grab rail code height

Pro Tips for Sizing and Installing Grab Rails at Your Home With some accurate measurements and a couple of tricks, installing a grab railing is a great DIY project and a valuable home improvement.  A “grab rail” is a continuous section of handrail used to provide support when ascending and descending a set of stairs. Installing a grab rail can be an attractive and functional addition to your stairs. It will provide a graspable support and a nice design element at a low cost. If you’re looking to install a new grab rail or replace an old one; here are a couple of tips to get you started: Locate your studs– Using a stud finder, magnet or pilot pin, locate the studs on the wall where you plan to install your railing. Purchasing grab rails online could require you to specify the number of brackets needed to support the rail. Installing them directly into wall studs will provide the best connection. A bracket every 32″-48″ should be enough to secure a steel or hardwood grab rail if the brackets are secured to studs. Measure the wall section exactly! –If you plan to purchase a steel or stainless steel grab rail, the return ends will be welded on during fabrication. This means your measurements need to be dead on. Pro tip – measure up from the nose of the top and bottom stair using a plumb line or level and mark the location above each stair (somewhere between 34″-38″ is code required height). Then snap a line on the two marks so you can measure on the exact angle of the grab rail. Use drywall anchors if needed– If you are unable to locate enough studs or the layout does not accommodate your railing section, you can use drywall anchors for extra support. Just mark the hole locations and install the anchors behind the bracket locations. It is not recommended to screw brackets into drywall without a proper anchor. Drywall is not designed to be a structural support. New construction projects with stairs or any permitted stairway remodeling projects will almost always require the installation of a grab rail. Some stairways require installation on both sides of the stairs while others only require a graspable rail on one side only. Sometimes during the home purchase process insurance companies or home inspections will require the installation of graspable railings. San Diego Cable Railings furnishes hardwood, steel and stainless steel grab rails for professional and DIY installations nationwide. We offer standard length sections (8′, 10′, 12′) and custom fabrication for non standard installations. For customers requiring professional installation we also have licensed contractors who specialize in code compliant railing installs. If you have questions about any of our grab rail products or would like a quote for graspable railings; visit the quote request page today! [ec_store modelnumber=”Ipe-Grab-Rail”]