Non-motoring > Fixing a handrail to stairway Miscellaneous
Thread Author: bathtub tom Replies: 19
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 10:02 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - bathtub tom
My daughter's just moved to a house and wants a handrail fitted to the wall opposite the bannisters for use by a disabled relative. It will have to take a considerable force.

The house was built six years ago. It's an end of terrace and it's the wall with the neighbouring property.

Tapping the wall, it sounds hollow like a stud wall.

All my walls are brick or breeze and I'm not used to fixing things to anything else.

Any suggestions please as how to make substantial fixings to this wall. Should I try to find the studding and fix to that, or fix through it to the wall behind?
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 10:09 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Focal Point
I did this exact job a few years ago.

I did as you suggested - found the vertical stud timbers and screwed to these. It can make life difficult planning where the fixings will be, as you want them as evenly spaced as possible, and you have the gradient of the rail and its length to consider - not too bad if it's one straight staircase, but in my case there were two turns, and therefore three rails to fix.

You can buy stud locators (hand-held electronic devices) fairly cheaply from DIY places to help you, but I always ended up drilling small test holes as well. The ones not needed can easily be filled afterwards.
Last edited by: Focal Point on Mon 8 Aug 16 at 10:10
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 10:20 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - VxFan
>> Any suggestions please as how to make substantial fixings to this wall.

Fix a wooden batten to the plasterboard using plasterboard bolts. There are loads of different types, but you'd probably be better off with the wing type ones (eg www.mcmahons.ie/media/catalog/category/springtoggle.jpg or cpc.farnell.com/productimages/standard/en_GB/FN0146005-40.jpg ) to help spread the load. You might be lucky and pick up the studding behind the plasterboard to attach the wooden batten to. Then fit the handrail to the wooden batten.
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 10:37 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Focal Point
DD's suggestion is of course perfectly practical and easy to do.

I don't think it looks very nice.
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 12:58 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - VxFan
>> I don't think it looks very nice.

Depends whether you get a plain batten, or a shaped one.

We mounted a shaver light above the bathroom mirror on a wooden batten so that it was away from the wall a little bit to throw light down onto the mirror rather than along the top of it. At first it looked awful, until I got a mate to put a bevel all the way around with his wood router.
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 18:43 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Stuartli
As it's for a disabled person, why not ask your local council if it has contacts with local charities or organisations that undertake such work for a modest donation?

We had similar handrails fitted on the staircase by an individual from one such organisation which collaborates with the council and the work was done very efficiently by a volunteer. It was a pleasure to make a donation afterwards.
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 19:29 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - John Boy
I did this job for my disabled partner recently, albeit onto a brick wall, and find that the second rail reduced the width of the staircase by 4". For that reason, I'd favour Focal Point's method - finding and fixing directly to the studs. It was a real bonus to discover that I really appreciate the second rail myself!
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New Mon 8 Aug 16 19:45 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Manatee
>> I did this job for my disabled partner recently, albeit onto a brick wall, and
>> find that the second rail reduced the width of the staircase by 4"

Bearing that in mind, and the potential awkwardness of getting large pieces of furniture up and down stairs, it might pay to think about how easy it would be to remove/refit.

And / or you might also consider fitting a "pig's ear" profile directly to the wall especially if the staircase is narrow.

www.wonkeedonkeerichardburbidge.co.uk/how-to-install-handrails-on-a-wall/
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New Tue 9 Aug 16 09:40 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Ambo
Should the disabled relative later need a chairlift, bear in mind the loss of space caused by the handrail.
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New Tue 9 Aug 16 15:29 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Ambo
I should have added; because both could be needed in case of a breakdown to the lift.
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New Tue 9 Aug 16 18:43 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - CGNorwich
That's what I used Manatee. I never knew it was called "pig's ear" profile though. Live and learn!
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 08:43 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Cliff Pope
It's a stud wall with the neighbour? Is that possible?
Stud walls are not really very strong, and certainly not free of movement when subjected to a sudden heavy load. It might be worth a word with the neighbour in case they have priceless ornaments on a shelf the other side.
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 08:56 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Dog
>>It's a stud wall with the neighbour? Is that possible?

Good point! .. S'funny no one else sussed that one out.
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 09:22 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - CGNorwich
Probably not a stud wall but dry lined. Brings much the same problems though.
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 09:50 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - bathtub tom
>>It's a stud wall with the neighbour? Is that possible?

I was surprised, but I went round the house tapping all the walls and found every outside wall was hollow. I've now been told that it's modern building practise to 'glue' thin studding to walls and attach the plasterboard to that.
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 09:57 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - CGNorwich
Yes that's a dry lined wall BT. Common in modern houses. Cheaper and quicker. Don't think they are "glued" though. The battens will be screwed to the blockwork.
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 09:50 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - CGNorwich
And some information by an expert for fixing to a dry lined wall.

"Fixing heavy loads to a dry-lined plasterboard wall is not difficult. All you have to do is buy a long masonry drill bit, drill right through into the blockwork behind the plasterboard and use standard plastic expansion plugs and longer screws.

Use as many fixings as you can. And for a more secure fixing, use traditional tapered-shank wood screws, rather than modern parallel-shanked screws. The tapered shank acts as a wedge, expanding the plastic plug tightly in its hole. Tighten the screws gently at first, and then go around tightening each one slightly in turn until you get a sound fixing. You will only crack the plasterboard if you concentrate the load by tightening one screw more than its neighbours."
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 10:26 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - sherlock47
I would still favour finding the studs for as many fixings as possible - and then drill through for plugs into the blockwork.. If the gap between the back of the plaster board and the wall is significant the twist from the vertical load will either bend the screws, loosen the plugs or crack the plaster board. A disabled user could easily end up putting all of their bodyweight on the handrail if they stumble. And then end up at the bottom of the stairs, more disabled and surrounded by a pile of plaster dust, fittings and rail.
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New Wed 10 Aug 16 10:49 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - CGNorwich
I agree I would drill through the studs into the wall if possible. My "Pigs Ear' profile stair rail has been affixed to a dry lined wall for 24 years now - I replaced the rail when I move into the house and I would defy anyone to rip that off the wall! Just checked and I screwed it at 18 inch centres. I suspect I used 8x 2 1/2 inch wood screws


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New Wed 10 Aug 16 11:29 
 Fixing a handrail to stairway - Dog
Cop hold of this, bathtub: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRthmRqDHjA
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