| Using Steel For A Stair Handrail |
By Greg Vanden Berge 1/8/2008
Thinking about using steel for a stair handrail. There are a lot of
benefits for using steel. It is stronger than most construction building
products available. Steel has been used for about every building
construction application through out the twentieth century including
stair handrailing. The use of steel for building stairs enables the
architect to design just about any form of staircases you could imagine.
Wood has its limitations where metal can be structurally formed in
almost any shape and still provide the strength needed to walk up and
down safely.
Using steel for a stair handrail gives use a few options over wood or
some other building materials. Steel can be smaller while providing
superior strength so it can be used in designing a artistic or
decorative stairway. There are stair handrails that use thin steel
balusters to give a sleek look to the handrail so that your main focus
is still on the staircase itself. The thin steel balusters are a good
choice if also used with wood to keep a warm feeling in the room.
Wood is known to give off a feeling of warmth where as steel gives
off a feeling of cold. This is largely due to the fact that steel is
cold unless heated up some how. Wood will not get near as cold as metal
but lets not forget the strength in metal versus wood.
One of the greatest benefits to a steel handrail is its durability.
Steel will take a lot more abuse with less damage over the years. If you
ever take the time to look at a wood handrail in a hotel, restaurant or
a office building. In other word a high traffic area where a lot of
people are walking up and down the staircase. You will see a lot of
scratches in the wood finish. You will also see cracking, splitting,
gouges and fading.
I don't want to discourage you from wood I personally love a
wood stair handrail system.
In a apartment complex you will see a lot of steel handrails. This is
because of the wear and tear of people moving furniture, refrigerators
and other heavy items up and down the stairs. Most of the people that
live in apartments don't seem to be as cautious as someone who has to
pay to repair or replace the handrail or stair parts as they break.
Steel Handrails are perfect and used often in apartments just for this
reason.
Now the bad news about steel handrails for your stairs. Steel rusts
over a period of time and this is determined by the maintenance of the
metal itself. It will need to be painted as you see the paint flaking
off and exposing the steel. As the steel is exposed due to normal wear
and tear you will have to take care it. Don't neglect the steel handrail
system and it will last a long time with little if any problems.
About The Author:
Greg Vanden Berge is working on
the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow
guides and home building books to help professional building contractors
as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more stair
building books and adding useful content to help solve problems
created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.
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