Hand Rail Install

[Mike Burke]

I need to put up a new hand rail for our stairway. This will be wall mounted with standard brackets. I am not sure how to treat or finish the ends. We don't really like the stub return to the wall and I don't think that part is code here. I would like to round the ends somehow but I have never installed one before. I know the height code range and I can find the studs and layout all that but not sure what to do with the ends. Cut at a 45* and sand them real good ? Back cut the 45 on the bottom and top ? I would like to take a round over bit and round them over but not sure how that would work.
Can you give me some suggestions please ?

446902

[George Bokros]

Make the return using two 22 1/2* angles. I have done this with chair rail. Looks cool.

[Lee Schierer]

They sell return ends for hand rail similar to yours.
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[Jim Dwight]

The two options I would consider are to cut it at the angle that corresponds to the rise and run of the stairs (so the face is vertical) or to just cut it square. If I cut it square, I would round it significantly with a sander.

[Paul F Franklin]

What I usually see for painted hand rail is a cut of about 1/2 the depth of the rail angled to be parallel to the floor, the remainder chopped to be 90 deg to the floor. That's at the top; opposite at the bottom.

For stain grade work, you can do a vertical return. It doesn't return to the wall, it just caps the end so the only end grain is only visible from underneath.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I might be misunderstanding the application, but often times code *requires* the return to the wall. This prevents the end of the rail from getting caught in someone's pocket (etc) and tripping them. Or, as Paul suggests, a long vertical return piece to achieve the same function.

[Lee Schierer]

I might be misunderstanding the application, but often times code *requires* the return to the wall. This prevents the end of the rail from getting caught in someone's pocket (etc) and tripping them. Or, as Paul suggests, a long vertical return piece to achieve the same function.

That is true for commercial property, not necessarily applicable to residential.

[Mike Kees]

Mike, I usually cut the top and bottom ends of a handrail at the same angle the stairs are at. At the bottom I cut some of the "point" off ,then I take a sanding block and round everything on both ends over close to equivalent of a 1/4'' round over bit.

[Dan Friedrichs]

That is true for commercial property, not necessarily applicable to residential.

Just out of curiosity, I looked it up for some municipalities around me:

"Ends shall be returned or shall terminate in newel posts or safety terminals."

and from another nearby city: "Handrails shall be returned or shall terminatein newel posts or safety terminals."

I'm sure it's very locally variable, but worth investigating...

[Mel Fulks]

I think it's national code now. It's mainly a fire hose concern.

[Terry Therneau]

Returns are required in my city, and I expect that is true in most. Like many (most) things in code it stems from safety. It is easy to catch some clothing on the rail, leading to a fall.

[John TenEyck]

Returns are required in NYS for residential stairways, and I think most all states as it comes from the national code. There is more to the code, too, so read up to make sure you understand all the requirements.

I've done returns like this.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fJXalIB2tlVo8Vgpiqq2ipnGhtVNpHOZY_5c48ICDeGr9SB5F SZdagrHTSjbZBiYA7iDQDO-l4thqvtzTFDofauVRaG77zDg38eIiR_pckAfmNThBKMZDDJwGV Jr_t11k5G6wyK3ggX4a4U4F1r_42yg=w835-h626-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fKmBfaqWS_BU2fCpnremJYTS7UibsLADjGYYGtldXsYRd7bE6 PwKUaha8axp2W5gQ2Inl8L6A4kATJwCnXxPrLGd-pyjqVkivc0CZQ3_LNdNwYt1l76zvUVc5Mv5W2cOAwwRkRyNWl2 o5_ywRDppUlVA=w1006-h566-no?authuser=0

Having the handrail run horizontally at the top and bottom assures the user can grasp the handrail before they begin descending/ascending the stairs.

John

[Bruce King]

Even though my house had open ends on the basement stairs before the newer code I made little return pieces for safety. It’s real easy to get a jacket sleeve over the older type and often results in a hospital trip or the morgue for some. I had never heard of the fire hose reason but it’s important too. Problems when dealing with a buyer usually end up with them walking or the buyer forking over a large sum so be careful out there.