Stair railings (Wooden vs Metal)
Kashish Singh
3 years ago
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res2architect
3 years agoKashish Singh
3 years agoRelated Discussions
style of doors vs stair railings
Comments (7)Just because you love something doesn't mean you need it in your life. In my own build, I've had to surrender a lot of individual elements that I like for the sake of the overall look and harmony of the space. I think the beaded doors and wide plank floors are fine, but the metal ballusters will strike a dissonant note unless they are very carefully chosen. BTW: I'm in the same position as you: building a new home on a cattle ranch that's been in the family for over a century. My design scheme was [or is, still not finished] was to create an exterior that looked as though it could have been built at the turn of the last century, which in my part of the world means a blend of rustic and elegant materials-- arch top windows in cedar gables, for instance. For the interior, I want it to look as though it could have been decorated pre-1930, with only a little updating since. So basically, it all has to look as though it could have been purchased in that sort of time frame-- bathroom sinks and faucets, light fixtures, railings, floor. So far, it seems to be coming together very nicely....See MoreMetal/Iron Stair rail Help
Comments (3)I had the exact railing in my San Diego condo, built in 1984. If you have a Habitat for Humanity in your city/nearby city, give that a try. Many people donate when they are doing renovations, and you could get lucky. An architectural salvage store might also be another source~I think there's one in Chicago that has an on line store, but you'll need to pay shipping. Lastly, craigslist under free/general/household. Maybe the recycling center in your area where $$$ are given for various metals. Hope you have good luck with one of these!...See MoreHand railing vs code in narrow Colonial stairs
Comments (16)Honestly, people were just hardier in days of yore. My very scary, steep, hardwood floor staircase in my 1913 bungalow had no signs of ever having a handrail. I installed one for ME, no kids involved. I had a handyman put up one that looked just like Marie's above. When I moved from that house, I took it off to get my furniture down. Pretty simple actually. To be honest I would not use a velvet or other rope. I need something to really grab onto if I slip on the hardwood floors; not something that could rip or pull away. Oh, I also found that investing in non-slip socks is a must!...See MoreFront stair replacement proportions and railing material - wood/steel?
Comments (9)To Beth H above: I do not think stairs are original, but I think the originals were similar, I see no evidence of older "framed" rails. Armchair shopper: winters here very severe. We also thought the house beautiful, but we find that permastone sort of looks not so appealing.. Thought something "urban" might update it somehow.. Just trying to figure out what to do so it looks nicer WITH the permastone. Really like that first photo with the darker taupe and the brown trim... but to be honest , when I look around town, all of the houses with permastone have that chocolate brown trim and they look not so good (with the permastone I mean). That is why I thought possibly to trim / roof in that newer "deep bronze" metal shade (not so chocolate) and possibly just staining new rails like a dark walnut wood? (or maybe doing the shakes in a deep green with that bronze trim)(either way rather muted). Or getting wild and replacing shakes with the rusty galvenized siding???? Beverly Fladeziner - like best your "framed" steps, but I'd have no idea where to start with building them ourselves, and I imagine as even steel railing are out of budget, that that would be not in our budget either.. (the house has big issues we need to address in the basement, old windows, rotting garage and needs re grading in yard etc.. so, I have to control my spending on things like the porch steps I guess.....See Morelydcrafts
3 years ago- PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago 
cpartist
3 years agonickel_kg
3 years agoMy childhood home (early 70's construction) had wrought iron handrails inside. They always looked like something that belonged outside. Mom didn't like them because they were hard to keep clean. The home we built in the 90's had a much nicer system that would suit a traditional colonial-ish home. Oak railing, white painted spindles, decorative triangular trim pieces at the sides at each tread. Here's a pic of our 1990's staircase:
And here's a pic of the staircase trim detail on a home built in early 1800's. It's currently being restored. so it's a bit rough:
cpartist
3 years agomlankala
3 years ago
Mina Aubuchon
2 years agoMina Aubuchon
2 years ago
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Kashish SinghOriginal Author