handrail ends

farrington135

I'm replacing a handrail on the wall side in the stairwell to the second floor of my house. I already finished the new one when a neighbor told me the ends must return to the wall. I have rarely seen wall handrails return to the wall even in new houses. My old one didn't return to the wall. Is this a new code or something?? thanks

LanterDan

I am curious about this as well. I had built a ramp recently and had heard that that was required as well. I asked my inspector about it and he told me only for comerical sites, although he said in a way where I wasn't quite sure if he was saying it wasn't required or just not being enforced. Anyway I didn't return them to wall and had no problems.

I'm probably just being dumb here (in addition to lazy), but the biggest reason I didn't bother doing it, was I didn't immeadately see how to. Assuming that I have a straigt wood railing that I made do a 90 turn to the wall at the end, how do I affix it to the wall if I'm not lucky to have stud/blocking there? And even if I do, what do I do, just toenail it into the wall? I worry this wouldn't be study enough (although I have see *tons* of handrails that have seems liked they're about the fall off the wall as soon as someone grabs them).

Big Dave

I have always returned them into the wall. I don't know if it is a code thing or not, I just did it because it looks better.

Dave.

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AtlanticWBConst.

I'm not sure about the international building code, but here in New England, the MA building code states that there must be returns....

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manhattan42

The International Residential Code requries all handrails to be returned to the wall.

The reason is so clothing cannot get caught on the end of the handrail and contribute to a fall.

You can see IRC 2003 and IRC 2006 handrail requirements at these sites:

http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2003%20...C%20SCREEN.pdf

http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2006%20...C%20SCREEN.pdf

wygs

The American residential building code is closely related to the IRC, and your state's code, in like fashion, is closely related to the American code but modified for your state as your state's officials deem important. The American code requires handrails to return to the wall. That doesn't necessarily mean that your state's code specifies that.

CrossWorks

I'm with Dave on this one.

And don't worry about blocking for the ends. I'd say; as long as your rail brackets are within 8-12 inches of the ends, this will eliminate any flexibility at that point. Just cut a 45 degree angle on the ends of your rail, temporarily mount the rail to where is sits solid, then measure from the "long point" of the angle to the wall and this will guarantee a tight fit for the end pieces. Add glue to the joint, pre-drill 2-1/8" holes at the correct locations so that the 2-1/2' GRK star tip finish screws will secure the end pieces properly and be long enough to grab. Fill the holes with matching putty.

I find that these type "wall anchors" work well where there is no stud to mount the rail brackets.

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