I’m no pro, but take a look at the left rail. It looks like they kept the spindles full length, then added another post, then a straight rail. They have a landing, but maybe you can work the rest from there.

Mount Pleasant Custom Home · More Info

thanks! I just found something similar to your second picture. Who knew there was such a thing as ceiling railing. If I do that, it would be an opportunity to switch out the spindles with the knots. I hadn't expected the spindles to be that close together. I think it looks too busy right now. The pictures I've found with ceiling railing - the spindles are always all the same type. While I like your first pic, I'm afraid we don't have enough room for that - we'd have to put the second newel post about midway up (there is a landing just at the top of the pics) so I think it would look odd. I have fallen in love with this idea I found: "build removable stair rail" by "got it made" on you tube - maybe I can sweet talk my contractor into making it like that, since the stairwell can be tight for large items.

Excellent. Ceiling rail. Who knew? I just took another look and yes, the knots need to come out. Please post a picture of your final look. I’m curious to see it.

Thanks - ! I never liked the look of those knots to begin with. Will definitely post a picture. Will have it done either this month or in November - likely the latter.

by the way tqtqtbw - are you in Charleston, SC ? Someone I went to high school with in Columbia is an architect/designer there. I recently saw him and his work featured in a magazine. Beautiful work.

I’ve never seen a railing get shorter as it goes up the stairs. Nor have I seen one get taller as it goes down.

What did he have planned for the handrail on the wall?

Sammy, not only that, but take a look at the perfect symmetry of the baluster decorations in tqtqtbw's picture, then look at the abomination in the first picture. This is so bad I think someone's trolling me. Someone's sitting at their screen going "Watch this, it will drive Corlett completely nuts. We've got stair code violations combined with a complete lack of aesthetics." They are correct.

crm caton - no, I’ve never been to the Carolinas. Have your friend get on Houzz so we can all see his work.

Sadly, you may have to rip this out and start over with an actual stair rail contractor. I don't know how you fix something that's so off. The rail height should be the same dimension above the stair wall slope all the way up. Good luck!

Sabrina - you’re right. something I noticed too but so much going on and my husband was good with it. And tqtqtbw - just checked and actually he is on houzz. Beau Clowney in sullivans island. There’s a mount pleasant nearby.

Your contractor has it right. Extend the wall so the rail can die into the new wall. The ceiling rail looks like a mistake, the extended wall won't.

Falls are a leading cause of injury and death due to trauma.

Railings should be designed so someone can easily hold onto them when using the stairs.

Does what is currently there even meet the minimum height at the top of the stairs? Looks like a who did it and ran in my opinion and will look worse the more you "attempt" to alter it...............................

"Once the opening between the railing and the ceiling exceeds 4 inches and the railing is less than 34 inches from the nose of the treads, an additional rail would be required to raise the height of the guardrail."

I'm following this thread in the hope someone can explain what the heck that means. Who cares how far the ceiling is above the railing? And if the railing is less than 34 inches at the nosing, wouldn't you just raise it, instead of adding another rail? I'm mystified.

I think it's so a child can't fall through the space between the ceiling and the handrail. Four inches is pretty small, but then, I've seen some pretty agile little ones. There is a landing just at the top of the pic, so there isn't a lot of "rise" to work with, as a result. I think the code means add another rail at the bottom of the balusters- so there's a little space at the bottom, and the top rail is effectively lifted, rather than the balusters attached to the stairs themselves (so the top rail is lower). (so you're right, perhaps just raise it) It's a basement reno - inspectors here have passed the same design in other homes, so I think the inspectors need to do a better job educating. At any rate, I'm getting into the idea of a small newell post midway up the stairs, like the pic from the mount pleasant home near the top of this post. I'm going back down to have another look.

There was a recent dilemma of a house with ridiculously short railing around a center stair. The house looked to be historic and I think the code applied in that case would allow the owner to keep the original railing while making it safe.

No need here to add railing, just do it correctly.

@joseph corlett: I agree with you on all points. The "trim carpenter" in question is living in a parallel universe that's not parallel.