Anyone have any experience with stainless steel handrails in a remodeling project. I have a customer with a “contemporary style” house, she would like to remove the inexpensive (ugly) beech handrails that are attached to the walls on each of her five short staircases and replace them with 1 1/2″ stainless steel rails. Each rail is approximately 7 feet long and will self return at both ends. I have spoken to a couple of local steel fabricators and get the impression that they can do it, but don’t have much experience with it.
I am wondering (searching) for a more competent (experienced) source of supply for this… any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Bill
Replies
Find yourself a metal fabrication shop that does commercial work. Especially ones that do fabrications for commercial food establishments such as cafeteria kitchens where there are a lot of stainless countertops, freezers etc.
During renovation of a local eatery I worked around a crew that were all business. Absolutely captivating how they cut, weld, grind and polish stainless sheets into new counters and patch old ones so well that the changes and repairs disappear into the whole. I suspect if you can find a good group they can make anything you need in short order.
MARINE! Try a boatbuilder or marine haulout and repair facility to find out who does their boat rail repairs or instalations. The boat canvas stores usually have a handle on stainless tubing facilities too.In Seattle it would be Alaskan copper and brass.
Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Hospitals, Winn Dixies, and Kroger stores manitenance departments will have a list of good SS fabricators.
I did one of those contemporary upgrades several years ago, but we used a enameled steel hand rail. They had hidden attachment points, so we had to cut out sections of dw, install blocking and use carrige bolts extending through the blocking and dw patch for the HR attachments. Looked a whole lot cleaner than a flanged railing with escutheons. We had to order the rails through our SS fabricator. Took about 5 weeks to recieve them. I can get the mfg. name Monday if you don't find someone local. The mfgs. catalog said they also did SS custom orders.
Dave
Heres a house I built which had internal s.s. handrails, external s.s. handrails, s.s. wire and boat fittings and s.s. downpipes and rain heads. We do a lot of stainless down here near the coast and there are quite a few firms that specalize in stainless steel.
Edited 3/21/2003 11:31:44 PM ET by JOHNAWALKER
Edited 3/22/2003 4:04:24 AM ET by JOHNAWALKER
Stainless steel fabrication is kind of a specialty shop item. Most any metal shop could do it BUT it does require some special equipment and some specialized skills. It is best to find a shop that is experienced with it. It is considerably more expensive than wrought iron or regular steel fabrication ... but the end result is pretty nice.
Bill, might be worth contacting these people to see if they can build to your required length? http://www.elcoma.com/index.htm Or maybe another manufacture if they aren't interested.
Joe H
Where are you located? This might help in referals
Try this
http://www.juliusblum.com/prodsec02.html
I guess I should have stated that I was in lower ct. I have contacted several metal shops including one large commercial outfit and am waiting for replies.
Thanks for all the responses, and the photo attachments
I will let you know how it works out
bill
Swimming pools often have stainless handrails, see if there's anyone in the pool business who can give a recommendation.
-- J.S.