3 x 6 Leaning Handrail Safety Problem
The biggest problem with this design is that there isn't enough
horizontal support provided by the two lag bolts that are too close
together and a practically useless light-duty L bracket that's attached
to the concrete.
I really don't have an easy and inexpensive
solution to fix this problem. It takes us back to putting a little more
thought into the original design and now that you have the information,
don't let it go to waste.
This is a big problem with construction
workers who think they have a pretty good grasp on building and just
seem to build as they go, instead of starting out with a good solid plan
that has been worked out on a piece of paper or in the mind of someone
with experience building stairs.
The handrail support post
would be a little stronger if these bolts were spaced a little farther apart
vertically.
Add to the fact that the support post is already starting
to crack, doesn't seem to help matters either.
Last but not least,
the lag screws shouldn't have been counter sunk into the post as far as they
have them. This reduces the strength of the support posts considerably.
I'm not about to suggest that
this light duty L bracket isn't doing anything, but a thicker heavy-duty
bracket with a different design, could provide you with more horizontal
support.
About the only solution I have for this problem, would be to
remove a section of the concrete and pour a new footing with a heavy-duty
metal pole or another type of material firmly entrenched in it that would
straighten and strengthen the wood post and prevent it from moving, by attaching it to it.
Here's a side view of the existing stairway without a concrete footing or any other type of wood post support. If I was going to build a new stairway with this type of handrail, I would definitely plan on installing some type of metal support post system.
Here is a side view of the wood newel post, with a structural support post
and concrete footing.
There is one more thing I think you should
consider and that would be the fact that the structural metal support post
could go on either four sides of the wood post or could actually go in the
center. This would require you to cut the post in half an cut out the
center of the wood newel post, in order to fasten it around the metal post.
I'm just thinking outside the box here, there are other ways you can
strengthen this handrail, but it will require you to do some more research.