The trouble with wood handrails

Selecting the ideal handrail for your property means going through various options. From the many profiles to the components, it is critical to pick products that ensure your rail lasts for years. It must maintain its beauty and function in this time.

These rails come in all sorts of materials, like wood, wrought iron, steel, and aluminium. Wood is one of the most common choices. However, it comes with problems you won't find in other substances. We are going to discuss the issues you can encounter here so that you know what to expect.

The quality

One problem is that the handrails are often made of cheap materials. Many of them can be softer woods like pine. This lets manufacturers cut down on costs. Sadly, it also undermines durability and strength. Cheaper woods are vulnerable to scratching and denting. Therefore, it is necessary to put in extra maintenance and effort to keep up looks over time.

Warping

The second issue here is a high warping probability. There is a bigger chance of this with a wooden handrail than any other option.

Wood is a hygroscopic substance. As a result, it changes due to the quantity of moisture around and in it. When wood loses moisture, it shrinks. If it gains it, the opposite happens and it swells. So, even indoors, humid or dry air can influence wooden handrails. This leads to them warping, shrinking, and swelling over time. After a rail warps, fixing it is either difficult or impossible. The tendency to warp also means most wood installations aren't appropriate for external use.

Cut/miter

Another concern is that you have to cut/miter. A continuous railing is required for stability and safety. Not to mention, you need it to adhere to building codes and the relevant standards. You need specialist joints to make a continuous wooden rail. You might have to cut 45º angles and match the cuts to turn a 90º angle.

Finishing

Lastly, these rails may demand staining, sealing, and sanding. A lot of wood handrail options come unfinished. This does mean you can customise the stain to match other joinery, but it means considerable work for you.

With staining a wood rail, you must sand it first to dispose of any blemishes. This creates dust and mess. Following sanding, staining needs a well-ventilated space and potentially multiple coats.

Speak to us if you want a quality metal handrail instead

At Barrier Mart, we specialise in the high quality key clamp handrails. They are one of the most dynamic options because of the array of different components. You won't need to think about creating joints; just select the parts you need and metal tubing. We are able to install the rails nationwide too.

So, if you need us, please get in touch. You can also order via our website.