See anything wrong with the stair rail?

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

The stair rail on the wall goes all the way to the top. It turns in at the top and bottom. The rail on the left stops at the wall. Forget the window. Any obvious defect here?

[Tom Leahy]

Railing continuity: should be continuous - that is a hand can slide along the rail without interruption from above the top riser to above the bottom riser

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by tleahy

Railing continuity: should be continuous - that is a hand can slide along the rail without interruption from above the top riser to above the bottom riser

Is the one on the right not continuous?

[Tom Leahy]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

Is the one on the right not continuous?

My right is the window!! Yes I would say its continuous (kinda) and switch my answer to the height at the turn, my left?

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

"The main stairs did not have a continuous handrail. In the photo, the rail on the left stops at the wall. The rail on the right does not wrap around the stair winders. You have to start by holding onto one rail, and then switch to the other. Today's commonly accepted construction standards require a handrail for 4 or more risers. Additionally, "handrails for stairways shall be continuous for the full length of the flight, from a point directly above the top riser of the flight to a point directly above the lowest riser of the flight." Although this defect is quite common, for safety reasons a railing meeting the standard as quoted above is recommended. Information about proper stair rail construction and illustrations are available on our website (see page 9)."

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by tleahy

My right is the window!! Yes I would say its continuous (kinda) and switch my answer to the height at the turn, my left?

Maybe that is the purely decorative side ,since it is not continuous anyway.Only one side is required to have practical handrails.

[David A. Andersen]

So if your enforcing the rail to todays standards, go for the treads too...

That taint no 6" at the nosing on step #3...

[Tom Leahy]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

"In the photo, the rail on the left stops at the wall. The rail on the right does not wrap around the stair winders. "

Joe, are you saying that the rail at the far wall needs to wrap around past the window even though you can switch hands with the rail that stops at the wall?

[Christopher Currins]

Originally Posted by belliott

Maybe that is the purely decorative side ,since it is not continuous anyway.Only one side is required to have practical handrails.

Exactly. Basically two sets of stairs with separate railing.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by tleahy

Joe, are you saying that the rail at the far wall needs to wrap around past the window even though you can switch hands with the rail that stops at the wall?

If they want to leave the rail on the left like it is, then yes.

However, the best solution is to remove completely the rail on the right wall and wrap the one on the left around the left wall without a break and extend it to the top.

That said, rest assured nothing will change.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Originally Posted by ccurrins

Exactly. Basically two sets of stairs with separate railing.

Where do you see two sets of stairs? There is no landing, the stairs continue through.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by jjonas

Where do you see two sets of stairs? There is no landing, the stairs continue through.

Well,well.
Are those turns wide enough to be looked at as a landing?

All treads are required to be the same width also remember.So either they are a landing or violating the tread width rule.
If looked at as a landing then no handrail is needed at the last couple steps.

A we go down a slippery slope (stairs).

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by belliott

Well,well.
Are those turns wide enough to be looked at as a landing?

All treads are required to be the same width also remember.So either they are a landing or violating the tread width rule.
If looked at as a landing then no handrail is needed at the last couple steps.

A we go down a slippery slope (stairs).

See page 6:

http://www.arcways.com/pdfs/IRC2006.pdf

[Bob Elliott]

Yes ,I saw a nice definition of "winders" now how about one for landing.
WINDER. A tread with nonparallel edges.

[Bob Elliott]

OK here is definition of "landing"

The width of each landing shall not be less than
the stairway served. Every landing shall have
a minimum dimension of 36 inches (914 mm)
measured in the direction of travel


So if those winders are at least 36" wide would they not be called landings?