Stairs handrail alteration

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chez

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#300552 18-Sep-2022 00:16

Anyone have an idea how to redesign my handrails and balustrades placement? I'm renovating my house and I don't know what happened to the building compliance of this stairs at the time it was built. I don't want to alter the stairs as it's gonna be expensive. My priority is installing a proper handrail for safety. The building code says that it should be continuous and easy to grasp. You can see the flaw of the handrail. There's no way you can grasp the hand rail halfway. Not to mention putting those balustrades against the wall. I have a trusted builder to do the job but they would want me to give them an exact plan and design of what I want to happen. Fair enough. I'd appreciate if anyone has any idea.

eracode

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#2969591 18-Sep-2022 03:52

How about changing the overall look - remove all the timber ballustrading and get glass installed for both the lower left side and on the landing above. On the landing it would be like glass balustrading on a deck.

On the stairs, it could either go full height like in the photo below or it could be installed on the outside of the stringer and go to just normal handrail height (i.e. with a sloping top edge).

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eracode

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#2969592 18-Sep-2022 04:07

I pinched those photos from the website of an Auckland glass company:

https://royalglass.co.nz/services/framless-glass-balustrade/

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nickb800

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#2969600 18-Sep-2022 07:07

Just note that the spacing between balusters looks too wide (baby/kid could squeeze through). I believe the gaps should be 100mm max. Worth fixing that as part of your redesign/rebuild to get the whole thing code compliant

Bung

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#2969601 18-Sep-2022 07:09

chez:
Anyone have an idea how to redesign my handrails and balustrades placement? I'm renovating my house and I don't know what happened to the building compliance of this stairs at the time it was built. I don't want to alter the stairs as it's gonna be expensive. My priority is installing a proper handrail for safety. The building code says that it should be continuous and easy to grasp. You can see the flaw of the handrail. There's no way you can grasp the hand rail halfway.

That looks very 1970 - 1980s era. The handrail on private stairs only has to be continuous between newel posts. That could allow scope to break the line and shift it sideways at the top so it is the required distance from wall. The handrail doesn't need to be as wide as it is lower down as it wouldn't have to house balusters. The spacing of the existing balusters on stair and landing look too wide. I think they are supposed to be no more than 100mm apart. Maybe change the ones on the landing and reuse the originals on the stairs. If the stairs are wide enough consider a second rail.

jonherries

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#2969610 18-Sep-2022 07:54

eracode:
I pinched those photos from the website of an Auckland glass company:

https://royalglass.co.nz/services/framless-glass-balustrade/

My thought was the OPs stairs look quite narrow, so this is a good idea to get some more feeling of width.

It leads to an interesting question about where the stairs go, how often they are used, and then whether you are better to widen/relocate due to any of this (a very small turn like that isnt great and suggests a lack of space).

Jon

eracode

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#2969613 18-Sep-2022 08:35

jonherries:

My thought was the OPs stairs look quite narrow, so this is a good idea to get some more feeling of width.

It leads to an interesting question about where the stairs go, how often they are used, and then whether you are better to widen/relocate due to any of this (a very small turn like that isnt great and suggests a lack of space).

Jon

Yes. TBH that was in my mind when suggesting the glass.

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chez

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#2969616 18-Sep-2022 09:24

Yeah, changing the overall look appeals to me. I don’t like the whole balustrades on the wall. The handrail on the wall is for decorative (which fails anyway) doesn’t make sense to me. I’m already thinking of removing all the balustrades and the handrail. But I don’t know what to do after that. I don’t want a glass, though. A new handrail on the opposite side is what I thought is best here. I want a round handrail for better grasp.