Using Handrails

Get information on how to properly install safety handrails
By Terri Deno Handrails come in handy for a variety of applications. Hand rails are great for staircases, both indoors and outdoors. You can also find specialized uses for handrails, such as handrailing down hallways of hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. Using handrails in these types of situations requires not only functionality, but proper installation to keep all users safe from injury.

Many times the handrail manufacturer will be able to provide guidelines on how handrails should be installed depending on the type of material its made from, but the style is usually up to the contractor or architect. To keep safety a priority, consider the following:

1. How far apart rails should be placed on stair handrails.

2. The proper type of equipment for fastening the rail to the floor or wall.

3. Safety codes for the specific type of facility where the handrails will be installed.

Know local safety codes for installing residential and commercial handrails

Before you even begin to choose the materials and the types of handrails needed for stairs or other areas in the building, make sure you know the safety guidelines provided by the local government for the type of rails you plan to install. This will save you time fixing handrails that do not meet code later on.
Try:  The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides regulations for the height and structure of hand rails for a variety of construction projects. It also interprets many of its regulations into everyday language. Kee Safety provides guidelines for many types of handrails in the aerospace and airline industries.

Use videos for instructions on how to install stair hand railing

It is one thing to have written instructions to guide your through an installation process, but videos can give you a much better perspective on how to install something like handrails for stairs.
Try:  The Wagner Companies provides installation instruction and videos for many types of staircases, including instructions on how to install the handrails. The Iron Shop provides videos on how to install its spiral staircases and handrails. Clips can be viewed online, or you can purchase the whole video from the company.

Learn how to add decorative elements to handrails

There are many handrail systems that are plain and boring. But if you are installing handrails for a commercial property, design should also come into play. You can find many ways to create a beautiful and functional handrail system with things such as a curving handrail for a curving staircase.
Try:  Continuity is also a major part of aesthetics, and you can have that in an outdoor desk stairway if you follow the how-to guide from Extreme How To. Web Design Library offers a 3D tutorial on how to build a spiral staircase, complete with a spiral handrail.

• Hand railings have different codes for different materials, so make sure you follow codes specific for steel, wood or any other type of handrails you install.