Post size for railing. 6x6 vs 4x4

8 years ago

Thank you to all who commented and gave their advice on step styles :) We went all the way across and really like the way it came out. Have to wait for the wolmanized wood to cure before staining. Excuse the mess as we are putting in a walkway too.
The only dilemma we have now is what size post to use for stair risking. We are only going to do one railing on the left of steps.
Should we use a 4x4 or a 6x6 like our porch posts? Also, would the railing post look best on bottom step or in front of step or beside it?

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Bev
Original Author

8 years ago

Steps have been redone and are now to code. We are going to put in a 6x6 post for railing, husband wants to put it in front of steps but I'm thing it would be OK to attach to bottom steps. Thoughts?

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Comments (25)

btydrvn
8 years ago
On you first post a comment called attention to codes...am pretty sure a railing is required all away around for safety reasons..the inequality of the top step rise is definitely a hazard as well ...these are the places where children ,seniors, and distracted people are in danger of harm...also insurance companies may decline coverage based on these code violations....add to that only one railing at one end of the wide stairway...and you may have an accident just waiting to happen...I would embrace this as an opportunity to add a nice railing that would add some detail to the curb appeal....perhaps a pine pole railing for a rustic look or a less obtrusive decorative metal railing...the hand railing is a little more challenging..maybe local code will give you some guidance as to what would be safest
btydrvn
8 years ago
My personal aversion to porches looking totally different and separate from the houses they are added on to ..pushes me to suggest that all the raw look wood be stained darker to match the house...this would add continuity to the look and tie it all together better...
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millworkman
8 years ago
Yeah, those steps will not pass inspection.....
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
8 years ago
4x4 post for the railing but like Millworkman said this is not a code compliant stair and it should be redone before someone takes a dive.
Bev
Original Author
8 years ago
So the top step needs to be even with the porch decking?
0
PRO
Ellsworth Design Build
8 years ago
All the steps have to have the same height. The deck surface can be the top 'step' but right now the distance between the deck and the step below it appears to be several inches less than the height of the rest of the stairs. Huge trip hazard and code violation.
PRO
Hal Braswell Consulting
8 years ago
Off top of head don't recall the specifics of code but there are specifications for both treads and risers, with very little little deviation allowed in the risers from one step to the others. Purpose is twofold, to ensure adequate space for feet (tread depth from front to back) and uniform height of the risers to minimize tripping. Code may vary slightly from one jurisdiction to another so check locally.
PRO
PPF.
8 years ago
User
8 years ago
SECTION R312

GUARDS

R312.1 Where required. Guards shall be located along

open-sided walking surfaces, including stairs, ramps and land-

ings, that are located more than 30 inches (762 mm) measured

vertically to the floor or grade below at any point within 36

inches (914 mm) horizontally to the edge of the open side.

Insect screening shall not be considered as a guard.

.

R311.7.4 Stair treads and risers. Stair treads and risers

shall meet the requirements of this section. For the purposes

of this section all dimensions and dimensioned surfaces

shall be exclusive of carpets, rugs or runners.

R31 1 .7.4. 1 Riser height. The maximum riser height shall

be 7 3/4 inches (196 mm). The riser shall be measured verti-

cally between leading edges of the adjacent treads. The

greatest riser height within any flight of stairs shall not

exceed the smallest by more than 3/8 inch (9.5 mm).

R311.7.4.2 Tread depth. The minimum tread depth

shall be 10 inches (254 mm). The tread depth shall be

measured horizontally between the vertical planes of the

foremost projection of adjacent treads and at a right

angle to the tread's leading edge. The greatest tread depth

within any flight of stairs shall not exceed the smallest by

more than 3/8 inch (9.5 mm)...
smileythecat
8 years ago
Rework the steps then?
Bev
Original Author
8 years ago
@ smiley cat. I'm in "talks" now with my husband about it. Can the bottom step be a little shorter than the others?
0
PRO
Ellsworth Design Build
8 years ago
No. See Fred above, all the steps have to be the same size. You will need to cut new stringers though likely most of the rest can be reused. One idea would be to raise the walkway to make up the difference if you insist on using the existing stringers.
btydrvn
8 years ago
It looks like if you just lower all the steps to be the right height starting from the top...and remove the bottom one...it may be close enough to just adjust the landing to the right height....
Sharon
8 years ago
This is a serious code violation. If someone were to trip and fall, homeowners insurance would not want to pay out as this is out of compliance. Also, this would show up on a home inspection should you try to sell, and would likely have to be dealt with then.

On a personal note, I had similarly poorly constructed steps from my downstairs deck to patio (only 3 step, installed by HOA). While carrying 3 heavy concrete stepping stones, I tripped and fell. Severely sprained my ankle and nearly broke my coccyx, along with a lot of scrapes and bruises. I was terrified of those steps until they were replaced!
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sunnydrew
8 years ago
Your new steps look very nice. I am sure there must be a code regarding the railing and whether or not it is even needed.
Bev
Original Author
8 years ago
Next challenge for us is to fix the discoloration on our cedar porch. Feel free to comment on my post "cedar discoloration & preventative help". Need to know how to clean this black spots and if we should stain the posts darker and if we can leave the ceiling natural. More is explained in it.
Thank you
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smileythecat
8 years ago
Hey that looks good, but like sunnydrew mentioned you don't appear to need railing, hopefully someone will come along and clarify that.
User
8 years ago
http://premiumaccess.iccsafe.org/document/code/272/4596652
0
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
You only have 3 risers, so a rail is not required per IRC. IF you use a 6×6 or 4×4, you would probably put a cap on too that is wider than the post. That cap will not be graspable, and could not be considered as the "handrail" if one were required. A separate handrail is usually attached to the side of the post that a person can grab more comfortably. Also, even if you do decide to put in the post and a rail, the infill spindles (4" sphere rule) would not be required here since it is below 30" above the ground.

.

I normally put half the post on the first step. That way, the rest of the post can continue to the ground and be securely fastened to the first riser, to provide lateral support and make things more sturdy in general.
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PRO
Linda
8 years ago
A railing isn't required but elderly or infirm visitors would appreciate a hand rail. I would consider attaching it to the house side of the steps and make the post and rail at the outside edge purely decorative.
PRO
carpentry-pro
8 years ago
6x6 looks good depend of the size of the house, and after 30" you need railing by code in NJ.
Bev
Original Author
8 years ago
Husband attached handrail to our house. :)
Thank you ALL once again for making this project a success. Now to stain the stairs and clean up. :)
User
8 years ago
Minor details ;)
Bev
Original Author
8 years ago
Lol Thanks Fred, your post made my husbands day. He kept trying to explain to me that he wanted to cut the end on an angle and add another to attach to the wall, but I nixed his idea when I didn't understand, so your post turned into a "See,I told you so" moment.
0

Post size for railing. 6x6 vs 4x4

Bev
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Original Author

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