The following is a hypothetical scenario.
I have an old house built in Massachusetts. The current code for hand railings is 34-38" up from the nosing. The original stair baluster hand railings are 27" high. This is a very good and comfortable height for my family because we are relatively shorter. I'm 5' 5"
I want to add another railing on the wall side of this same stair case. Can I match the 27" of the baluster railings or will I have to go up to 34"-38"?
Thanks
By current code you are required to have a railing on at least 1 side of a stair. It sounds like you have an open-sided stair with an existing guard that is also acting as a railing or has a railing attached to it at 27". If your existing stair were to be judged by current codes it would be lacking both a sufficient guardrail on the open side and a sufficient handrail (the top of the guard is allowe to act as both).
since it is existing and presumably pre-dates the relevant codes it doesn't much matter what configuration it takes. Your proposed addition of a single handrail is so limited in scope that the building codes typically do not address such specific circumstances...so we are left to interpret what is available.
The IBC and IRC will only tell us what the current standard is, to find an answer to this question you'd have to look in the existing building code. This code classifies work in an existing building in a variety of was- repairs, alterations, additions.
Your handrail would likely be classified as an alteration. Alterations are further broken into 3 categories, 1 being the least extensive and 3 being the most.
1 is basically replacing an existing element with new material and so long as doing so doesn't make the existing building less safe than it was originally it is permissible.
2 is adding some new elements or systems or reconfiguring spaces. The new stuff needs to meet current codes and also not make the building less safe as in 1.
3 is when greater than 50% of the building area is being altered and typically result in bringing most systems and egress requirements up to current standards.
a strict reading of the code would suggest that your handrail is a level 2 alteration because you are adding a new element, so it would have to meet current code. Although I believe most reasonable readers of the code and it's intent would view this handrail as a level 1 alteration. There is already a handrail in place that is functional and the addition of another on the opposite side will not make the situation any less safe than it is presently. But that is just 1 interpretation.
all that said a 27" handrail is quite low. It is typical to provide 2 handrails in elementary schools one at standard height and another at 28"...so 27" is even below this widely used standard for small children.
