| Installing a Banister |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-111 |
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Q: What's the best way to install a banister? Are there certain codes to consider?
A: (Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home Repair expert) Building codes do say that you have to set your banister at a certain height above your stairs for safety reasons. In this part of the country (Southeast), for example, building codes dictate that the banister rest between 34 and 38 inches above the front, or nose, of the stair tread. Here's how to install a banister properly: - At the top of the staircase, use a pencil to make a tick mark on the wall 36 inches (or the required height in your area) above the front tread of the second step. That's where you'll want the top of your handrail to rest.
- Figure out where to place the handrail brackets (figure A) by measuring the height of the handrail, top to bottom. Then subtract that distance from the 36 inches, and make another mark below the 36-inch mark. For example, if the handrail is 2 inches deep, you'd pencil a mark on the wall 34 inches above the front tread of the second step on the staircase. That's where the top of the bracket should rest.
- Take the same measurements and make the same type of marks at the bottom of the staircase, using the step that's second from the bottom to measure.
- Run a string from the top of the staircase wall to the bottom, starting with the mark you made to indicate where the top of the bracket should rest. Attach the string at the top with a thumbtack or dry-wall screw. Then pull it taut, at an angle, until it reaches the corresponding mark on the bottom, and tack it onto the wall there too. The string represents the bottom of the handrail and will give you a line to follow when you space the handrail brackets out along the stairwell wall.
- Use a stud finder (figure B) to locate studs where you can attach the brackets. Find one at the top first, as near to the second tread as possible, then one at the bottom, as close to the second step from the bottom as possible. Then find studs between those two, so that you can evenly space the two remaining brackets. You cannot attach brackets more than 48 inches apart, and they need to be an equal distance from each other and the end bracket. On this staircase, for example, the studs are on 16-inch centers, so it was possible to install the middle brackets on every other stud, 32 inches apart (38 inches apart on the diagonal) and the same distance away from the nearest end bracket.
Working smarter: Don't install brackets in places that don't have studs, or they'll pull right out of the wall, taking the handrail with them. - Predrill the holes before you screw in the brackets.
- Screw in the top bracket first, using an electric drill (figure C) -- and your safety glasses, of course. Next attach the bottom bracket, then the middle two.
- Lift the handrail onto the brackets, placing the ends wherever you think it's aesthetically pleasing.
Safety alert: The end of the handrail or banister should never rest more than 24 inches from the end bracket on either side. - It's also up to you whether to make a plumb cut on the two ends of the handrail or to leave them at a 90-degree angle, the way they came.
- Predrill, and then use an electric screwdriver to attach the U-brackets that hold the handrail in place.
More questions for Brad:
Q: My banister seems a little wobbly. Any ideas on what's wrong or how to fix it?
A: There are a couple of things you can do. Look to make sure that the brackets are in studs. If they're not, reattach them in studs. Also check how tight the U-bracket screws are, and screw them in tighter if necessary.
Q: Should you have stair railings on both sides of your stairs?
A: That all depends. Check your local codes to see whether they dictate that you must have rails on both sides. In some cases, two railings wouldn't give you enough space to walk. But with a wider staircase, you might want to consider two. Books: Stairs: The Best of Fine Homebuilding
By editors, Taunton Press
ISBN: 95047080
The Taunton Press Publications (1995)
63 S. Main St.
Newton, CT 06470
Customer Service Phone: 800-243-7252
E-mail: webmaster@taunton.com Modern Practical Stairbuilding & Handrailing
By George Ellis
ISBN: 9941936155
Linden Publishing (1990)
336 W. Bedford
Fresno, CA 93711
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