Thread: Infil required on stair railings?

71 year old home. Had a set of manufactured concrete stairs from the rear yard to the back porch. 5 risers. The handrail was a single 2x4 along one side. No baulsters or infill.

301.5 indicates the openings at rail at open side of stairs must be <4 3/8" apart and in-fill components must resist 50lb of load.

If there is infill, it must meet the above conditions. Fine. But must there be infill?

Please don't go on about required landings, lack of proper support for the stair base, unequal riser heights, unlevel landing, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I am just trying to confirm the need for infill. Thank you.

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Never mind. Writing the above post convinced me that there are so many things wrong, it does not matter if infill is required or not. I am just going to put a big red circle with a diagional line through the entire stair assembly.

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

But must there be infill?

Bruce,

There are 5 risers in that stairway. Presuming that each riser is at least 6", the answer is yes.

From the 2006 IRC.
- SECTION R312
- - GUARDS
- - - R312.1 Guards. Porches, balconies, ramps or raised floor surfaces located more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 36 inches (914 mm) in height. Open sides of stairs with a total rise of more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 34 inches (864 mm) in height measured vertically from the nosing of the treads.
- - - - Porches and decks which are enclosed with insect screening shall be equipped with guards where the walking surface is located more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below

Thanks, I kinda figured that there would be a need for infill. I flipped thru Code Check instead of reading the chapter and verse.

Yesterdays flipper has lots of little issues that need to be addressed.

I flipped thru Code Check instead of reading the chapter and verse.

BR: Code Check is best for those tanned and high-livin' California boys who sell it. But Dude, you mean it doesn't have the whole cod in there?

My, but that was a fishy statement. Sorry, I'm on a borrowed computer while my soon-to-be doorstop mates for the next 8 hours with my newly wed machine.

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

Please don't go on about required landings, lack of proper support for the stair base, unequal riser heights, unlevel landing, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I am just trying to confirm the need for infill. Thank you.

Is it ok to note that the 2 x 4 isn't an acceptable grapsable rail?

Originally Posted by Steve Frederickson

Is it ok to note that the 2 x 4 isn't an acceptable grapsable rail?

Or even that the hand rail in the photo is not likely withstand the required 200 pound load applied in any direction.