Adding a loft - railing questions

[swilliamsny]

First post (besides an introduction), and of course it's a question. I know the posts for the loft railing need to be a minimum 36" above the finished floor. I don't remember how far apart the posts get spaced.

Also, I've never finished off stairs, only roughed in. When I put the first post in, it will not only be part of the railing in the loft, but will be connected to the stair handrail. Let's see if I can word this the right way! Where does the post go, in relation to the stairs? Does it sit on the outside of the treads, does it get centered where the treads end, or does it go inside the treads? I can try and get a picture up if this isn't clear.

 

[ezzzzzzz]

Minimum is 36" but should be 42" to accomodate tall persons. 4" spacing is the standard as I understand it.

 

[swilliamsny]

Oops. I meant spacing for the posts. We're thinking about using steel cable between the posts.

I found a picture that shows kind of what I'm asking about the first post lining up with the stairs.

See where that top post is? It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like it might be centered - half of it on the tread side, and half outside the tread, but I just can't tell. Hopefully this at least helps illustrate the question.

I haven't bought the wood for the posts yet, so I can increase the height to 42", no problem. No one very tall in the immediate family, but if my dad comes to visit...

 

[Ign]

I think you're asking where the posts go left to right as you're climbing or descending the stairs. If so, doesn't matter, unless you mount them so far outboard it'd allow passage of a 4" sphere, or so far inboard it makes the stairs narrower than minimum code.

The "visual interpretations" by the SMA are really interesting if you're building stairs IMO, here's one:
http://co.laplata.co.us/sites/defau...ilding/documents/200320Stair20IRC20SCREEN.pdf

 

[RickP]

Depends on what railing system you're using. Most attach to the top of the stair treads, but others can go on the outside if you'd like a more rustic look. Are you planning to use the same railing on the stairs and the loft?

Here's a step-by-step guide:
HomeGuides

 

[RickP]

I think this might be the railing type you're thinking about:

Here's a link to the steps:
Deck Railing Guide

 

[Ign]

Yeah, I've done that w cable rail. If this is gonna be inspected you've gotta hope your inspector is reasonable because it's very difficult to tension the cable such that someone can't aggressively cram a 4" sphere in the center of the spacing between your posts. Most inspectors recognize this.

Look at the specs Feeney calls out for cable rail, they'll tell you 1/4" wall if using 2" square. I can understand why, the cables place a tremendous load on the posts. Also make sure your top rail is stout or it'll buckle as the cable tries to pull the bottom and top posts together. Drilling 1/4" wall square tube at the angle of the stairs is a PITA too. The intermediate posts can be lighter but you'll have a different corner radius visually, if you care.

On the larger cable Feeney uses a 5/16-24 threaded stud to tension the cable, and it'll gall like a sonofabitch. Stainless on stainless loves to gall, and fine thread only complicates the matter. I think it should be coarse, and if you don't need to pop on their proprietary end caps you can ditch their special nuts for standard nuts from the hardware store, thus eliminating stainless on stainless. Oddly their smaller cable uses 1/4-20 (coarse thread).

I'm guessing you might be thinking of doing your own setup w galvanized cable from the hardware store............this is completely possible but think long and hard about how you're gonna tension it if it's gonna be inspected.

 

[swilliamsny]

I think you're asking where the posts go left to right as you're climbing or descending the stairs. If so, doesn't matter, unless you mount them so far outboard it'd allow passage of a 4" sphere, or so far inboard it makes the stairs narrower than minimum code.

The "visual interpretations" by the SMA are really interesting if you're building stairs IMO, here's one:
http://co.laplata.co.us/sites/defau...ilding/documents/200320Stair20IRC20SCREEN.pdf

Exactly what I needed to know. Thanks so much! The link to the SMA info is wonderful. Sure makes reading codes a lot easier.

 

[swilliamsny]

Yeah, I've done that w cable rail. If this is gonna be inspected you've gotta hope your inspector is reasonable because it's very difficult to tension the cable such that someone can't aggressively cram a 4" sphere in the center of the spacing between your posts. Most inspectors recognize this.

Look at the specs Feeney calls out for cable rail, they'll tell you 1/4" wall if using 2" square. I can understand why, the cables place a tremendous load on the posts. Also make sure your top rail is stout or it'll buckle as the cable tries to pull the bottom and top posts together. Drilling 1/4" wall square tube at the angle of the stairs is a PITA too. The intermediate posts can be lighter but you'll have a different corner radius visually, if you care.

On the larger cable Feeney uses a 5/16-24 threaded stud to tension the cable, and it'll gall like a sonofabitch. Stainless on stainless loves to gall, and fine thread only complicates the matter. I think it should be coarse, and if you don't need to pop on their proprietary end caps you can ditch their special nuts for standard nuts from the hardware store, thus eliminating stainless on stainless. Oddly their smaller cable uses 1/4-20 (coarse thread).

I'm guessing you might be thinking of doing your own setup w galvanized cable from the hardware store............this is completely possible but think long and hard about how you're gonna tension it if it's gonna be inspected.

As nice as the cable would be, sounds like it would be better/easier to just go with wood. Maybe I'll revisit the idea out on the back deck, and have someone with more experience do it.

 

[Ign]

As nice as the cable would be, sounds like it would be better/easier to just go with wood. Maybe I'll revisit the idea out on the back deck, and have someone with more experience do it.

I don't mean to scare you away from it, it's a sweet system and I love the look, plus I love anything that incorporates steel, but then again I'm one who believes wood does nothing but rot, warp, buckle, split, splinter, twist, etc etc

Also if the cable runs will continue onto a landing or side rail you've gotta bust out a bit of trig as 4" spacing on a horizontal does not equal 4" spacing at the angle of stairs.............but this, of course, is not true of just cable systems and carpenters deal with this every day.