Installing metal railings

Metal railings prevent falls and unauthorized access to certain areas, and are required when a building has steps, landings, platforms or accessible roof spaces. Applications range from stadiums and museums to businesses and residential homes.

Railings in a commercial setting must be strong enough in both the visible portion above the finished floor, but equally or more importantly, need to have solid support below the floor or within the walls at attachment points. Multiply that lateral load by the leverage created with a inchhigh guardrail, and you start to understand that the attachment mechanisms of the railing are critical to the design.

As these loads are transferred from top rail to posts to base plates, it becomes challenging to design aesthetic railings within the usual construction budgets. Metal, to my knowledge, is the best-suited material. This makes the system more stable for the long term and brings down labor costs. Mounting attachments are typically galvanized or stainless steel lag bolts. We prefer galvanized because it limits the bi-metallic reaction between the two metals aluminum for the railings and galvanized for the lag bolts , but many architects still prefer stainless steel lags.

MacGillivray says for fasciamount railings, his company has engineered its product to require a minimum of 3 inches of structural embed, which is typically pressuretreated lumber. Costanza says depending on the construction type, the solid blocking within walls could be wood, metal or concrete. Built into this system is the method of attachment, which is typically a four-lag bolt fascia-mounted plate.

This would include an analysis of the sub-structure and the attachment process via either welding or mechanically attaching like masonry anchors. Miller says for metal guardrails to be up to code, they must be at least 42 inches above the ground level space.

For the building roof areas, he says the IBC requires a guardrail to be in place, unless there is some other sort of fall protection system installed. Even strictly following codes, installation mistakes can still occur during installation. MacGillivray witnesses the most common mistake to be waterproofing. The best way to avoid this is for railing installation companies to work with a building envelope engineer on best practices for waterproofing, and set those as a standard for all installation projects.

As a designer, Costanza sees many types of metal railing mistakes in the field, but cites the most prevalent mistake he sees is handrail detailing. In the long run, it is always better to take the time to do the job correctly. Even though working with concrete seems like it can be difficult, most people can do it. To install a metal railing correctly, follow these steps:. While installing a metal railing is a fairly simple process, you will need a couple special tools. One of the things you should make sure you have is a concrete drill bit.

If at all possible, use this bit with a hammer drill. A hammer drill looks just like a standard drill but with a handle on the side for better stability with pressure. Other than these few tools, everything else you will need is a normal, standard type of tool. Depending on the type of railing you are installing, you will need to make a few measurements. If your stairs have a landing at the top, measure the landing for the 90 degree section. Then, measure from the edge of the landing to the edge of the last step.

Once you have this measurement, you can purchase your railing from a manufacturer or fabricator. When your railing arrives, dry-fit it to get a placement for all the pieces. Most metal railings will sit in flanges that are anchored to the concrete. Get a good idea of where you want these flanges to be and mark the holes for your anchors.

Get someone to help you hold the railing in place and ensure that your marks are accurate. Once you have marked off the placement for your anchors, you can drill the holes. Use a hammer drill and concrete bit to drill the holes roughly the same size as your anchors.

Use relatively high pressure and operate the drill slowly. The slower you move the bit, the more bite it will get in the concrete. When the holes are cleared, hammer in your anchors with a standard claw hammer. The key is to make your railing as strong as possible, so make sure you are driving your anchors deep. Once your anchors are driven in, you can secure them with an epoxy.

Fill the remaining spaces of your anchor holes with heavy-duty epoxy and let it set and cure for 24 hours. This will ensure that they are secure in the holes and not moving around. After the epoxy has cured, you can bolt in your flanges and railing.