Stair rail code

How high should a stair handrail be? What is the minimum height of a stair rail? These are two model codes and are offered as suggested guidelines for local code authorities to follow at their discretion. Is stair nosing required by code?

Model stair code rule on when a handrail is required. Rails must be able to support a load of at least 2pounds and must extend at minimum inches horizontally past the riser nosing at the top of the stairs and at least equal to one tread depth horizontally at the bottom of the stairs. Distance From Wall To ensure your hand has enough room to slide down the rail, the rail must be at least 1. Balusters : Balusters are small vertical in-fill posts running between the guardrail or railing , designed to prevent people, particularly children, from falling off the deck through the space below an. Railing IBC Code Cheat Sheet Guardrail 1. Key Exception: Stairways within dwelling units are permitted to have handrail on one side only 3. Ramps with a rise greater than 6” shall have handrails on both sides.

Guards shall be located along open sided walking surfaces that are located more than 30” measured vertically to the floor or grade below at any point. When intermediate vertical members, such as balusters, are used between posts, they shall be not more than inches (cm) apart. Step (below) shows how to find this wall mounted handrail= height point at the top of the stair. Stair railings and handrails shall be continuous the full length of the stairs an except for private stairways, at least one handrail or stair railing shall extend in the direction of the stair run not less than inches beyond the top riser nor less than inches beyond the bottom riser.

The I-Codes define handrail as being in place to provide guidance. Get Stair Cable Rail ing System. The top of the handrail should be at least inches.

The codes are based on the International Building Code and the International Residential Building Code , and deck railings and guards must meet or exceed the minimum requirements. First, determine whether you are dealing with a handrail or a guard. It is required when you have two or mores risers on ramps with a rise greater than inches. A handrail is in place to provide guidance on a stair. Handrails shall not project more than 4. Screens or mesh, when use shall extend from the top rail to the stairway step, and along the entire opening between top rail supports.

A guard is in place to prevent an accidental fall. The nosing on treads, believe it or not, has a code minimum and maximum of how far the nosing projects over the next stair. Where all winder treads in a flight have a depth of at least inches from nosing to nosing measured at a point inches from the narrow end of the trea the required handrail may be located on either side of the stairway. All of these measurements include the finished flooring, so don’t forget to take those thicknesses into account when planning your stair dimensions. Here are three reference numbers for the codes pertaining to rise, run, and nosing in a straight run of stairs: R 311.

Nosings are required to overhang a minimum of ¾-in. You can view the code in its entirety here. Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. Stairways shall be not less than inches (9mm) in clear width at all points above the permitted handrail height and below the required headroom height. Width: Stairways shall not be less than 36” in clear width at all points above the permitted handrail height and below the required headroom height.

Visual contrast on stair nosings or the leading edges of treads is helpful for people with low vision, but it is not required by the Standards except at escalators in rail and fixed guideway stations which must meet the ASME A17. The height is measured vertically from the line connecting the nosing. The Stairs- Residential Building Code for the U. When the top edge of a stair rail also serves as a handrail, the height of the top edge shall be not less than inches nor more than inches from the upper surface of the stair rail to the surface of the trea in line with the face of the riser at the forward edge of the tread.

Thus it varies by state and town. Winding and spiral stairways shall be equipped with a handrail offset sufficiently to prevent walking on those portions of the stairways where the tread width is less than inches (cm).