Hi Tom
My name is Steven and I am from Ireland. I’m a metal fabricator, not qualified though, but I have worked for 3 years with steel. The first place I worked was with a company making helicopter simulators for 2 years. The second job I had was making different things but I never made a handrail for a wheelchair ramp.
I just wanted to get your advice on a hand rail for a ramp. I wanted to know how I should measure the angle of the slope for the ramp? And also would I need to cut the posts each the same length that go inside of the handle part and the lower rail that will be above the ramp itself? How would I measure the length of the square tube at the angle for the post because each end cut will be cut at an angle so it can be welded to the upright posts at the start of the ramp and at the top if the ramp. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind Regards
Steven

Steve from Ireland sent the above email full of questions concerning building a handicap ramp. I posted a short video of Tom giving a few tips on how to build a metal handrail for a sloped sidewalk or ramp. One thing to keep in mind is to contact a local building official to investigate any building codes that are required in your area. Another key is to make sure you start with a well poured ramp. Sometimes you have to deal with an existing concrete ramp, but if you are starting from ground zero, make sure the ramp is smooth and even to begin with. A good ramp will allow you to compute your metal handrail by rise and run method. You can actually take the measurement, duplicate the angle and draw out the handrail on your shop floor. If the ramp has a dip or two in it, use a strait two by four or a piece of square tube, lay it on the ramp, put an angle finder on it and find the exact angle. This gives you the angle of all the posts. All vertical metal posts should be level, or plumb. The top handrail can be made out of one piece of metal tube. The bottom bumper rails can be cut out to fit between the individual vertical metal posts. Additional guardrail should be added if local code dictates.

Thanks for the question Steve and best of luck with your project!

It is that time of year again when our attention turns to the outdoors and the curb appeal of our homes. One easy way to give your front porch a quick face lift is to add or replace an outdoor stair rail.
A few things to keep in mind, along with design, have to do with observing city and county codes.
Residential properties generally have to have at least one handrail along a flight of stairs. The height of the handrail should be mounted somewhere between 34″ and 38″ above all of the stair nosing.
The grip-able area of the handrail should measure between 1 1/4″ and 2 1/4″.
If the handrail is to be hung along an existing wall, like the example in the photos, a 1 1/2″ clearance between any projection in the wall and the handrail should be observed. Sometimes this gets a bit tricky if the wall has an uneven surface like stone.

Tom built this handrail to fit a new home. The handrail needed to bolt to a stone faced wall at the top and also bolt to a stone faced concrete planter at the bottom of the stairs. Tom used a lag screw that fit into the metal railing bracket and sunk it through the stone and wall behind. The bottom bracket was fastened using a concrete anchor through the stone into the concrete planter underneath. Tom used 1 1/2″ .109 wall E.W. round tubing bent using a Shop Outfitters Universal Fabricator.

Tom built this metal handrail for a stairway that leads to the basement of a new home. Stairways should have handrails and the handrails need to be strong and attached properly in all commercial and residential locations. In this article Tom will show you how to attach a metal handrail to a stone or concrete wall while still allowing for a nice look. When handrails need to be bolted to a stone or concrete wall, the best thing to use is a concrete anchor.
First, drill out a hole for the concrete anchor and then pound it into the wall. The anchor is tapered at the end so that a small metal collor allows it to catch into the concrete as it is set.
The rest of the bolt, or stud, ends up hanging out on the finished side of the handrail mount. Rather than simply grinding it off flat to the mount piece, Tom suggestion is to leave a nut on and grind off just enough of the bolt to attach a small acorn nut on the end.
It is easy to see in a side by side comparison that the handrail hung with a rounded acorn nut leaves a more polished look than the handrail hung from the stair wall with the bolts ground off flush to the handrail fasteners.

We spent the weekend with family near Boulder Colorado. Any trip to the Boulder area really requires a visit to Pearl Street Mall.
Pearl Street Mall is a four block pedestrian mall with many locally owned shops and restaurants. The mall was dedicated in August of 1977 and has seen many transformations since then.
The one thing we noticed was the many and various types of outdoor railing used at outdoor cafe spots. Most of the railing was metal, which makes sense given the sometimes wet and snowy Colorado climate. Metal is simple to install and looks nice against wood, brick or stone. Metal is also a good investment as it requires little upkeep and lasts a long time.
Incorporating a railing around an outdoor eating area belonging to a restaurant is often part of city code. There are usually requirements concerning furnishings, awnings, foliage as well as railing. A restaurant can be sure that their outdoor eating area must be directly adjacent to the building as well as allow for several feet for pedestrian access.
After considering these necessary building codes, an establishment should be concerned with how the railing blends in with it’s existing architecture and what kind of first impression it will make to potential customers passing by.
We found several good examples of metal guardrail at the Pearl Street Mall. One we found utilized stone pillars that connected radius aluminum tubing that was most likely curved using a large roller. The metal pickets were either cast, liquid metal poured into a mold, or forged, heated to the point of malleability and then pounded into shape for texture and detail. This design had a pleasing curve that allowed for a spacious feel on the cafe side of the metal railing.

