Do I Need A Railing On My Deck Stairs
Also many jurisdictions mandate that you cannot be any further than 30 from a handrail while on a flight of deck stairs.
Do i need a railing on my deck stairs. Ad Find China Manufacturers Of Wrought Iron Stairs. In other words if the face of the top post on your deck is set back 3 inches from the tip of the decking board at the edge of the deck then all the other posts on the steps going down must also have their face 3 inches from the tip of the stair riser theyre sitting on. Treads must be at least 10 inches deep measuring from front to back.
The IRC International Residential Code notes that deck railing systems must be at least 36 inches in height from the decking surface to the top of the top rail on homes. The posts that support the railing need to be very secure and they need to be in the same relative position on each tread. You many need a dedicated set of stairs or multiple sets to distinguish purpose areas on your deck.
If youve determined your deck stairs do need a railing then you must ensure it is at least 34 vertically from the nosing the front edge of the tread to the handrail. The deck shown here has a first floor elevated deck that is small and more of a pass through zone. Do we have to install stairs when building a deck.
The code has some very specific requirements for deck stairs. When you take your kids and pets into account the risk is even higher. You would not need guardrails along the deck or the stairway as in the sketch below.
What to Do When You Need to Install a Railing on Your Deck The International Building Code says that your railings must be 36 inches or higher but that isnt the only consideration. Whether you require railings on both sides of the stairs will be determined on how the stairs themselves are situated. There are specific regulations on everything from the distance between your balustrades to the screws used to anchor the railing.
When you get into building a railing you cant just get away with installing a railing at the proper height. Each to get from grade to the top of the deck a handrail will have to be installed as shown in the sketch above. The parts of your deck that are 26 inches off the ground do need a railing.