|
| |
| Attic Handrail Safety |
By Greg Vanden Berge
Some stairways that lead up to your attic will have a
safety or guardrail to prevent people from falling down the stairs or
off of them. Attic handrail safety can provide homeowners with a little
peace of mind if they just follow the few simple steps. Make sure that
the handrail is at least 42 inches in height. 42 inches is the minimum
height for guard rails and can be found in the uniform building code.
The uniform building code is the Bible to the building industry and sets
the standard for new construction and remodeling.
The 42 inches will be measured from the floor to the top of the
handrail. Some older homes will have handrails that are 36 inches and
some of them will be even 30 inches in height. A 30 inch handrail
provides limited protection for anyone who is over five foot tall. 30
inches becomes the center point for any one over 60 inches and these
people could easily fall over the short handrail.
Now for the homes that don't have any attic handrail safety systems.
Some homes that were built before the 1960s won't have a handrail system
at all in the stairway. Keep something in mind here, when these people
were building these houses, some of them were trying to save money, some
of them figured that it wasn't going to be a big deal and other builders
simply forgot to install them.
It's not hard to install a working attic handrail for safety but keep in
mind, that if the handrail isn't the right height, it will provide you
with limited protection. Attic handrails that are lower than 30 inches
can provide young children or others who are shorter than five feet with
very little protection but can be a safety hazard to anyone over 5 feet
tall.
If your attic doesn't have a safety handrail, use caution and be careful
in these areas of your home. It wouldn't be a bad idea to install a
locking doorknob if your attic access has a door that can be secured to
prevent small children or other people from entering these unsafe areas.
|
|
|
How To Build Stairs
If
You need a step-by-step instruction booklet on building stairs.
|
| |
>Stairs
Stair Articles
|
