Stairway Handrail required?

[Joe.Carrick]

I need to know if a handrail is required for the following conditions:

An exterior detached deck with a stairway leading down from a flagstone patio (6 steps) basically just above grade (within 12"). This is in my back yard on a sloping site. The deck itself is 12" above grade at the uphill side and 72" above grade at the downhill side. Code compliant guardrails have been installed everyplace where the ground is more than 30" below the deck surface.

It seems to me that the stairway is essentially "on grade" and would be code exempt. IOW this is a walkway with steps. This is a single family home and the deck is totally separate from the house.

[Doug Aleshire]

Joe,

What you mentioned is correct "Code compliant guardrails have been installed everyplace where the ground is more than 30" below the deck surface."

But there is another part to this,

Handrails are required on all stairways with 3 or more risers (2 steps). The top edge of the handrail shall be between 34" and 38" above the leading edge of each step. 34" guardrails must be used as handrails on decks greater than 30" above grade.

The code has no exemption whether it be attached or non-attached decks.

Hope this helps!

[Snoonyb]

[QUOTE] It seems to me that the stairway is essentially "on grade" and would be code exempt. IOW this is a walkway with steps. This is a single family home and the deck is totally separate from the house. [QUOTE]

If by saying this, you are saying that you have a series of "platforms" or "landings". If they are, when following the natural flow of traffic, 36 or more inches from the nose edge of one riser to the face of the next succeeding riser, a different code applies and that is for gaurdrailings.

As I recall, and I do these infrequently, If the walk able surface of the landing is 18" above natural grade, a 36" gaurdrail is required. If the surface is 48" above natural grade, a 42" high gaurdrail will be required.