Handrail for steps to front door - ideas please

Marine supplier. Get thee to one! Great fittings. Invest in a good pipe cutter. This one is 20 years old. Still sturdy and zero rust on this nice chrome stanchion.

 

I'm not sure the adjustable bends are going to look that great. If stainless is the material of choice then probably something like 40 or 50mm brushed 304 grade thin wall tube would be best with butt welded matching fittings. The fittings would be best TIG welded to the pipe and dressed to match the finish on the tubes. Some of the fittings may have to be cut to suit the angles. Quite tricky to fabricate as you need to allow for the stand off for the brackets etc as well.

 

Timber handrails should last longer than most other timber used outdoors because they are raised off the ground and get plenty of air circulation so should dry out quickly after rain. I used pressure treated decking handrails on a job and I wouldn't mind betting they'd be good for 30 years or more .

 

Those teak handrail wreaths are pretty fancy stuff, I used to make them years ago, to be done properly the geometry involved was always a bit above me. But carving them out is a laborious task.
They can probably do them on a cnc machine somehow these days.

I think you would always get some kind of movement in the timber even with teak if you put them outside.

 

I would have thought 304 or 304L would be fine unless you are really close to the sea.

Timber would be fine but if you want to have the handrail flowing as one section you need to think about forming the bends. This can be quite tricky to make a decent job of, most of yours would be ok. One of the other Forums I'm on is "thewoodhaven2" have a look at RogerS post "staircase upgrade" for interest.

You could use a pressure treated handrail as above or use lengths of what they call mophandle. Its used for handrails amongst other things and has a flat section on lower side and is available in different timbers.

I've recently used pine mophandle for forming a new lead ridge roll flashing for a new slate roof on the house here but fairly sure you will be able to get it in oak or sapele etc.

 

Teak would be ideal but difficult to get hold of. It would probably need to be reclaimed as I'm fairly certain its on the CITES list.

 

The price of timber has rocketed recently, any fancy hardwoods are going to cost a fortune.

 

@JWK marine stanchion has fittings for all angles, has brackets for attaching to surfaces, etc. You'd only need a straight cut. It is meant to withstand outdoors pretty much forever. Mine is now behind some greenhouses but it was originally railing to keep people falling off the side deck and met legal bylaw regulations as safe. It does not rust. It has a thick wall. And very DIY friendly.

 

If I was doing this, I would go down the route of stainless tube, either 304 or 316 grade pending cost. I would get a fabricator to bend the pipe to the contour of the steps, I would probably look at doing in one length, if not, then either 3x4m or 2x6m lengths with the joints being welded. I would be expecting to pay between £500 to £1000 fitted pending what grade stainless pipe was being used. Online, you can get 316 grade stainless tube 42.4mm dia x 6m long x 2mm wall for £120 ex delivery.

I would measure up either 900 or 1000mm from the steps and tap nails into the cement, so I could create a chalk line on the wall for dimensions. We have a local fabricator who specialises in bending pipes, so it would not be to much of an issue in doing it this way.