When you’re constructing a new project, it’s easy to focus on the big picture and neglect the details. However, certain details – handrails, for example – are crucial factors in your building’s safety. When is a handrail required? Whether your building is for residential, commercial, or public use, it’s important to keep national handrail regulations in mind.
Residential Handrail Requirements
Residential handrails can add a lot of aesthetic value to your home. Of course, looks can be deceiving, and even the most stylish handrail can fall short of safety requirements. When installing a handrail inside or outside your home, keep in mind that a railing’s safety function is truly the most important thing. Not sure of the best way to keep your family safe around stairs? Review the most recent residential handrail requirements below.
How to Mount a Handrail on Different Surfaces
Handrails can be a great finishing touch to your home’s exterior – but how do you install a handrail on, say, a stucco wall? What about brick, concrete, or wood? Figuring out how to mount a handrail on different surfaces can be a bit confusing, but it’s certainly not impossible. With a few tweaks during your mounting process, you’ll have an attractive, solid handrail mounted in no time.
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How to Use a Screw Anchor
Whether you’re installing a handrail or a large picture frame, one thing is certain: Careful hanging will save you a major headache down the line. While a loosely hung picture frame can lead to a big mess, a loosely hung handrail can be dangerous, especially for individuals with mobility issues. For that reason, we include screw anchors with all of the handrails available in our online store. These handy devices are helpful when hanging light- to semi-heavy objects, allowing you to securely hang items virtually anywhere without looking for a stud in your wall. However, it’s crucial to learn how to use a screw anchor properly before you install your handrail.
Best Method for Cleaning Aluminum Handrails
As a homeowner, you have plenty of maintenance to worry about. Cleaning your handrails shouldn’t be a taxing item on your weekend to-do list. Fortunately, if you have aluminum handrails, you know that they require very little upkeep. These durable, attractive, and affordable railings are virtually maintenance-free – still, life happens, and you might find that your railings are in need of a little TLC after a heavy storm or a particularly devious flock of pigeons. We’ve researched the best method for cleaning aluminum handrails so you can keep your handrails sparkling.
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Handrail Color Suggestions
Handrails aren’t just for safety. With a fresh coat of paint, handrails can also add a level of character and style to your home. Aluminum handrails offer a particularly wide variety of color options thanks to the handrail’s smooth, powder-coated exterior. But how do you choose a handrail color that works for your home? Is your home well suited to calming earth tones, or would you rather pack a punch with bold blacks and whites? Before you choose the next hue for your handrail, take a look at these handrail color suggestions for every home aesthetic.
How to Install a Handrail
Handrails offer both safety and aesthetic appeal. However, for handrails to function well, proper installation is key. Need to install a handrail, but not sure where to start? Aluminum Handrail Direct offers several product guides to walk you through how to install a handrail.
Tips for Installing a Handrail
Strong, sturdy handrails don’t just look nice: They can be life-saving devices, preventing dangerous spills down the stairs. And because proper handrail installation is important for aesthetics and safety, it can be intimidating. This is especially true if you’re not accustomed to do-it-yourself home projects. To ensure you install an aesthetically pleasing, safe, and solid handrail in your home, review the tips below.
How to Extend a Handrail
In many (if not most) cases, a handrail system won’t perfectly fit the designated section of stairs or ramp. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use the product. You simply need to learn how to extend a handrail to the appropriate length. This can easily be tackled with a DIY project. But if you’re working with a contractor, you may still find it useful to learn so that you can better communicate with your contractor and oversee the project’s success. Scroll down to learn how to extend a handrail.
Handrail Load Requirements
Handrails are a key safety feature of nearly every multi-level structure. Like most safety elements, handrails are regulated by international codes – specifically, the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC). These codes dictate important safety features for residential and commercial properties, including handrail load requirements. While straightforward, these codes can be confusing for those not directly involved in the construction industry. Not sure how to move forward when it comes to handrail load requirements? We dove into the most recent IRC and IBC guidelines and outlined the highlights.