Another of our favorite metal guardrails was this green rail. The designer started by anchoring the metal rail with large square tube posts. The bottom rail is two pieces of angle iron fitted with the baluster straps. The top rail is channel iron with a metal top cap painted black. Flat strap formed in diamond shapes is welded into an interesting design. The one and a quarter by three sixteenths strap has been punched for rivets at each intersection as well as having a notched out pattern.

One example of a corporate look is the highly functional and polished handrail at Old Chicago Restaurant. Old Chicago had by far the most outdoor seating area on the Pearl Street Mall. Their outdoor venue stretched around the corner and onto a back porch. The straight steel one by two inch top and mid-rail combined with one inch and a quarter square tube pickets combined for a clean contemporary guardrail. The contractors also incorporated a nice finishing touch by welding the “OC” boarder out of metal cast ring.

There was plenty of great metal handrail to look at on a recent trip to New Mexico. Tom and I spent most of the day wandering around the Taos area and snapping pictures of interesting custom metal handrail and guard rail. Taos is a mecca of metal artwork and the detail is not lost on a few of the commercial properties located in the town.
We found this example most interesting as it was laced with common objects. The handrail was at The World Cafe and included lots of whimsical items welded into the scrolled metal guardrails. A couple of examples are below. A great online source for metal stair material is Stairwarehouse.com. They have numerous examples of all kinds of handrails, guardrails and even stair treads. You can even view a great do it yourself project online. Another great source for metal stair rail work is Orleans Ornamental Iron & Casting Distributors, Inc. out of New Orleans Louisiana. Tom has ordered several items from Orleans and has had a good experience each time. Orleans Ornamental carries iron castings, aluminum castings, steel forgings as well as castings for furniture and accessories.

Another fabulous looking handrail we saw was located in the Taos Inn. This small stairway in the lobby of the hotel was speckled with chili peppers.
Metal handrail has developed into an artwork as there are more options for design and weld looks. Metal handrail also is a good choice to stand up in all kinds of elements. It can draw attention to a business and add to the overall atmosphere. Something to keep in mind is requirements for spacing metal pickets. Pickets are to be spaced so that a four inch spherical ball may not pass through at any point.
Check with building officials in your area to find out about other codes and requirements.

Outdoor Commercial Stairway

Metal Hand Rails are widely used in both residential construction and commercial construction.
The International Building Code has hand rail code requirements listed under the means of egress section. Both stair hand rails and ramp hand rails are required in most situations. Talk to the building official in your area to clarify whether your stairway or ramp should have a hand rail.
Metal hand rails are used indoors and outdoors. Metal hand rails tend to be more durable, last longer, and leave a finished look on stairway projects. Metal hand rails can be fabricated in most machine shops that also take on welding work.
Two important things to consider when contracting with a machinist/welder to fabricate a metal hand rail for your residence or business are the height requirements and extension requirements of your new hand rail.
Section 1009.11.1 states that: “Handrail height, measured above stair tread nosings, or finished surface of ramp slope, shall be uniform, not less than 34 inches (864 mm) and not more than 38 inches (965 mm).”
This means that starting from the stair or ramp surface, the hand rail should slope somewhere between 34 and 38 inches above the tread line.

Where the metal hand rails are free standing and do not continue on they must extend at least twelve inches at either end. Section 1009.11.5 states that “Handrails shall return to a wall, guard or the walking surface or shall be continuous to the handrail of an adjacent stair flight. Where handrails are not continuous between flights, the handrails shall extend horizontally at least 12 inches (305 mm) beyond the top riser and continue to slope for the depth of one tread beyond the bottom riser.

A ring roller is a great tool for metal shops. A ring roller works by forcing steel material through three rollers also called dies. The three rollers are set in the machine in a triangular fashion. The two bottom rollers can be adjusted up into the top roller or drive roller to achieve various degrees of arches. The metal is wheeled through a ring roller until the desired radius is formed.
The drive roller pushes and pulls steel through simultaneously so that the steel has no where to go and thus forms a metal arch. If the ring roller operator moves the two bottom rollers or dies up, it changes the size of the ring. The rollers or dies are moved using a small hydraulic jack and lock screw on the ring roller. The operator unhooks the lock screw and pumps up the hydraulic jack and then tightens the lock screw once the desired span is achieved.
Standard dies that come with a ring roller usually handle flat strap metal. The roller Tom uses is the Shop Outfitters #238 Ring Roller. This is the discontinued Shop Outfitters Ring Roller and has been replaced by their newer and improved model, the 338 Pedestal Ring Roller. Shop Outfitters newest ring roller is able to accept wider steel, 3″ X 3/8″ steel rather then 2″ X 3/8″ of the previous model. The 338 Pedestal Ring Roller also has an aluminum handle and a heavier hydraulic jack. The 338 Pedestal Ring Roller also is able to roll square tubing. The square tubing dies are purchased separately. Special recesses in the dies allow for either tubing, round stock or square tubing.
A Ring Roller is an essential tool for many metal shops. Tom has used his ring roller to build items such as custom spinning pot holders, decorative metal tables and large wood racks.

