With a great many DIY projects, the “finishing touches” are often some of the most important aspects and should be approached with the same amount of attention to detail as the very first stages. This is especially true of installing a new handrail system. This handy step-by-step guide provided by Pear Stairs – expert manufacturers of stairs and staircase parts – will ensure that this is easy to achieve in a way that is logical and stress-free.
- You Will Need
All components of your system, including dowel screws, washers and nuts, should be included in the construction set when you receive it. Lay out all the equipment and materials you have before you begin, to make sure you’re not missing anything.Ensure you have all recommended tools mentioned below:
- An Auger of at least 30mm
- A spanner
- An appliance for affixing dowel screws – many good multitools offer this feature
- Mole grips
- Wood glue
- A flathead screwdriver
- Do Your Research and Check Your Kit
Don’t hesitate to seek help and advice before taking up your tools to put together a handrail system. The best providers of staircase parts will have support available via a helpline, and a few, including Pear Stairs, have handy and easy-to-follow guides and FAQ’s on their websites that should be consulted before you start.
- Prepare Your Fittings
All handrail fittings from Pear Stairs are joined together by dowel screw sets, consisting of a dowel screw, locking nut and washer, all of which are dispatched together and should arrive at the same time. Firstly, within the groove of preferably the straight component, an access hole must be drilled into the face that is to be affixed, using your auger. The hole should measure 30mm in diameter, be 30mm deep and 35mm from the face to be joined. Following this, to prepare the face of the length of handrail that is to be joined to another, a bolt hole should be drilled into the straight handrail, preferably 9mmin diameter and positioned 20mm from the very bottom of the handrail. Within the component that this piece is to be joined to, a further hole should also be drilled, this time only 6mm diameter and 40mm long, but again 20mm from the bottom of the component with the drill set at 90° to the face.
- Affixing Your Components
The wood threaded part of the dowel screw can now be inserted into the 6mm hole, ensuring that it is in to its full extent. Your mole grips can be used highly efficiently for this purpose. After this, wood glue should be applied to each face and the bolt and washer secured in the access hole, with the locking nut twisted tight using a spanner. Note that a screwdriver can be used in place of a spanner should the hole prove too small, by tapping the end of the tool.
- Check Safety Aspects and Affix to Wall (if handrail is wall-mounted)
Remember, if your staircase is wider than 1 metre, you should have a handrail on either side for safety purposes. This should sit at least 900 millimetres from the line of the steps. Stairs should have at least one handrail whatever their width. Once you are perfectly happy with the way your handrail is prepared, it can then be affixed to the wall, preferably usinglonger Philips head screws (40mm in length is recommended) and a set of rawl plugs. Ensure you utilise all holes provided within the bracket for extra safety, and insert all screws to their full extent.
Contact the provider of your components for any specialized advice regarding particular types of newels, turns, volutes and other aspects that your staircase will feature. If you would like to chat to a member of the team at Pear Stairs about an installation query that you have, or if you are interested in ordering components for a new staircase from us, please call today on 01938 553311.