5/29/2023 0 Comments Hand rails![]() The more times you must lift your legs and place your feet squarely on a tread, without an intervening landing, the more likely you are to trip or become tired. ![]() Unlike the requirement for guards, the one for handrails (IRC Section R311.5.6) considers the number of rises: "Handrails shall be provided on at least one side of each continuous run of treads or flight with four or more rises." This is because the need for handrails is based solely on the movement of the human body, not on the height of the stairs. Pay close attention: The requirements for the height and spacing on guards for a level deck are different than the requirements for guards on stairs On decks more than 30 inches above grade, guards are required. (Remember that guards on level areas such as decks, when required, must be a minimum of 36 inches high.) Infill - balusters, pickets, solid wall, and the like - between the 34-inch minimum height and the nose of the stairs is considered part of the guard assembly, and is required only when guards are required. On the other hand, a set of stairs with 10 rises, each 3 inches high for a total rise of 30 inches, would not require a guard. For example, a set of stairs with four rises - each 7.75 inches high for a total rise of 31 inches - would require a guard on both sides. Guards are referred to in Section R312.1 in the IRC: "Open sides of stairs with a total rise of more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 34 inches in height measured vertically from the nosing of the treads." It's important to highlight that this requirement is based on the height of a fall, not the number of rises in the stairs. A handrail is required on stairs of four or more rises. A guard is required when a stair rises more than 30 inches above the underlying surface.
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