Re: Mounting Height for staircase hand rail

[dom]

Part K - Protection from falling

[Tim]

"In all buildings handrail height should be between 900mm and 1000mm from the pitchline or floor"

Can anyone tell me what the pitchline is? Nothing is mentioned in the definition section.

[Cicero]

=================================== A not very clear diagram:

mine suggests that the measurement (900mm - 1000mm) is the distance from the top surface of any tread to the centre of a handrail.

Cic.

[dom]

Those look like the regs for public places - or even those recommended for disability access rather than mandatory. Very good advice wherever you can include it, makes for a very easy, comfortable stair - but I don't think it's the rules that BC will work to. Just phone them for advice, if you can't find what you need/

ISTR though, that Part K had a definitions sections which may answer the OP's questions about where to measure from

[Lobster]

Well, I can tell you that the way my building control officer told me to measure it was to imagine a straight diagonal line drawn up the stairs connecting the leading edges of each tread, and then you position the handrail parallel to that line, at the prescribed distance vertically above it.

Whether that's the definition of a pitchline I can't say, but it certainly sounds plausible, doesn't it?

David

[Cicero]

Potentially misleading; the measurement is vertically from the

*front* of the top surface of the tread.

Cic.

=================================== Using Ubuntu Linux Windows shown the door ===================================

[Andrew Gabriel]

When I was building my banisters 7-8 years ago, I recall finding a document which said it was measured from the highest surface below the handrail that someone (e.g. a child) could climb on. That could be the edge of the step, but was more likely to be the top edge of the stringer. i.e. the handrail provides 900mm of protection against a child climbing over it.

[Cicero]

================================== The problem is that stringers can vary in height quite considerably and this would affect the height of the handrail above the stair treads. The higher the stringer the greater the distance between tread and handrail. This could lead to the handrail being too high in relation to the treads.

Cic.

[robert]

Old houses have low banisters - In 1800 town house top of banister is about 750mm vertically above leading edge of tread. I have seen even lower ones in earlier houses. Average height was lower then I believe !

[Tim]

Cheers everyone, having probs now to position the rail around a kite at top and bottom.

Anyone seen any photos online anywhere?