How to Install an Outdoor Stair Railing

Installing hand railing on your outdoor stairs can help to prevent accidental falls and mishaps while also adding to the decor of your exterior. Stair railings are indispensable safety features that should be added to any porch, patio, or deck stairs. Stair railing also comes in a variety of materials such as wrought iron, aluminum, vinyl, and wood to best suit your application. If you have been thinking about adding stair railings to the exterior of your home, here is how you do it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring Tape
• Socket Wrench Set
• Drill
• Hand Saw
• Wood, Iron, or Aluminum stair railing components

1. The main reason that you should be thinking about installing stair railing on your outdoor stairs is to add safety and ease of use. Secondly, you will want to add stair railing that will match the exterior decor of your home. When thinking about the type of stair railing that you want to add to your home consider the size of the handrails and the spacing between the balustrades (middle poles). You do not want to choose a handrail that has a handrail so thick you can not grab it in the event or a fall, and the baluster spacing should be no greater than four inches so that children can not crawl through them.
   
   Call your local city development or code enforcement office and ask them what the specifications are for stair railing in your area. You will find that the building codes regulate the width and slope of the staircase, how it is supported, how it is braced, how the landing is built and whether railings are required. ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL BUILDING DEPARTMENT BEFORE DESIGNING A STAIRWAY, AND FOLLOW ALL LOCAL CODES.
   
   Here are some general specs:
   
   Railing spaced from wall: (=> 1.5" )
   Railing projection into stairs (<= 4.5")
   Railing height (=> 31.5" one-side-rail, or =>27" with rails on two sides)
   Railings: U.S. handrails for stairs with one side against a wall: 30-38"
   Railings: U.S. handrails at open stairs: 34-38" above the stairs
   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; rails can be interrupted at a newell post

2. 
   Measure the Total Rise of your stairs

   Now that you have a general idea for the specs and what your local city ordinance is for the stair railing, you will want to take some measurements. First, we will measure the total rise of your stairs. Measure from the surface of the upper floor to the surface of the ground below the stairs. You can use either inches or centimeters. See image for details.

3. 
   Measure the Total Run of your stairs

   Next we will measure the Total Run of your stairs. Measure from the back of the top stair all the way to the back of the bottom stair. See image for details.

4. 
   Measuring the Railing Length

   Now we want to measure the linear feet angle or our stairs from the top to the bottom to determine the length of railing we need to purchase. This is really measuring our cap rail length. Attached is an image that shows how to determine the length of railing we need. Notice that the measurement starts from the front of the top stair and not behind it. If you need to include railing to extend to a wall or run past the stairs, you need to add that length.

5. 
   Rise and Run images for reference.

   OPTIONAL IMAGE STEP: To help show rise and run on other stair types.

6. Take your measurements and go to Home Depot or your local hardware store. Ask to take a look at the stair railing selection and look to see if they have any kits available. To save yourself time and effort, I recommend that you find a stair railing kit in either iron or wood that already has the rails created for you so that you do not have to make rails from scratch. A standard staircase kit should include posts, railing, rail caps, post caps and hardware.

7. 
   Bolting a Post to the staircase stringer

   Take some 2×4 posts, or the posts that come with the stair railing kit you purchased (some railings have the post connected) and align them with the uppermost and the bottom staircase tread right on top of the stairs. Bolt the posts in place so that the staircase kit is now aligned with your stairs. If you are installing a wooden staircase railing, it is best to actually remove the tread and bolt the posts to the staircase stringer, then cut a groove in the tread to go around the post. You can also extend the 2×4 posts to ground level, and cement them into a hole just beyond the first stair. Refer to your city ordinance guidelines for exact measurements. (see image for bolting to stringer)

8. 
   Finsihed wood staircase railing

   If you purchased a single piece wrought iron staircase railing then all you need to do at this point is bolt the top part of the railing into your platform railing and you are done. If you are working with a wood staircase railing, then you would need to now screw or bolt the wooden railing to your posts and trim any excess at the top of the landing to fit into the post on your deck or patio railing.

9. Now finish off the railing by screwing on or bolting on any rail caps or post caps that may have come with your railing kit.

Tips & Warnings

• ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL BUILDING DEPARTMENT BEFORE DESIGNING A STAIRWAY, AND FOLLOW ALL LOCAL CODES.