We also considered how much reveal was needed to the top of the newel post from the top of the rail. In some cases, you will have an ornamental newel post and you need to determine the point where you want the top of the rail to tie in to the newel post. Go from there to the height of your rail—usually 37 inches for residential applications—which allows one inch for carpet and pad, and puts your rail height at 36 inches.

Attic Safety Grabrail (floor mounted) – Supply only Stira Deluxe Attic Safety Grabrail (floor mounted) – Supply only

A 10-inch miter saw was used to carefully extend the horizontal shoulder cuts down to the vertical tenon cuts. Use the table saw fence to determine the side-to-side location, and use the line on the table saw surface to determine the length of the cuts. After we cut the newel post to length, we marked where we wanted to make the shoulder cut of the tenon that would extend below the floor. We then used a table saw with the blade set to cut approximately 3/8-inch deep and cut all the way around the newel. This first cut gave us the shoulder we wanted on the newel post to hide the opening in the top of the trim board. From outdoor to indoor steps and loft to cellar access, safety rails from Bison Products are ideal for navigating steps safely. Stair and loft safety rails provide you with an extra grab hold, minimising the likelihood of trips and falls. This is especially important for the environments in which these steps are usually situated, as hard flooring is commonplace. Ultimately, Bison Products can help you create the safe environment you’re after, regardless of the property or industry at hand. Loft railings are more than just a safety measure (of course, the importance of safety can’t be understated!). Keep reading for our favorite loft railing ideas that will have you protecting you and your loved ones in elevated style. 1. Sleek Cable Railing DesignsThe 10-3/4-inch lag bolt has wood threads on the bottom and bolt threads on top. The installer must cut a 1-1/2-inch hole through the side of the newel to access the top of the bolt where a special washer and standard nut can be tightened with a wrench. A tapered wood plug, which comes with the kit, fills the access hole. After you have determined the location of your newel post, you need to think about the best way to get it firmly anchored into the framing of your particular project. Very often in a loft situation, the newel post will be anchored on top of, or very near to, the rim joist that supports the open front of the loft area. It was the rim joist that was the target framing member to which we wanted to anchor our newel post. Any time you do a crosscut operation on the table saw; make sure to use the miter gauge. We also cut a shoulder all the way around the newel post, which gave the bottom of the newel post a tenon that went into the opening in the floor. We usually mark the portions of material that we want to remove with an “X”. Extend the layout lines for the newel tenon across the bottom of the post and up to the shoulder cut.

Safety Rail Collection – Bison Products

Discover our range of safety rails below to see how you can transform your access points. HAND GRAB RAILS FOR STAIRSWe used a level to transfer the top-of-the-guardrail mark on the newel post over to where the guardrail would meet the rake of the ceiling. We also used a level in the plumb position to extend the location of the outside of the trim board up to the ceiling. This mark was used to determine the location of the center of the guardrail. A level held on the face of the loft floor projects the edge of the loft up to the ceiling. Use a level to transfer the top-of-guardrail mark on the newel post over to the point where the level section of the guardrail intersects the rake of the ceiling.

Lofts – Loft Specialists | Loft Boarding Cardiff Just Lofts – Loft Specialists | Loft Boarding Cardiff

Here at Bison Products, we make it our mission to maximise safety in all manner of environments. This includes stairs and lofts. We know the many threats posed by steps, ladders, and lofts, which is why we look to eliminate these potential dangers. With our industrial-strength products, you can rest assured that they’ll hold your weight in rescuing you from potential trips and falls. With the ceiling rake rail in position, we adjusted the level guardrail to it until the bottom profiles lined up and the angle was correct. Then we marked and cut the newel end of the guardrail and fastened it into position. Left: Use scrap material and a torpedo level to determine the angles where the level guardrail meets the rake guardrail. Right: A sliding T-bevel can determine the angle where the exterior wall meets the ceiling rake.Any time you have elevated floor space to an open area below, you need to have either a half-wall or a guardrail for fall protection.

Loft Safety Rail – Just Lofts – Loft Specialists | Loft Loft Safety Rail – Just Lofts – Loft Specialists | Loft

At each of these rake sections we glued and nailed the balusters but left the fillets out at the top. Then, we positioned the fillets and marked and cut them at the angle we had determined earlier. We finished the rail system by gluing and nailing the top fillets into position. Left: When we were starting our baluster layouts, we decided that the spacing between the final baluster and the exterior wall was not that important, as long as it was not larger than the code maximum of 4 inches. Right: To make the baluster cuts on the rake section, we continued to use the same size square cut fillets in the shoe rail while standing the balusters in position and making them at the guardrail. The Safety Grab Rail Your reliable companion for enhanced stability and support during stair or step usage. Next, we set the table saw fence to make the tenon cuts, being careful to stop each time the shoulder cut on the newel reached the edge-of-blade mark on the table saw surface. After making the vertical cuts for the newel tenon, a miter saw carefully extended our shoulder cuts down to meet the tenon. After cutting the trim board, which extends the length of the loft, we transferred the marks for, and cut out the opening for the newel post tenon. Lofts can be very cool design features that add interest to interiors and take advantage of otherwise wasted space. A loft is often created where you have a structure within a structure, the most common being a large open room with a vaulted ceiling adjacent to an interior space that has a lower flat ceiling, which creates the floor for the loft. Determine the location of the floor opening for the newel post tenon. Drill the corners with a spade bit and cut out the floor boards with a jigsaw. Determine the location of the newel post, trace the outside of the newel and mark where the rim joist should be.

Loft Railing FAQs

As is often the case with a loft, the guardrail presents a challenge where the rail height is interrupted by the rake of the ceiling coming down to meet it. You may also run into the challenge, as we did, of finding a way to anchor the rail into a ceiling where there are no rafters lining up with the rail. Crafted with precision from durable 22 mm tubular steel, this balance rail stands at a comfortable height of 910mm, providing you the confidence to navigate stairs and steps safely. If you’re looking to be creative with your loft railing ideas, consider integrating storage into the railings. Having a railing with storage is the perfect way to make the most of your extra space and provides the additional advantage of having dual-purpose railings – so you won’t only have a secure barrier in your loft but also create additional storage opportunities. Lofts are incredibly interesting and versatile spaces. But you can’t just build a lofted room and call it a day. No loft is complete without a sturdy railing. When it was all done, it was a cool looking guardrail that matched the décor of the house. It is currently helping to keep the loft-seeking kids that live there safer.