Constructing a Staircase Handrail

[John Goodin]

Getting ready to build a staircase handrail out of rift-sawn white oak. It is going to be an "I" beams style profile 2 1/2" wide and 2" tall with a 3/4" grove along both sides for gripping. I am considering two ways of construction -- buy 8/4 lumber and dado or rout the groove or stack and glue three thinner pieces together to form the "I." Obviously, the single board would be the easiest option but wonder it would be prone to warping once installed. Two of the sections will be about 8 feet long and I don't the 5/8 spindle attached at the bottom will provide much strength in keeping it true. As far as material I will probably buy 8/4 either way since the 4/4 material is generally too short or poor quality. Their 8/4 material is very good.

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[Wayne Lomman]

If your timber is OK quality, make it out of solid. Its a lot of extra work making it out of 3 pieces and only to be considered if you can't get solid stock. You will still have to run the groove to clean up random glue drips the may have been missed.

You are correct that the balusters won't keep it straight. It is the job of the rail to support the balusters, not the other way round. If you are at all concerned about stability, pick through your timber and get the best piece out for the long rail and use the rest for the shorter runs. Cheers

[William Fretwell]

Another vote for solid. The homogenous grain in the peice will scream quality for a very long time!

[Rod Sheridan]

You should check local codes for dimensions of rails to conform to standards for grip dimensions.

I don't think your profile will meet requirements as the reduced area would normally be taller. I think it's 45mm from the top of the rail to the bottom of the reduced area if I remember correctly......Rod.

[Richard Jones]

Here's an excerpt from the 2015 IRC, which your locality enforces. Screenshot (200).jpg