Stair Banisters
The stair balusters are the pieces that you will hold
onto while going up and down the stairs if they are connected to the
balusters. Some of the stair banisters are large and you will not be
able to hold on to them as easily as the smaller ones. In other words
the smaller ones are gripable where the larger ones are hard to wrap our
hands around.
The stair banister is another decorative part of the hand
rail. There are large and small banisters,
banisters are made from
different types of materials, like steel or wood. Wood is the most
common used in home building.
The building codes have changed in the last decade and the home stairway
now requires a guard rail, which is at least 42 inches in height,
measuring from the stair nosing to the top of the banister.
The stairway hand rail system also requires a gripable handrail which
should be measured from the stair nosing to the top of the gripable
handrailing. This measurement can be between 34 inches and 38 inches and
you should verify this measurement by contacting your local building
department.
Stair banisters should be made from smooth material and formed properly
to prevent snags or injury to the people running their hands along the
banister while walking up and down the stairs.
The end of a stair banister can become a safety hazard if not
constructed properly. These banisters should not protrude or stick out,
where it could catch someone's clothing or purse.
This seems to be a problem that few stair builders know about.