Need help installing hand and stairs rails

jeff9353

I,m remodeling my daughters house and never have I install any railing. Is there a good video that will help me along the way to get started. I can probably get some picture of what I,m wanting to do if that will help. I have just did about everything else but this. Always willing to learn more. Her house is about like a Mid-entry. Rails coming down from upstairs and a hand rail upstair looking down over the stairs If you have any question please let me know. Thanks... I hope I put this in the right place. New to this forum as of today. Thanks again

jlhaslip

What style of hand rail? Continuous one piece? or posts/pickets (newels and balustrades)

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Termite

Not video, but here's an excellent viual code reference for handrails.
The .pdf link is on the right side of the page.
http://www.stairways.org/codes_standards.htm

jeff9353

I'll have to put 1/2 post on the wall and the other full post about 9 ft. out, and I'll be using straight spindles, like you would use on a deck, but white. Also I need some type of top rail. I don't know what to go with here either.But how do you go abut installing these. There is dow pins for the bottom. Is there something else that I need. A video or some instruction on how to do this would help if someone knows of any. Thanks for the Info so far. Keep it coming.

jlhaslip

Is it possible mount the full newel to the stairs like the picture?

The half newel can be screwed to the wall.

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47_47

Try lj smith. They have many different styles of rails for ideas.
http://www.ljsmith.net/

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What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it.

jeff9353

Thanks, this give me some different style and also instructions to go with it. This will get met started. Thanks again.

Gary in WA

http://books.google.com/books?ei=8h0...G=Search+Books

Be safe, Gary

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Millie.T.Cook

This forum is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you to everyone for sharing.

MC

beerdog

LJ Smith has very good reference documents that can be downloaded.Including a very good instalation manual. There are some good books. I used the "for pros by pros " stairs book and the LJ Smith Manual and did a pretty good job. Stairs and railings (ballustrade) are not easy carpentry so check your codes and read upon it. This is considered some of the most difficult carpentry to do well. The measurements and cuts must be perfect.

Chemist1961

Sorry to barge in Jeff but , timing is everything, same project with iron rungs
This is my project for today...I have alreday removed my iron railing to piant and prep the wall and am replacing with an oak kit , iron rungs.

Aside from code, should is it better to use a half newel post at top against the wall with a bracket for a 12' rail or will a full newel be better spaced away 1 1/2" from the wall...... and at the bottom is it more secure to mount a 48" newel as shown by jhaslip or can I go 42" and stairmount where my old iron post sat?

47_47

Are you doing post to post or over the top rails?

For appearance, I'd use a half newel or rosette at the wall. I had placed solid blocking behind my top rail and mounted it directly to the wall.

Either way is acceptable as long as it is securely attached. I notched the newel and tread and mounted my bottom newel as jhaslip showed.

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__________________
What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it.

Chemist1961

Thanks, struggling with alignment for the new oak handrail versus solid mounting for the newel at the bottom. If I notch the newel and mount to the side I need a larger 6 x 6 ? newel to align at the top with the half newel face to the side wall as the stairs intersect a hallway. If my newel faces the foot of the stairs it reduces the 48" ( to wall ) walkway at the foot with and 16 " deep antique hall seat facing the foot of the stairs, so every inch counts, but a secure newel is most important.
I think I will try a hidden mounting plate under the newel as I'm not sure if the lowest riser is 2 x 8, I believe it is but alignment is still trickey.

47_47

My room was a total gut job, I reframed the stairwell, sistered the joists and replaced the sub floor. For my top rail, I used LJ-3004 post anchors into a triple 2x10. You can see the dowel covered holes in the left picture. Is it possible to remove the bottom riser add more support and use this anchor?

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What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it.