Stair rails install#
Stair rails full#

With general access routes, a mobility-friendly alternative to stairs must be installed on all new builds. However, any railings, bannisters, or handrails placed before this point count as dividers that create a single stairwell on either side. There is no minimum width recommended for a single staircase. There should be at least 2000mm (2m) of headspace clearance at all points on the stairwell. Any nosings must be at least 16mm minimum. All risers must be completely level and uniform, with the same measurements used for each step. Clear landings must also be present at either end of the staircase. Half-landings must be installed to ensure this. Stairs may contain 36 consecutive risers (steps) in domestic dwellings, but only 16 in general access settings. 2R+G=X (where X is the safety variable) should have X equal between 550mm and 750mm for a safe stairwell. The maximum rise of a step should be 220 mm.

The maximum safe pitch of any stairwell is 42 degrees. Stairs are now divided into three separate categories: private (as used in houses and gardens), utility (escape, maintenance, and access routes), and general access (retail, office, public service, and communal stairwells). Here's a summary of what you need to know when commissioning or installing stairs and steel bannister rails in the United Kingdom.

Stair rails install#

Deliberate breaches can result in a hefty fine.įull details of when and where you should install steel bannisters can be found in Approved Document K: Protection from Falling, Collision, and Impact (Second Revision, HM Gov, 2013). If any vital safety features are missing from the building, the government steps in via Building Control to complete the work that the property owner should have planned for. These changes have also meant that bannisters and railings must be built in certain circumstances by law.Īll new builds and renovations must follow these regulations or risk being billed over-the-odds for 'Section 36' work. For those reasons and more, UK law (as of 2010) now mandates an obligatory set of criteria that governs the construction of any stairwell built in Britain. These simple devices are literal lifesavers, protecting users from falls, drops, and trips on stairwells and high platforms.

Stair rails full#

Prices for this level of expertise, for a full staircase, start from £25k.At GLW Engineering, amongst the many quality steel products we make are bannisters and railings. Working with precision-engineered designs and modern materials.' 'Each commission is the handiwork of a dedicated team of multi-skilled craftspeople who combine traditional disciplines, including metal work, blacksmithing, cabinetry and leather. As with any interior design element though, there's a high end option if you have the budget.īespoke staircase specialist Bisca designs and makes award-winning staircases all over the UK, built entirely in the North Yorkshire workshop. You're looking in the hundreds, rather than thousands. How much does it cost to replace a banister?Ĭosts for replacing a banister depends on the material you choose to do the job, but can range from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands.Ī carpenter will replace a banister for a reasonable price, dependant on the work involved and the size of the staircase. The open space under the stairs here is used to store a laundry basket and a white storage unit, which add to a relaxed and lived-in look. To unify the scheme, paint a staircase in the same colour continuing on door frames and skirting boards within the hallway. This creative take on decorating offers a monochrome finish, providing a great base for a colourful hallway scheme.

Refresh an existing, perhaps dated, staircase and banister with a coat of wood paint.