Handrails and guards

Interior · Stairs · printed page 359 (PDF page 360)

Book index entries

Guards and Handrails – for Stairs Handrail – and Guards for Stairs Stair – Handrails and Guards Interior Stairs Stair – Interior

Text in the illustration

min
typically
1½"
1¼"-2"
wall
top of handrail
should be
easy to grip
(tube or oval)
cross section
through railing
(against wall)
opening
4"
max.
guardrail
typically 36"
top view of railing
(railing not terminating with
post should turn into wall)
handrail height
typically 34" to 38"
H
line
through
nosing
handrail recommended when
there are more than two
or three risers

Generated explanation

The illustration shows an interior stair flight with a sloping handrail, balusters, newel posts, and a horizontal landing guard. Stair handrail height is identified as typically 34 to 38 inches above a line through the tread nosings, while the landing guard is labeled typically 36 inches high. A magnified detail shows a maximum 4-inch opening between balusters. A wall-mounted handrail cross section illustrates an easily gripped round or oval profile, a 1¼- to 2-inch size, and typically 1½ inches minimum clearance from the wall. A plan detail shows a handrail returning to the wall when it does not terminate at a post, and an annotation recommends a handrail where there are more than two or three risers.

Components

stair handrail landing guardrail balusters newel posts wall-mounted handrail bracket handrail wall return stair treads stair nosings stair risers landing wall

Materials

wood metal

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