My parents put a handrail on the basement steps. Sounds decent, but the problem is that the way it was designed, I think a person could easily turn left when they get to the bottom of the stairs and bang the rail into their stomach or ribs.
I’m looking online for a photo of a setup that is similar, and not seeing one. And I don’t know what the correct terminology for this stuff is, but suffice it so say, IMO the rail goes longer than it should, and it doesn’t have any kind of support that would block your legs from going left near the bottom of the stairs, the last couple feet of the handrail is just a suspended stick on a stairway that doesn’t have walls on either side. Cutting the last foot off isn’t an option (I doubt my parents would go for that).
So I was thinking of buying some kind of rubber guard for the end so if people did turn into it, it wouldn’t hurt as much. Where would I get one of those? The rail is about 1.5" thick and shaped like the one on the center left in this image, a circle with a small flat spot on the bottom.
I would really appreciate a picture. From what you’re saying, it sounds like the hand rail extends beyond the stairway in an unsuspended way. How far? Is it helpful, or an injury waiting to happen? In my experience, having a handrail is helpful. Thinking it will just poke someone (and should therefore be removed) is not helpful.
Can you do something like wrap it with orange reflective tape, candy-stick style, so it is much more visible? Or would your parents not go for that either? Maybe caution them that if a guest breaks a rib, they are going to get so sued.
Why is cutting it off not an option? Does someone actually use that part of it for support? If the rail itself is unsupported, that doesn’t sound safe. Maybe if it had a leg under the end that is sticking out, it would both be more visible, and offer more support.
1 foot of a heavy handrail like that should be strong enough unsupported, but the lack of a newel (support post) is what makes it a problem, with something supporting the end it will be more apparent that you have to keep going and walk around the end of the rail.
ETA: A small table as mentioned above would work just as well to make it visible, but I’d keep it there all the time, not just occasionally.
I like the idea of putting a piece of furniture near the dangerous overhanging rail. It would work fine as a safety item, without screaming “Danger, Danger”
If the the basement is well lit and nicely furnished, just add one more piece of furniture that fits the decor.
But if the basement is a dark, dingy place with bare concrete, and you don’t care about aesthetics…then go for a simple and ugly solution:
Wrap the overhanging rail in something soft, so that somebody who bumps into it in the dark won’t get too badly hurt.
You can use the inner tube from a bicycle tire to wrap around the rail. It’s made of rubber, soft and flexible.
You can get an old inner tube from any bike shop. Free… And very, very ugly!
Sounds to me like you can turn left off the bottom step instead of needing to hit the floor before turning. Any low furniture would be a trip hazard in this case. Something would need to be at eye level while looking down to be noticeable. Maybe just hang a plant there? Or run a decorative pole at least to the rail from the ground if not all the way to the ceiling. Also, how fast are people going that they hurt themselves on a guardrail? I could see a hip bruise at worst from the end of the rail. If you want a wrap for it, use an obsolete ace bandage or gauze and slip a tube sock over it. If aesthetics are not a great issue.
Current building standards require that as handrail returns to the wall at both ends of the railing. That is, there is a 90° turn and the rail turns so that it ends flat against the wall. Usually done by cutting a short piece of the railing, extending straight out from the wall, and joining the rest of the rail at a 45° angle. Like this example.
That rule must apply only to handrails along a wall. This one sounds like a handrail that is on the side of the stairs away from the wall that usually ends in a newel post.
If aesthetics are not an issue, why not cut a piece of plastic drainpipe to slot over the existing free end and extend to the ground like a newel post? It could have added dayglow tape and/or padding as well.
I agree with ZonexandScout. The handrail extends down without a final vertical support. Some building codes require this so that a person descending has something to grasp all the way to the floor. t-bonham@scc.net has described how it should have been terminated. I agree with the OP that it should not be cut back.
Given the situation, I think the solution proposed by the OP is adequate as long as it is difficult to dislodge it.
