# Missing stair rail



## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Is the circled area a wall or an open space to the first floor?
The railing should be contiuous from the first floor to the top of the stairs.
If you can, run the railing up the left side of the staircase(going up orientation), up both stair sections.
Ron


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## BlueBSH (Oct 29, 2009)

Ron6519 said:


> Is the circled area a wall or an open space to the first floor?
> The railing should be contiuous from the first floor to the top of the stairs.
> If you can, run the railing up the left side of the staircase(going up orientation), up both stair sections.
> Ron


The circled area on the first floor is a wall, on the second floor is empty space which you could fall right over if there is no railing (which there isnt)... the first floor that area is a closet, I do not have a continious rail from 1st to 2nd floor... they ran the first 3 risers rail up to the front wall of the closet and terminated it there then used the wall of the closet as the "rail" until the landing then turning and going up to the second floor the closet back side is the wall that they used as the railing up to the second floor... but the problem is the closet is only 8ft high... and the 2nd floor is 10ft up... so half the way up the second part of steps you are now higher then the closet and could easily trip and fall over onto the top of the closet or even over the side of the closet it you are on the top 4 steps... my problem is the rail to run from the top newel to the landing it would be pretty much against the wall of the closet... not sure what to do about this issue


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## warnerww (Apr 9, 2007)

The hand rail should be continuous. But if you can not do that you are going to need to build a pony wall on the top of the 8 foot closet wall or put a hand rail up with some pickets. Not sure what will work best for you. A few pictures of the area would help so we can visualize exactly what things look like.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

BlueBSH said:


> The circled area on the first floor is a wall, on the second floor is empty space which you could fall right over if there is no railing (which there isnt)... the first floor that area is a closet, I do not have a continious rail from 1st to 2nd floor... they ran the first 3 risers rail up to the front wall of the closet and terminated it there then used the wall of the closet as the "rail" until the landing then turning and going up to the second floor the closet back side is the wall that they used as the railing up to the second floor... but the problem is the closet is only 8ft high... and the 2nd floor is 10ft up... so half the way up the second part of steps you are now higher then the closet and could easily trip and fall over onto the top of the closet or even over the side of the closet it you are on the top 4 steps... my problem is the rail to run from the top newel to the landing it would be pretty much against the wall of the closet... not sure what to do about this issue


If there's no wall, you just build a hand rail system of a rail and balusters spanning the open area.
Ron


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