Stair Handrails

To meet building regulations, the handrail should be between 900mm and 1000mm above the pitch line of the stairs or landing. The pitch line is the line that sits on top of the stair nosing at the edge of the treads. A stair tread is the horizontal part of the step on which you place your foot. When you’re measuring the stair handrail height, don’t forget to take into account the diameter of the handrail too. For example, if you’re installing a 54mm Mopstick handrail, you’ll need to deduct 54mm from the overall height measurement.

Modern staircases often incorporate light colours and materials such as metal and glass. Usually, it's better to choose lighter coloured handrails because they create a contemporary feel. These include materials such as hemlock, pine, white primed and glass into the balustrade is also great in modern homes because it can open up the staircase, introducing light and space to the area. For more information, take a look at our guide, Choosing Modern Handrails.

A handrail for stairs should run the entire length of the staircase. To correctly measure this, you can hook a tape measure onto the nose of the bottom step and measure to the top of the staircase. To make sure the handrail is safe and code compliant, this measuring will decide the length of the handrail. For more information, see our full guide on handrail sizing.

There is no guidance that states a particular side for a wall mounted handrail to be installed. As long as the handrail is fitted correctly, it is up to you on which side you install it.

Staircases in your home must have at least one handrail. If the stairs are wider than 1m however, it is advised to install a handrail on both sides.

There are many materials and styles to choose from. At Jackson Woodturners we have a huge range to choose from with both modern, sleek handrail designs and more traditional options. If you want some tips on how to choose take a look at our blog, stair handrail designs, what are your options?