Handrails are essential for the layout of our houses, but they are often little notices. By adding some handrails, we should be able to make the house more welcoming for elderly and people with mobility issues. Handrails are also a way for people to interact with the building structure. We will be able to set additional tone inside our house with ornamented handrails. They are essential because incidents are less likely to happen. Handrails should be considered as essential safety device in our house to prevent falls and slips. Even in level, rough surfaces, we could also get additional supports.
During home improvement projects, handrails should be things that we should have if there are older people and those with disabilities in the house. Handrails are also used in offices and public spaces, if people need to be channelled in the orderly fashion. Staircases should include safety considerations. Additional railings should be erected if the staircase is about 88 inches wide or more. This will encourage people to use different sides for moving up or down the stair. If we want to put handrails outside the house, we should make sure that it won’t collect debris, ice and snow; which can be quite risky.
Without proper methods, the chances of accidents could be heightened, because the handrail could become slippery. Small children could also be safer with properly installed and maintained handrails. In order to improve safety, handrails should extend beyond the bottom and top of the stairs. However, they should have blunt ends, to avoid purses, clothing and others from getting caught. Smooth handrails design should allow people to walk without difficulty. For people with visual problems, handrails should have contrasted colors with the background. At night, with light turned off, handrails should be clearly visible.
The quality of the handrail’s grip is something that we shouldn’t ignore. Railings are made with different hand sizes. If the grip is too large or too small, it can’t be grasped easily. This will also increase the possibility of accidents. Railings should be between four and six inched in diameter. If railings have improper sizes, we won’t be able to hold them properly and the possibility of a fall will be more likely to happen. Handrails should also be placed at specific distances from the wall. This will make sure that we can grip the handrails quickly. If handrails are placed too close to the wall, we would have trouble grasping them. If handrails are placed too far from the wall, we will waste valuable space in the stairway. In general, the distance between the wall and railing should be between 1.5 and 2 inches.
When choosing and installing handrail, we should make sure that it could withstand some amount of weight. Handrails should be able to support at least 100kg of pressure from multiple people. However, we should still check local building code, to make sure that we have proper rails that can enhance safety factors.
