Deck Stair Handrail Angle

Lay the bottom rail on top of the stairs to determine the correct angle.

Deck stair handrail angle.

Fasten the third 2 by 4 to the posts with railing brackets. The posts that support the railing need to be very secure and they need to be in the same relative position on each tread. Before you can put a railing on stairs you have to calculate the correct railing angle. In other words if the face of the top post on your deck is set back 3 inches from the tip of the decking board at the edge of the deck then all the other posts on the steps going down must also have their face 3 inches from the tip of the stair riser they re sitting on.

For stairs with 4 or more risers most codes require a handrail on at least one side. Stair codes and guidelines prefer an angle of around 37 for normal stairways the green area in our illustration and around 7 for ramps the yellow area in our illustration. When the angle of the railing does not match the angle of the steps people using the stairs will. Railings make stairs safer and can be ornamental but their angle must match the angle of the stairs.

Correct deck railing angles are vital to ensure the safety of individuals using the deck stairs. I don t think anybody needs a real explanation of what stairs and handrails are for. But it s important to have a little insight into how stairs and handrails interact with each other. Mark the intersection of the rail posts.

This step by step process makes it easy to handle yourself b. Now lay the first 2 by 4 on the flat top of the third and fasten it to the posts and the third 2 by 4 with screws. See how to install railing on your outdoor deck stairs using fiberon horizon composite railing. Stair rails must be at least 34 high measured from the nosing of the stair treads.

Use a vertical 2 x 4 pressure treated board with routed edges or an exterior grade metal rail. You can calculate the angle required for railings by measuring the stairs and applying trigonometric functions to find the corresponding angle. Guardrails must be provided on the open side of a stair where it is more than 30 above the floor or grade. Click now to browse.

Stair railing and balusters diy deck stairs handrails measure up the posts to the railing height minus 1 1 2 inches and mark the posts. Understanding stair angle and handrails. If you choose the 2 x 4 handrail you can use a piece of 2 x material to create a 1 1 2 inch gap between the top rail and the handrail. By code the tops of handrails are typically supposed to sit 34 38 above the nose of any given stair for this reason it s absolutely necessary that your.

Deck railing brackets are used to attach a 2x4 rail to a post.