Removable handrail advice request please . . .

[Cemoto]

I'm in the middle of my build and could use some advice please.

The upstairs will be for storage but it is possible I might need to bring something large like a car hood or couch up there, so I'd like to have a removable handrail.

It would need to be somewhat lightweight and easily removable.

We are flush mounting the treads.

Any pictures or suggestions are surely appreciated!

Regards,

 

[rockchucker]

Use Steel. Mount guides on the Stair Stringers to be able slide the Handrails down into the guides. Some type of easy locking Pin to lock the Handrails in place once they are set in place. Make it a 2 piece design. Once the upper portion of the Rail is installed the lower portion will also lock into the upper Rail making the corner tight and strengthening the entire assembly as one piece.

Pull the pins, lift the Rails out. Easy.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Maybe use fence pipe and fit it into sockets that are 4-6" deep. The kind of pipe for chainlink fences have a lit of options for connector pieces and even crossbars. You can even get them in a variety of colors.

Jim

 

[Cemoto]

Use Steel. Mount guides on the Stair Stringers to be able slide the Handrails down into the guides. Some type of easy locking Pin to lock the Handrails in place once they are set in place. Make it a 2 piece design. Once the upper portion of the Rail is installed the lower portion will also lock into the upper Rail making the corner tight and strengthening the entire assembly as one piece.

Pull the pins, lift the Rails out. Easy.

This is what I was thinking of doing. I thought about buying a welded gate from Tractor Supple and mounting that w/ sleeves.

The carpenter suggested putting a wood 2x4 railing and then once the final inspection was done to take it down. I will mount a handrail to the wall to the wall so that is not a bad plan either.

Thanks!

 

[Cemoto]

Maybe use fence pipe and fit it into sockets that are 4-6" deep. The kind of pipe for chainlink fences have a lit of options for connector pieces and even crossbars. You can even get them in a variety of colors.

Jim

This is a good idea also, there are a lot of fence options out there.

Thanks!

 

[JJThrasher]

I'd used steel square tube. Make the uprights out of 1" and the brackets out of 1.25". Then you can just slip it in. Maybe drill a small hole a put a pin in to prevent it from coming out.

 

[Dennis93]

Another idea. Make them like regular stair treads except instead of on the stair have in on the outside edge. Like most stair rails have 4-5 inches of stair left to the outside of them. Don't do that make it flush with the stair case Then you could attach a 2x4 at the bottom, and hinge it. And make a lock with a pin at the top. So the stair handle would essentially hinge down 180 degrees.

Might be a bad explanation so think of this. Like an oven door opening, except it opens a full 180 not 90 and the handrail is your door. That way you wouldn't have to lift or remove it, just unlock and let it down slowly, and raise it up and lock when you're done.

 

[cabriolet]

I'd make the rail out of 1 1/2 x.120 round tube. I'd make the socket out of 1 3/4x.120 wall round tube. Drill a hole in the 1 3/4 round tube and either tap or weld a nut over the hole. Use a allen head screw as a jam bolt. weld the 1/34 sockets to plates with holes in them and lag to the stringers. On the handrail side use 1 1/2 round tube,or wood if you like but put blocking in between the studs all the way up the stair. Say 2x6 or 2x8. Now you don't have to use toggle bolts and can just lag thru the drywall and hit solid wood. Wall rails need to be installed at 34- 38 inches measured from the nose of the stair.If the word code is involved in this project this will pass.

 

[M17715]

I would probably just mount a 4x4 post at the corner of the landing. You could attach one railing to it from upstairs and then one railing from the landing to the lower (floor) level. Then if you had to, you could easily remove them if you had a large object to carry down the stairs.

 

[rslaback]

From what it sounds like you plan to do, putting the time and effort into building an easily removable slide in railing might be a waste. If you are thinking this would only be removed a few times over the life of your garage, I would just go with a wood railing, bolted through the side of the stringer. It will stay tight and still be removable in about 2 minutes. If you do decide to make it slide into sockets make sure that you realize the sockets must be perfectly parallel to each other and the railing must slide straight down into them at the same time to prevent binding.

 

[Cemoto]

All good advice - Thanks!

Here is a shot of the staircase.

Bolt on from the side might be the best.

Regards,

.

 

[NUTTSGT]

From what it sounds like you plan to do, putting the time and effort into building an easily removable slide in railing might be a waste. If you are thinking this would only be removed a few times over the life of your garage, I would just go with a wood railing, bolted through the side of the stringer. It will stay tight and still be removable in about 2 minutes. If you do decide to make it slide into sockets make sure that you realize the sockets must be perfectly parallel to each other and the railing must slide straight down into them at the same time to prevent binding.

I was wondering the same, the amount of times it would actually be taken off, might outweigh the "highly removeable" railing.

 

[pattenp]

I'm not sure of what the railing design is you are considering, but building code requires the spacing of pickets/spindles not to allow the passing of objects 4" in diameter or larger. Are you planning on an open designed rail to cut down on weight for removal?

 

[Daniel Dudley]

I don't know what code is these days, but in the old days you could run a handrail on the outside wall, and leave the edge of the stairs open.