Our friends from Summit Structures asked Tom to fabricate this custom metal handrail on location at a new house they were building.  The handrail was built on a radius staircase so it took a little more work than usual to acquire the correct bends. 

The first thing Tom did was to set the upright posts in line with the radius wall.  Next, he bent the square tubing in a radius.  Tom used a Shop Outfitters 238 Ring Roller after a slight modification in the ring roller.  He removed a bushing out to allow the steel tubing to fit through.  He also made some different idler rollers for the ring roller as well.  He was then able to roll 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch square tubing through the ring roller.  He had to make several passes through the ring roller with his square tubing in order to get the desired radius on the steel.  He was only able to bend a little at a time.  An application like this is slightly hard on the ring roller, so anyone attempting this sort of use should be sure he has the machine set properly. 

When building a handrail along a curved stairway one trick is worth noting.  When welding in the top and bottom rails to the upright posts a twist needs to be formed into the rails.  When tubing goes up in a radius it should twist to gain the desired effect when tying the handrail into the upright posts.  Tom accomplished the twist by taking each handrail and placing them into a vice.  Using a 48 inch pipe wrench he put a 6 degree twist into the upper and lower rails before attaching them to the posts. 

Next, Tom welded the pickets between each post.  He purchased the pre-twisted metal pickets at Orleans Ornamental Iron.  Pickets were necessary for the metal handrail because building code usually requires that a guardrail be in place if the  stairway has more than a 30 inch drop.  The metal pickets were first cut to the proper angle and then welded by spacing them so that nothing smaller than a 4 inch sphere can fit between them.

Tom fashioned metal ends to finish off the metal handrail.  The decorative ends were designed to tie in the vertical uprights to the radius tubes that go up the staircase.  Tom used a Shop Outfitters 20/20 compact bender using 1.5 by .25 inch flat steel stock.

The last touch was to prep the handrail for paint.  Tom rubbed the handrail down with acetone to remove a lot of the oils in the tubing.  He then scrubbed the handrail down with a soap and water solution with scotch-bright pads. Finally, he painted the project black.

Most of the metal handrail had to be fashioned onsite.

Tom often gets requests to build custom metal handrails from both residential builders and commercial companies. His various projects will be posted to this site as they are completed. I thought it might be handy to review a few steps to consider as you begin a handrail fabrication project.

Tom’s years spent as a building inspector for our city comes in handy when tackling projects such as building and installing a custom metal handrail. A handrail is required if there are four or more stairs. Commercial and residential codes differ from there on.

Commercial code requires that the builder must extend the handrail a foot beyond both the top and bottom landings of the stairs. The handrail should continue it’s slop with the stairs in relation to the bottom stair. At the top of the stair landing the handrail should bend and level out so as to parallel the top landing. Both top and bottom handrail should extend at least a foot.

If there is a drop off the side of the stair at any point that is thirty inches or more, a guardrail should be built as well. Commercial code dictates that guardrail should be forty two inches minimum. The guardrails should also be fixed so that the guardrail bars are fixed so that a four inch sphere can not pass through any part of the guardrail. This safety rule prevents kids from putting their heads through the guardrail and having the misfortune of getting stuck. Residential guardrail is measured at a thirty six inch minimum.

The first step in designing and building a handrail is to measure the rise and run of the stairs. This will give you the slope of the stairway. An angle meter can also be used. Tom usually measures the front of the bottom tread and the front of the very last tread, or landing of the top. This gives him a starting point for where the bends on the handrails will be located.

When measuring the rise of the stair note that they are all with in 3/8″ of each other. After measuring a few stairs, take an average of the rise. Tom takes his measurements of the rise and run of the staircase and chalks them out on his shop floor. He then uses that as a pattern to shape the metal handrail.

It is also important to consider the architecture of the house or building when constructing a metal handrail. Square handrail often looks nice, but code likes round handrail because it tends to be more graspable. Code also specifies that handrail should be at least an inch and a quarter in diameter with a maximum of two and a quarter. The height should also be between thirty four and thirty eight inches.

Metal handrail was 1 1/2″ tubing with a wall thickness of .109.  Tubing was fabricated using Shop Outfitter’s Universal Fabricator.  The Universal Fabricator bends up to 1 1/4″ pipe or 1 1/2″ tubing.  Dies are also available for square tubing up to 1 1/2″.