A composite handrail is often as easy to build as a traditional wood handrail, without the associated maintenance concerns and with a lesser chance of rot.

It is also an excellent way to evaluate the workability and durability of a composite material before investing in a larger project.


Be Safe: Know Your Local Building Code

Keep in mind when installing any type of handrail that your local building code should be consulted for height and spacing between balusters, as well as other requirements. By following these guidelines you can help ensure that your new composite handrail will not be a hazard.

You should also consider whether what type of composite handrail will best fit your home.

A curved staircase is quite an engineering feat in homebuilding. Some would even say that creating beautiful staircases for homeowners is a form of art. The engineering that is involved in building staircases can be mind-boggling.

Think of how many movies you've seen (e.g. Gone With The Wind, Scarface and too many to name) where the staircase that the movie star walked down, danced down, fell down or even tumbled down was a major part of a scene.

What I'm trying to say is that staircases can be very dramatic.

My latest new home viewing excursion led me to a 3-story home, built by Donny Brook Homes in The Park at Anderson Farm in Marietta, where curved staircases were the very first thing you laid eyes on when you walked through the oversized French entry doors. The curved staircases have been installed but they have yet to put the finishing touches on them (not to mention the walls surrounding them that have been touched up recently).

Come on in and have a look.