All,
I live in Western New York. One building inspector insists that ANY stairs with more than one riser requires a handrail (inside or out). The code changed here in NY a year ago and this one guy is the only inspector that requires it. Any guys from NY that know which way this goes? My problem is that I usually put a step in from the garage to the back hall of the house. The total rise is usually about 13″ so it is one step. I can’t imagine how a hand rail on this could actually be required or be benificial to the user of the stairs.
We become by effort primarily what we end up becoming
– Zig Ziglar
Replies
Hi Paul. I have often enjoyed your comments here but haven't seen you lately. Things getting slow over at JLC's site?
I agree that it is rediculous to reqquire it but I can see practical value in doing it after serving a great many elder folks. That grab rail is handy to have for them.
Additionally, it is a basic rule in architectural design that it is never good, for several reasons, safety amoung them, to have only one step.
Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin,
I live just outside if Rochester, NY. I think the routes you are talking about are near Buffalo. Isn't 78 Transit road? I went to a Bills game once when Bruse Smith was in his prime and the 78 road signs were sprayed with "Smith". 78 runs to the stadium right?
JLC is my favorite site for straight work related questions (I do interior trim only) because you don't need a thick skin over there. If you post here you better be ready for what ever comes your way.
About me not posting, well Bob wears me out so I take a break and just read for a while.
We become by effort primarily what we end up becoming
- Zig Ziglar
Edited 1/14/2004 1:40:16 AM ET by PAULPARADIS
>>About me not posting, well Bob wears me out so I take a break and just read for a while.
You forgot to mention my holding a gun to your head making you read my posts.
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"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image, when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." Anne Lamott
Bob,
I can't believe you even own a gun Bob. Did you get permision from the UN and France for it?We become by effort primarily what we end up becoming
- Zig Ziglar
We all chose our own weapons of mass destruction.
You have apparently chosen attempted humor as yours. I suppose you have to register your keyboard with the local police department each time you move, right?
_______________________
Tool Donations Sought
I'm matching tool donors to a church mission to Haiti - we're shipping a bus converted to a medical facility in (now it looks like) April and can fill it with clothes, tools and all sorts of stuff needed in that poorest of all countries. A few hand tools or power tools can provide a livelihood for an otherwise destitute family. Please email me if you have tools to donate.
Thanks to Jeff and David and Jim and Rich and Steven and Mark and Jason and Shep and Jen and Mike and Joe for their offers!
The first donation just arrived! Thanks and God bless!
"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image, when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." Anne Lamott
Paul:
The state that I live in requires a handrail on any steps with four or more risers. (I Don't live in NY) We use a modified version of the IRC 2000. I notice that the word four is underlined in the code book, meaning that that is one of the "modifications". I looked it up because of the conflict with the above supplied info. I agree that a requirement for a handrail on 2 riser steps is ridiculous, and even on 3 riser steps is up for debate.
If you don't mind me saying so, anyone who builds needs to have a current code book for their state. And I keep it in the truck. That way, when something like this comes up, I pull out the code book and say, let's look it up... They never like it, but I try to sugar coat it by saying I want to learn something or some bs... If he makes you do it anyway, and you are positive it is not a code requirement, I'd make the 2-riser handrail as cheesy and temp looking as possible - use the nastiest boards you can find - so that the inspector will know that you are gonna rip it out the second his tail lights are out of site :-)Matt
>> I agree that a requirement for a handrail on 2 riser steps is ridiculous ...
I disagree. I'm diabetic and have lost a lot of feeling in my feet over the last 20 years. The loss of sensory feedback from my feet has affected my balance, and walking down stairs now requires more attention than it has since I was a wee lad. A handrail would make my 2 riser front step much more comfortable. So far I've been leaning on a juniper branch, but it won't be too many more years before I'll have to install something less flexible.
Uncle:
Sorry to hear about your condition. I had a diabetes scare, and I learned a bit about it and it's nothing to mess with. My sincere condolences. That said, using that logic, every home in the US should be built according to ADA standards, and to accommodate blind people, deaf people, etc. I disagree. While you make a good point that in some cases handrails on 2 risers steps is a great thing, it should not be a requirement on all homes. BTW - If I lived in your neighborhood, I'd install one for you just as a good will gesture. Not meaning to be abrasive here - just stating my opinion...
Matt
Edited 1/14/2004 8:28:18 PM ET by DIRISHINME
Dirishinme:
AMEN and excuse the pun, but I think "you've hit the nail on the head".
A hand rail for one step? Give me a "freakin" break! Don't intend to sound cold or mean, but "methinks" this is another situation where a governemnt body is trying to please all the people all of the time. MOST people can navigate one or two steps without a rail; beyond that I'll support the need for a railing. Those who can't or feel that they need the assistance for one or two steps, should have one installed. Where does common sense prevail? (Would be interesting to know if there's government building in the community that doesn't abide by the one or two step code.)
Rookie
I agree about it being rediculous for govt to require it, but don't use the "most" argument.
"most" people can negotiate a flight of 13 steps without a handrail, but that doesn't mean we should stop building them in too. The primary reason for handrails is to prevent falls. From an analytical viewpoint, you would need to know the number of falls prevented by a two step rail to compare to the hospital and recovery costs.
The number of potential falls is increasing as the population demographics changes.
or
we could pass a law that all the old people have to move to Florida where everything is already flat.
oops! market forces are already at work. That's where they all are going!
;).
Excellence is its own reward!
Dirishinme,
I have the code book and have discussed it with one local inspector.
The area where I see a descrepancy is under the hand rail section they state it is required for over one riser. In another section they talk about decks and porches and talk about needing a guardrail following the rake 34-38" for anything over 30". Well you already need a hand rail on either side at that point so I thought for steps leading into a house (porsches, decks, garage steps) that up to 30" would not require a handrail. Now that might mean that is the stairs will rise over 30" the handrail will also need to double as a guard rail.
I just don't think a one step rail is very functional or attractive, (it ends up being about 16" long).We become by effort primarily what we end up becoming
- Zig Ziglar
78 is Transit Rd north of E Aurora.
I was more south of Batavia where the road hokks over some.
I just got back from visiting my mother in Florida. She is diabetic and arthritic and has trouble with a single step. OTOH, we had a birthday party for Gramma (age 98) and she hopped up into an Envoy to leave afterwards. at her 90th birthday, she was dancing!.
Excellence is its own reward!
BTW, where in WNY?
I grew up in Java Center. Rt 78 & 98
Excellence is its own reward!
Although I don't have it in front of me, I am pretty sure the 2000 IRC requires a handrail with 2 or more risers. Have also heard rumors that that requirement will possibly go away in the 2003 IRC. (has not been adopted locally yet)
Had to install railings in a garage two riser step-up this past summer. Seems the 95-year-old occupant fell when he missed a step going up. The HO wanted black steel. They were cheap and only took a short time to install. I tied the hand rail into a stud, the post was bolted to the slab using 4 exp bolts. Total material cost was about $100. The HOs were grateful for the installation and use it often.
I wouldn't use it in my own house, however, even though my own garage has 2 steps; the door to the house is on the long side wall, the car parked within a few feet, so a railing wouldn't work. The railing I installed earlier was on the end wall. Better make sure the railings won't inerfere with the car, not that a lot of people use their garage for such a thing.