Before you start your renovation or new building, its important to learn about the stair rules and regulations before starting anything.
So in this article, I’ll be giving you a few quick references of stair rules and regulations from the Toronto Residential building code.
There are many more rules but these are key ones for homeowners or renovators to keep in mind.
For more information about the Toronto Residential Building code please visit their website.
The building Code Requirements: Toronto 2018 residential builds
What do these rules mean?
The minimum headroom for stairs is 77″ or 6′ 4″. In other words this means the measure of space from the ceiling to any step on the stairs. If the space is less than the minimum, the overhead or stairs will need adjustments . At Home Stairs & Railings Inc, we measure our stairs by riser. So when we say a stair with 3 or more risers needs railings it means a stair with 2 or more steps. However ,if a stair only has one step, then no railing is needed.
For stairs less than 36″ or 3′ wide, a singular hand-railing needs to be installed. However,this is assuming that the opposite side of the stairs has a wall. If one side of the stair is open with no wall ,then the railings will need to be installed there.
Stairs larger than 36″ or 3″ need railings installed on both-sides, regardless of both or one side is a wall.
In conclusion ,These are just a few of the basic stair rules and regulations. For more custom stairs such a circular or curved stairs there are different rules. For instance there’s rules for landings and winder boxes or “kite boxes”. There are also particular guidelines for each railing types such as, metal or wood or glass.
If you have any questions about the building code or if you like this guide and want to see more like it, send us a email!
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