This guide is intended to teach you how to build a stair railing. In most cases, the construction process will follow these steps: Excavate the ground that is being used for the foundation. Build your base into which the metal support posts will be set. Install those posts and finish them off with caps. Create additional supports for your railings by attaching metal posts at regular intervals. Install bolts in place of nails that can hold sections together; these are called compression clips. Attach newel posts to the support posts with lag screws.
Your stairs are the perfect place to install a handrail that doubles as a design element. Stair railings can be made of wood or metal and can have designs carved into them to create an elegant staircase. Building stair railings is a fairly simple process, but it requires careful planning and attention to detail so that your project ends up looking professional instead of sloppy and unappealing.
Building a stair railing is something that most people can do themselves with some careful planning and a little help from a friend. It’s helpful to understand the basic building blocks of a stair rail, including the top and bottom rails, the balusters and treads, the post brackets, the posts, and—of course—the railings. Once you have these pieces in place, it’s easy to assemble your new railing on site. With some patience and planning you’ll be able to build your own outdoor stair railing using these six steps:
Prep work
Before beginning the railing project, it’s important to prepare all of the materials. First, you’ll need to cut the deck boards into 4-foot lengths and install them on your deck as a temporary flooring system. Next, you’ll have to prepare all of your stair components:
- Preparing the stairs themselves involves cutting them into 3/4-inch strips using a circular saw (or miter saw). If possible, avoid using any power tools for this process; hand tools will be much more accurate and create less mess than power tools will.
- Preparing your deck involves installing joist hangers at each end of each joist that support the decking boards in place. Joists are typically 24 inches apart with 16 inches between joists running north and south; if they’re spaced differently in your home’s construction plans then adjust accordingly.
Drill holes
- Drill a hole at the end of each rail.
- Drill a hole at the end of each brace.
- Drill a hole at the end of each stair post.
- Drill a hole at the end of each stair support post.
Attach the bottom
- Attach the bottom rail to the posts
It’s time to attach that bottom rail to the posts. This can be done with screws or nails (we used screws for our railing) or if you want a more seamless look, you can use glue and clamp them together until they dry.
- Attach bottom rail to deck
Install the braces
The next step is to install the braces. You can do this by screwing them into place with a power drill and some screws. However, if you don’t want to risk damaging the wood by using a power drill, you can use brackets instead of screws.
Brackets are installed similarly to braces but have more support than just a single board of wood. Once the brackets are in place and leveled out on both sides (make sure they’re level!), it’s time to start nailing up your rails.
Attach the top and bottom rails
Now that the stair stringer is attached to the wall, you’ll be able to install your handrails.
First, you need to attach the bottom rail to the top of your stair stringer. Then, you can attach the top rail. The rails should be level with each other and parallel to each other throughout their entire length. You may want to use a level as a guide while attaching them so they’re both straight and level with each other (and perpendicular).
Attach railing posts to the deck
- Attach railing posts to the deck.
- A drill and/or hammer will be needed for this step.
Your home will be safer with a new stair railing.
Safety is important for everyone. It’s not just for children, though it’s true that a lot of people are more focused on child safety than adult or pet safety. But there are still plenty of reasons why you should be concerned about the stability of your home’s stair rails:
- elderly parents who have trouble climbing stairs
- people with disabilities who have trouble navigating stairs safely
- pets, who may not always be able to climb stairs safely
- family dogs and cats, who also struggle with stairs (and sometimes even fall off them!)
Final words
This project is something that you can complete in a weekend. You’ll need to know how to use a drill, saw and hammer but other than that it’s pretty straightforward. We hope you found this post helpful and will consider building your own stair railing.
