Handrail

[imroberts]

I'm fitting a new handrail up my stairs.

I understand the minimum height is 900mm however am unclear as to where this is measured from? If it is measured from the rear of each step then the handrail will be much lower than if it is measured from the front of each step. Also is this height to the top or bottom of the actual handrail?

Secondly, I'm fitting a stainless steel handrail 4m in length. How many brackets would people recommend I use to mount this, and what size of screws and plugs?

 

[big-all]

draw a line along all the noses[front] thats your line

what is the wall formed off that the hand rail is to be attached to[brick plasterboard dot and dab ]

on a 4m wooden handrail i would fix 6 brackets 100/860 /1620/2380/3140/3900

would expect instructions with metal handrails about spacings fixings ect

 

[imroberts]

It's a brick wall with plasterboard "dotted and dabbed" in place.

A lot of the metal handrails I've been looking at seem to come with 3 brackets. This doesn't seem to be enough to me, I would have personally gone with either 4 or 5 brackets on a 4m length.

 

[big-all]

the trouble is you will have to space the brackets off the wall where the dot and dab is to stop the bracket pulling through the board

normaly with wooden handrails i use a wall plate made from 4x1" planed with the ends finished with 3 facets and a roundover with a small step for decoration on the face

this way you can secure every 10 to 18" allowing you a fixing and an intermediate in 16" studs which at 43 degrees gives you around 20" between studs

in general i aim for twice as many fixings as brackets

although you can just get away with 5 brackets spaced every 900mm[3ft] for the extra strength and rigidity the cost off a bracket and fixing costs are minimum so i would definatly go for 6 especialy if the wall conditions are unknown
i certainly wouldnt be happy with 1200[4 ft ]between brackets even on metal