Guardrails and handrails: for your safety

First, let’s get the terminology straight:

• Guardrail: A barrier installed around the edge of a raised surface (balcony, mezzanine, or staircase) to prevent people from falling.
• Handrail: Usually refers to a continuous railing along a wall next to a staircase. A handrail is also part of a guardrail (where the user’s hand is placed).
• Bannister: A more colloquial term for both guardrails and handrails.

Are your bannisters code compliant?

If you own an older home, your guardrails and handrails may no longer be compliant with building codes. They probably were when the house was built, but the codes are continually being updated. Municipalities tolerate “old” bannisters until you renovate (with some exceptions, including backyard pool access). At that point, you will have to bring them up to code.

Which codes apply in Quebec?

There are national codes (National Building Code) and provincial ones (Quebec Construction Code), but it’s best to check with your municipality to find out which version of the provincial code applies where you live and whether any specific bylaws also apply.

Specialized companies and general contractors are usually aware of the code in effect, but if you want to do the work yourself, you must get up to speed on the regulations for guardrails and handrails. If not, you could be held liable if someone gets hurt or worse! Following an inspection, an insurer may decide to withdraw coverage and stop insuring your home if you refuse to install or modify a handrail or guardrail. Unlike with a “water damage” endorsement, for example, civil liability is at play here. The civil liability clause is an integral part of the basic home insurance policy and cannot be withdrawn.

The CAA-Quebec Residential Advisory Services can assist you in bringing your home up to code. Here is some useful information for private dwellings:

1 - Regulations for guardrails

In Quebec, guardrails are mandatory when the surface of a deck is over 60cm (2ft.) above the finished floor. The guardrail must be at least 90cm (36in.) high. If the deck surface is over 180cm (6ft.) from the finished floor, the guardrail must be at least 107cm (42in.) high. An exception applies to guardrails on decks that provide access to swimming pools.

A minimum height of 90cm (36in.) applies to all guardrails inside private dwellings.

Whether they are indoors or outdoors, guardrails must also be able to withstand loads and pressure, including a point side load of 0.5 kilonewtons (113lb.). This means that the guardrail posts must be solidly anchored to the ground.

It is also very important that guardrails not have any openings large enough for a spherical object 10cm (4in.) in diameter to fit through (e.g., a young child who might try to stick their head between two spindles). Guardrails must also not be climbable. Otherwise, designers can give their imaginations free reign. Tempered or laminated glass panes are permitted, provided they are manufactured in accordance with code safety requirements.

2 - Regulations for handrails

Handrails must be easy to locate, provide continuous support, and be easy to hold on to. They must be at least 5cm (2in.) from any surface and not encroach on the required width of the stairwell by more than 10cm (4in.). The ends must not pose any danger to people with limited vision, children’s heads, or anyone wearing loose clothing or carrying cumbersome items.

When are handrails required?

Handrails are required for interior stairways that serve a single dwelling unit and have more than two risers.

Outdoors, handrails are required for stairways that serve a single dwelling unit and have more than three risers.

How high does a handrail need to be?

The National Building Code sets the height of a handrail between 86.5cm (34in.) and 96.5cm (38in.). If guardrails are required to make a stair landing safe, the handrails can have a maximum height of 107cm (42in.).

Does my stairway need two bannisters?

A single handrail is sufficient for stairways less than 110cm (43.5in.) wide. Wider staircases require handrails on both sides (exception: The 2010 NBC allows for a handrail on one side only in private dwellings). Handrails are always required on both sides of curved exterior staircases, regardless of width.