What is the Difference Between a Handrail and a Guardrail?

The terms handrail and guardrail can be easily confused with one another. They both help to prevent falls and increase safety in residential and commercial buildings, but there are subtle differences that are important to understand in order to make your space as safe as possible. Understanding the differences will help you decide between a handrail and a guardrail for your specific situation.

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What is a Handrail?

A handrail is a fixed railing that is grasped for support while navigating a stairway, ramp, or hallway. A handrail is intended to provide added stability and a third point of contact, so it features a round profile that allows for a power grip where the fingers are curled towards the thumb. 

In order to comply with the International Residential Code, the International Building Code, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, a handrail with a circular profile must be between 1¼ inches and 2 inches in diameter. A handrail that is not circular must have a perimeter between 4 and 6¼ inches with a cross-section no greater than 2¼ inches. For a handrail with a perimeter greater than 6¼ inches, it must include a finger recess on both sides of the profile that allows the fingers to safely grasp the handrail.

Choosing a handrail that complies with the safety requirements for a circular profile ensures that people are able to get a firm grip as they navigate up stairs and ramps.

Additional requirements for handrails state that a handrail must be located between 34 and 38 inches from the nosing of the stairs or surface of the ramp, and it must be continuous. Handrails must be at least 1½ inches from the adjacent wall, and they cannot project more than 4½ inches from either side of the stairway.

What is a Guardrail?

A guardrail prevents a person from falling off of a raised structure or area. Many times, guardrails are synonymous with deck railings, but they are also found on stairs, ramps, balconies, porches, and landings.  Because a guardrail is not intended to provide support but rather to prevent falls, there is a difference between guardrail and handrail requirements.

Guardrails are required on open-sided walking surfaces that are more than 30 inches from the floor. The guardrail on decks, porches, balconies, or landings must be at least 36 inches from the walking surface or the stair nosings.  If the guardrail is on the open side of a stairway, it must be at least 34 inches from the nosings. 

The major difference between handrails and guardrails is that guardrails can be any shape or size. Since they are intended only to prevent falls  rather than support, there are no requirements as far as grip is concerned.

Install Both For Better Safety

In some cases, a guardrail can double as a handrail if it meets all handrail requirements. If the question is installing a guardrail or a handrail, the answer may very well be to install both. 

Guardrails can be any height above 34 inches with no grip or profile requirements, so they may be too high or the wrong shape to provide adequate support. Including a secondary handrail benefits those navigating the walking surface, whether it is a stairway, porch, balcony, or landing, by adding an available third point of contact.

Types of Guardrail Infill

Balusters

Balusters are vertical beams that extend from the bottom of the handrail to the walking path or stair flooring below. These can be made out of a variety of materials and provide an elegant way to provide protection from slips or falls. Promenaid balusters also have the added benefit of spacers, which help the balusters slide into place to make installation easy.

Glass

Glass infill is another modern looking design option for guardrail infill. Not only does it protect individuals from failing and provide a beautiful aesthetic, but it also provides easy visibility beyond the railing. Though the glass is usually thicker and more durable than other commercial glass types, the possibility of the glass breaking still exists and can create a hazard. Not to mention, glass requires consistent cleaning to maintain its sleek, beautiful appearance.

Laser Cut Panels

Laser cut panels are a way for railing designs to add style and flair to the exterior of a guardrail design. Unfortunately, this infill option is costly and has a long manufacturing timeline, which means a lengthy installation process. Not to mention, because they are often made out of metal, they may be unsuitable for hot outdoor locations.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of guardrail spacer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

NEW Aluminium

Another option for guardrail infill is Promenaid’s aluminum infill option, which is strong, durable, and scratch resistant. While other options can pose potential threats to safety or may require repairs in the future, our new aluminum infill has a long-lasting lifespan.

The Best Option for Handrails and Guardrails

Handrails and guardrails are both intended to provide extra safety, so including them in your design is a no-brainer. At Promenaid, we produce the world’s first code-compliant continuous handrail. Reliable, beautiful, easy to install, and compliant with ADA standards as well as International Building and Residential Codes, Promenaid aids safety in personal mobility in both personal residences and commercial or industrial buildings.

Reliable

Promenaid handrails can act as both handrails and guardrails for added support when navigating stairs and ramps while also working to prevent falls from porches, balconies, and landings.

Our patented bracket system is designed to withhold up to 500 lbs. of force in any direction, which creates an incredibly stable and reliable handrail. Due to the satin-anodized finish, the handrails won’t rust, flake, or chip. They stay beautiful for years and are perfect for both interior and exterior applications.

In fact, the flexibility of our handrails also make them incredibly reliable for outdoor venues. Power House, one of our project locations, decided to use our handrails because of their ability to be installed—and then removed—to meet the changes of event requirements. As a result, they were able to create a stylish outdoor setting while remaining up to code for all situations. Read about it here!

Continuous Design

Our Sprocketlock™ system creates a continuous design that is compliant with ADA requirements and building codes. Bends and collars can be customized to follow any angle, and a simple quick turn of a hex key locks the components into place. 

Not to mention, our TekPost system enables the railings to be installed at several angles, which further helps streamline continuous design.

Promenaid handrails can turn corners where other handrails simply can’t, snaking around corners and up staircases of all angles and depths. The Sproutlock system also creates free-standing bends that aren’t possible with other handrail and guardrail systems.

Easy Installation

No one wants to spend hours and hours installing complicated handrail or guardrail systems, which is why we designed our handrails to be easy to install. The Sprocketlock™ system is versatile and strong, and the series of bends and collars can be quickly customized to handle any environment from decks to stairways. The best part is: there’s no specialized labor for Promenaid handrails—and the parts to the handrails can adjust on-site with minimal tools.

Illuminated

Incorporating lighting into a handrail or guardrail instantly increases the level of safety. Not only does it help people to find the handrail, it also softly illuminates the immediate surroundings. Adding lighting to traditional handrails is nearly impossible. 

Luckily, Promenaid’s innovative handrail design includes a channel into which LED lights can be snapped into place wherever they are needed. The lights can be incorporated without the help of an electrician since they are simply clipped into the wires and pushed into the channel. No drilling or fitting is required.

Aesthetics

Handrails from Lowe’s or Home Depot are only available in one or two colors and the plain aluminum finish looks clinical and doesn’t add to the aesthetic of a design. Promenaid, on the other hand, offers four satin-anodized finishes to fit any style. Powder coated hardware can be matched to the handrail, or different finishes can be combined to create a truly unique and customized design that adds sophistication and safety to your home or business.

For more guardrail postsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.