…Like along a hillside path along a garden or scenic area, like with timber or stone risers and soil (or other material) treads. How deep would treads need to be before it would be considered a terraced walkway not needing a handrail.
Landing Theory
It’s minimum 36" (IRC) or 44" (IBC) for a landing and handrails are not required at landings. Maybe that’s it. A terraced walkway is the same as a continuous series of landings. No handrail required if the tread depth complies with minimum landing depth.
Ramp Theory
Except that the IRC requires handrails on at least one side of ramps that slope more than 1&12. Does that mean that a handrail is required for a terraced walkway in which a straight line represented by the nose of the landings is steeper than 1&12?
IBC 1012.8 calls for a handrail on both sides of ramps if the rise is greater than 6", but says nothing about a single handrail.
Kenton, needing a hand rail,I think it has more to do with the distance from the treads to the grade than depth of treads…I could be wrong but that is IMHO.
But the inspector can recommend anything, like that, for enhanced safety.
It’s really a question of when would you call it out as needing a handrail. I did think about the term “guard” Jeff, but that’s mostly used for protecting level areas.
Since it doesn’t seem to be spelled out (as a guideline) in any building code it may just be up to individual inspectors. I guess the guideline should be use of the walkways by the elderly, and maybe as something to suggest a client consider to protect the client from liability and the elderly from injury.
I don’t think that provision is meant to define a stairway, but it’s defining the maximum allowable deviation between largest and smallest treads and risers.
If it’s in a residential setting, and it follows the surrounding grade without much elevation difference between the walking surface and landscaping, it would be a terraced walkway. As far as hand holds go, it’s a judgement call really. I have seen hundreds of stepped walkways down the side of houses, from the front of house to back yard for example, of many different materials that didn’t have a hand rail. Some were very questionable with tall steps, 10"+, and steep “landings”. Others looked like a 75 foot long staircase w 5 1/2" risers.
Depends on the circumstances …
Sorry to everybody to revive a dead post. I am currently trying to rent my house to a Section 8 participant. In doing so, a housing inspection is required. One of the requirements is a handrail on any staircase 4 steps or greater.
I am under the opinion that this is a terranced walkway and does not meet the definition of a staircase which would require a hand rail. I also do not think it meets the drop off requirements for a guardrail.
Could you guys please give me some insight and possibly some references I can use to defend myself against the county requiring a handrail? Perhaps I am totally incorrect and it requires a handrail. I am open to your input.
You do understand that “Section 8” is a Federal Program, not a County Program, right?
That being said, you may wish to be proactive and have a discussion with the AHJ performing the Compliance Inspection, which may well be the County depending on your local sitaution.
I say this because I suspect you are not taking into consideration the Roadway/Driveway next to the “Terraced Walkway”, which in my opinion is a greater potential hazard. The mistake most people make is failing to take into consideration the reason(s) for such requirements. You see the one side and think “Handrail”, I see the other side and think “Guardrail”!
Yes, I understand that Section 8 housing is a federally funded program but it is administered by the local county. Unfortunately, I am unable to speak with an inspector until one is assigned to my property for an inspection. All I have to go off of is the inspection guidelines provided by the county. The only reference to a handrail is for a stairset of 4 or more risers.
I am hoping that this would be considered a terraced walkway that would not require a handrail due to being a series of landings as well as not needing a guard rail as the drop is less the 36”
If a handrail is required, I am not quite sure how I am going to build it.
I am just trying to be prepared and in compliance prior to the inspection.
Hire a licensed and insured contractor.
It is not your family you are supposed to be protecting, but that of the general public.
Seems to me you need some edu-ma-catin’ on ‘Property Management Risk Control’.
Good luck!
I don’t understand why you feel the need to be so course and degrading. I am here seeking the advice of professionals in order to properly educate myself. I was requesting any information that somebody may provide in reference to this specific instance.
I was hoping somebody might point me to actual references in the code that would call out what is required in this situation. From what I have been able to find, a handrail would not be required, but I am obviously not a professional. If you have some supporting documentation, that would be incredibly helpful.
Don’t be so touchy! You need to consider the CYA needed to protect yourself in a litigious society.
I do rental inspections all the time, basically there is no “defend yourself” against the county. You are at their mercy. Do what they want you to do, they make the rules. The authority having jurisdiction can require you to add anything to the property that they feel is needed for safety. regardless of the Standards documented in the IRC, IBC or any other alphabet soup. Requiring sprinkler installations in older homes is not done but requiring hardwired / interconnected smoke and or CO alarms is very common (regardless of the age of the structure).
The IBC is very specific about the occupancy classifications of buildings. When you change the USE of a residence (owner occupied to rental) the classification changes from R3 to R1 or R2.
Any standards written by the ICC (as IRC, IBC, IPC, IMC etc.) are suggested only and may or may not be adopted by the municipality at your location.
I agree, and I don’t think the inspector is going to require a hand/guard rail at the walkway.
I don’t have any references for you, but from what I know, Section 8 inspectors are not supposed to “make up” unnecessary fixes and repairs. The goal is to not preclude perfectly good housing from the program based on some miniscule detail.
Thank you Ryan. I am under the same understanding. I was just hoping somebody here may have been able to give me a reference.
Perhaps I used the wrong verbage when I said “to defend myself against the county”. All I really want is to get some confirmation if a handrail or guardrail is required, and a reference to the code requiring it or stating that this does not qualify as a staircase.
The reason I posted to this thread is becuase it seems the original poster had much the same question. When is a staircase no longer a staircase, but a terraced walkway instead. That is the heart of what I am trying to get at. I included a picture and dimensions in case somebody knew the specifics for qualify as a staircase/terraced walkway.
I want to perform any modifications that are needed for compliance with code and safety, but I also don’t want to perform any unnessasary work.
