a 42 minimum stair guardrail with a continuous gripable
handrail. This was the first problem the next of course was that the
inspector wanted a continuous gripable handrail.
You might ask why didn't the owner builder take my advice and ask the
building inspector. Why didn't the carpenter installing the stairs ask
the owner or find out about the local building codes. I don't know why
but I can tell you this much they had to remove the 37 inch handrail and
could not reuse the stair balusters because they where to short. The new
stair guardrail had to be 42 inches minimum.
The moral to this story is it won't cost the building department any
money to rebuild your stair handrail system. So ask the building
inspector and if possible have the inspector sign the plans stating the
facts involved (no continuous stair handrail) . Get it in writing from
the building department as a good rule of thumb then you will have
something to argue with the local building department when the situation
arises.
About The Author:
Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education
for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help
professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is
currently working on more stair building books and adding useful content
to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in
the building industry.
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