I have an entryway that has a set of wide steps that are set at a 45-degree angle to the adjacent walls. See attached sketch.
There is an obvious need for a guard rail along the red lines (to keep someone from falling), but because there are 4 or more risers in the staircase, local code also requires a handrail for the steps.
This is vexing me. The handrail would have to be mounted to the adjacent walls, meaning if you were holding it, you'd have to be approaching the steps at a 45-degree angle, which is very awkward and feels unsafe. There is no way to approach the stairs at a normal angle while holding the handrail.
Any thoughts on this? I could put in the handrail to meet the letter of the code, but no one would use a handrail that required you to awkwardly step up stairs at a 45-degree angle. Am I missing something?
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