Every exterior and interior flight of stairs having more than four risers shall have a handrail on one side of the stair and every open portion of a stair landing balcony porch deck ramp or other walking surface which is more than 30 inches 762 mm above the floor or grade below shall have guards handrails shall not be less than 30 inches 762 mm high or more than 42 inches 1067 mm.
Exterior stair handrails code.
Maximum 4 1 2 inch handrail projection into stairway width on either side.
We explain the difference between a handrail a stair rail and a guardrail and we provide specifications and building code specifications sketches of proper safe and improper unsafe handrails and other types of railings.
Handrails for commercial stairs.
Balusters are small vertical in fill posts running between the guardrail or railing designed to prevent people particularly children from falling off the deck through the space below an.
Summary of code requirements for residential stairs.
Unlike residential stairs that only require a handrail on one side commercial stairs require handrails on both sides.
Railings used on stairs balconies decks ramps walks.
So this basically sums up the basic code requirements for residential stairs and their dimensions.
As the terms are used by the code a railing is a form of guard that protects stairs running on the incline up and down the stairway.
Exterior or outdoor stair railing guardrail landing tread and step specifications codes construction requirements for safe outdoor steps stairs railings newel posts outdoor stair railing safety hazards photos of defects.
Minimum 36 inch clear width for stairway.
Irc stair railing code.
These are two model codes and are offered as suggested guidelines for local code authorities to follow at their discretion.
The stairway section of the code refers us to section 1014 for handrail code requirements which you can read more about at the following link here.
Defects in masonry steps and landings outdoors sketches of exterior stair design requirements questions answers about exterior stair code specifications.
The international residential code for one and two family dwellings irc and the international building code ibc address staircase railings.