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Handrail selection

The handrail selection process is one that involves determining what shape, size, and species of wood you want in your house or commercial building. Whether you want to match existing woods in your home, or go with a completely new look to accent a particular style you have in mind, LAJ Wood Products can meet your stair part needs.

LAJ Wood Products offers handrails in Red Oak, Maple, American Cherry, Brazilian Cherry, Beech, Poplar, White Oak, Alder, Mahogany, Walnut, and Hickory. The most common type of handrail sold in North America is the Colonial 6010 and 6310, which are the industry standards. Below you can see pictures of the complete selection of handrails offered at LAJ Wood Products:

Prior to making a purchase, make sure your handrail profile is allowed in your city. Not every single handrail offered may meet your city’s building code. Some handrails may be too wide – others too tall. Before buying your handrail, research your city’s building codes, so that your staircase is within the allowed size.

Plowed Handrails

Now that you’ve selected which profile of handrail you want to go with, you should decide if you need to “plow” your handrail, which depends on which kind of baluster you want for your stairs. “Plowing” your handrail means a rectangular portion of the handrail is cut off from the bottom to create a space for the square balusters. If your baluster selection is a square-top, you will need to have the underside of your handrail plowed in order to create space for the handrail to sit on top of the balusters.

Your wooden baluster’s width must match the plow exactly so that the handrail is rigid, safe, and immovable. After the square-top balusters have been inserted underneath your plowed handrail, there will be some extra space there. This is where “fillet” is used. The “fillet” is a portion of wood that is cut to precisely match the width of the square-top balusters. Once the balusters, handrail, and fillet have been installed, the spaces under the handrail will no longer be shown, and the end result will be clean and professional. See picture of the plowed 6210 handrail below:

Shoe Rails

Just as the handrail is meant to rest on top of your balusters, the shoe rail is designed for the bottom of your balusters. Any square balusters in your stair system will require your shoe rail to be plowed. Plowed shoe rails serve the same purpose as plowed handrails: to secure your square baluster in place. And just as fillet is used to fill in the spacing underneath the plowed handrails, it is also used to fill in the space left behind by the balusters on top of the shoe rail.

Bending Handrails

Bending handrails are for curved or spiral stair cases. These special handrails are cut into narrow slits of wood (glue to be applied in between) so that the wood can be molded into the desired curved shape.

See pictures of bending handrails below:

Our handrails at LAJ Wood Products are all made of the highest quality woods, and are offered at reasonable pricing. Whether you need a straight, plowed, or bending handrail, LAJ can help you finish that staircase you’ve always dreamed of.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding handrails or any kind of wood products, feel free to call LAJ Wood Products: (510) 489 8353. Our store hours are Monday – Friday, from 8 AM – 4 PM (Pacific Standard Time).