Installing Vinyl Handrail Steps

Step 4 attach your porch railing to a concrete floor.

Installing vinyl handrail steps.

Attach the first post to the house wall with the mounting brackets one near the top rail and one just above the baluster rail baseline. Building codes dictate that any staircase with four or more risers and wider than 44 inches needs a handrail between 32 and 38 inches high from the nose of the. Stand 4 foot level on first step and hold it plumb. Assembly is like playing with a child s toy due to the prefabricated.

Calculate height of handrail and mounting brackets. How to cut install vinyl railings. Mark the level where it meets top of second step. Anyone with basic carpentry skills can cut and assemble a vinyl railing in an afternoon.

Set the base plate under the post. Use a steel post plate mounting system to attach your vinyl porch railing to a concrete floor. For a tight fit. Some vinyl railing installations need a 4 by 4 pressure treated post with a vinyl post sleeve placed over top.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to install a stair handrail. When installing a post on a concrete patio or wood deck you will need a post mount. Measure from the long point of the 45 degree miter on the rail to the wall and add about 1 16 in. With the stair railing mounted it s easy to measure for and install the short pieces that return to the wall at the top and bottom of the rail.