Custom Handrails for Outdoor Steps & Stairs
When it comes to adding value and safety to your front or back porch, look no further than Champion Fence’s quality, industrial-grade handrails. Our custom handrails meet all safety regulation requirements and are secure and easy to grip for anyone climbing steps. Call us today for your free quote for beautiful handrails.
Expert Installation of Custom Handrails for Outdoor Steps
A long list of clients has made us their trusted source for handrail solutions, whether that is outdoors for your steps, on a walkway, or up on multiple floors. Why? At Champion Fence, we celebrate many years of experience in the handrail industry, not just by providing excellent service to building owners but by making handrails available that are both sturdy and stylish!
You are always going to need handrails if you have stairs in a given outdoor area. Whether you have metal handrails for outdoor steps on metal stairs or other handrails for steps that lead into your home, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Why not ask us about the industrial-grade aluminum handrails?
What To Consider When Selecting Outdoor Handrails
When selecting which material you’d like to use for your property’s new handrail, everything from appearance to feel, upkeep, and style will put weight behind your decision. Are you considering making your handrail purchase from Champion Fence? Consider some of the following aspects as you chat with our handrail experts about your best options:
The question of durability addresses not just how long you want your handrail to last, but how much money you want to invest in your handrails each time you need to replace them. For instance, while a metal handrail may be more durable, it will also be more expensive to replace. A wooden handrail is also less durable.
So, when you choose your handrail, you’ll want to carefully consider what you want out of the structure. Our aluminum handrails are powder-coated and long-lasting.
Aluminum is a very sturdy material, instilling a sense of stability in those who need handrails to navigate up and down stairs. Wood runs the risk of splintering and becoming an uncomfortable hazard unless you’re willing to maintain it.
When you purchase a handrail, there’s one expert tip you won’t want to ignore: ensure the design can fit easily into the average person’s hand!
Style and intricacy are both wonderful attributes if you’re hoping to make the handrail ornate and beautiful, but ultimately, it is there for a practical reason. Usefulness and safety come first, so check that the handrail is narrow enough to help everyone on the stairs, even children.
Another consideration for your handrail goals would be the ease of maintenance. This upkeep expense comes knocking each year. Depending on the kind of handrail you own, you may need to replace a part of it or the entire thing after its useful life is up.
Wooden handrails need more maintenance than aluminum, which is far more durable options against bad weather, even if it’s raining sheets of hail.
When you’re working with something like handrails, it’s important to remember what the industry experts demand of your property. Is the installation ADA-compliant?
When you work with Champion Fence, you work with a highly professional company that ensures ADA compliance on all its handrails for your peace of mind. If you have a question about your handrail or installation process, please feel free to ask us about it!
What exactly does your building need for its steps or staircases? Aesthetics can be an important factor when you’re installing outdoor handrails for the first time. However, don’t think that only wooden handrails lend a beautiful charm to a building – the options are endless.
All kinds of materials can be beautiful, especially if they hold up well over time. Even aluminum offers customization with a little paint.
Choosing Handrails For Stairs
When you purchase handrails for the stairs on the interior of your home, there are a few aspects to consider, such as conformity and configuration options.
1
Style Conformity
Your house has an aesthetic, and not every handrail will match. It’s important to pay attention to design and style when you choose which handrails to install.
We advise trying to keep in mind the finish, color, and style of your property overall as you select something for your interior.
2
Configuration
There’s also the configuration of your handrails to consider. At Champion Fence, we offer the standard industrial bread loaf handrail.
Handrail styles and configurations have pros and cons, but safety standards won’t change. Design preferences are important, but they’ll take the backseat in comparison to space constraints, the sturdiness of the rail under your hand, and maintenance aspects.
Handrail Height
The final consideration is height, and this remains one of the most important features of handrails for stairs. Since everyone needs to use the handrail as support for their ascent and descent, it needs to be a height that’s accessible for all. To this end, the International Code Council and the Americans with Disabilities Act are both guidelines to ensure your handrails conform to a proper safety code in both commercial and residential buildings.
ADA-Compliance and Handrail Height
The ADA is an institution that protects the rights of disabled Americans. This institution is the reason roads, sidewalks, and buildings are all accessible to people, regardless of their mobility.
Every handrail you intend to build or install will need to comply with ADA policies and height codes. The ADA height codes and the ICC height codes are the same, so the measurements are quite simple to work out when you’re starting a new project.
Handrail Heights and Children
You will also need to conform to a specific height so that children can stay safe while using your property’s stairs. If you don’t want to bother with height calculations, you could always just install an extra rail below your initial one so that children can easily reach it. This move will affect your installation’s final cost, but it is an optimal solution if you’re thinking about installing handrails at schools, parks, or other locations where children will be using the steps.
If you want to be absolutely sure that you’re conforming to height codes for children, consider some of the following guidelines:
- No handrail should exceed 28 inches in height.
- Handrails should be at 90-degree angles directly above the step’s surface.
- For adult handrails with extra child handrails beneath, ensure that both sets are at least 9 inches apart (to eliminate the risk of children trapping their hands).
If you install two sets of handrails, you should ensure they’re on both sides.
ICC Height Codes for Handrails for Steps
The ICC quite regularly updates its code for handrails, but there are some exceptions to the rules mentioned above. For example, if you use bending or other fittings on your handrails that help transitional areas between stairs, these things may exceed the maximum height.
Other commonly implemented guidelines you should consider when making a handrail up to code include the following:
- Make the handrail height uniform and at the same slope as the stairs or ramp.
- Start all measurements for the slope of handrails above the stair tread.
- Install handrails no less than 34 inches above the stairs and up to only 38 inches.
Schedule Your Free Handrail Estimate
with Champion Fence
Now that you know everything there is to know about purchasing handrails with Champion Fence, why not give us a call? We put quality and customer satisfaction first, above all else. Plus, our fence and handrail products and services are top-notch, allowing us to go above and beyond to ensure you’re satisfied with your purchase.
When you work with us, our goal is to treat you as the valued customer you are during every step of the consultation, purchase, installation, and maintenance process. If you’d like compliant handrails that perfectly fit your property’s aesthetic and your budget requirements, put the safety of your building’s stairs in our hands call Champion Fence today at (865) 379-5200!
