Handrails or No Handrails?

[steveray]

Depends on what you have in your stupid pool code and how far you want to push it, this is for public pools BTW:

306.3​

Step risers for decks of public pools and spas shall be uniform and have a height not less than 33/ 4 inches (95 mm) and not greater than 71/2 inches (191 mm). The tread distance from front to back shall be not less than 11 inches (279 mm). Step risers for decks of residential pools and spas shall be uniform and shall have a height not exceeding 71/2 inches (191 mm). The tread distance from front to back shall be not less than 10 inches (254 mm).

DECK.

An area immediately adjacent to or attached to a pool or spa that is specifically constructed or installed for sitting, standing, or walking.

 

[tbz]

Handrail guy is responsible for the grouting....

Yep - but not 4 bags of gravel mix first.

 

[steveray]

Yep - but not 4 bags of gravel mix first.

The pros use spray foam I hear....

 

[tbz]

No, I would write a correction. It is the same with any dangerous condition however it doesn't always include a violation that is debatably not worth writing or stretching the code as we have with Jeff's example. Now I know that you and others think that the stairs require a handrail per code. I disagree and do not go lokking for problems in people's back yards.

Here is a stairway to two spas and a open patio at the top of the hill in a back yard. I assume that a permit was in hand for the in-ground spas. Would anyone make them do it over per the code with handrail? If not, then why do that in a South Florida back yard. And if you would go after this example in Brea, Ca. you would be loking for work.

View attachment 15397

Depends how the stair flight connects and what it connects to?

In NJ we had to put handrails on many a flights like that when they were the only walking surface to the pool deck for access.

Most of them where much tighter and uniform for tread and riser compliance.

And if that is the only access to the pool deck, the inspectors would have failed the stair flight for non-uniform stair flight of the treads and risers.

However if there was another access to the pool deck at grade as primary and the treads and risers of that flight were not compliant, they would not even address it for no handrail because they would have classified it as landscaping, and would have flagged it only if a handrail was installed on the non-uniform stair flight then.

Context and location means everything.

 

[tbz]

The pros use spray foam I hear....

No they use the black spray foam that the water feature guys do & then 2 years later after the bad freeze the whole thing falls down with the railing posts still attached to the bluestones and nothing else.

The best ones are those when all the plaster falls off the sides of the block and every grout joint is cracked and the homeowner calls us because the building department said call us, they will know what is up.

Thanks Guys & Gals...