I made alternating tread stairs for the tiny house and needed a railing to make it safer. It was a challenge to see how I could make a railing with only a few materials. I hatched a plan for my easy DIY stair railing requiring just one 2×4.
Can you DIY stair railing?
Yes a stair railing is an easy project to DIY. The most important part is that your rail is firmly attached and wont move under pressure. It also must be easy and comfortable to grip while using the stairs.
What can I use instead of a handrail?
I used a 2×4 instead of a handrail. Building a DIY stair railing doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. The project can be completed with one 8 foot 2×4, some paint, sealer, wood putty and screws. Total cost is $10. You will need a circular saw, sander, power drill, flat head screw driver and paint brush.
How do I make a simple handrail for stairs?
Measure
You want to measure your staircase and see how long of a railing you will need to match your stairs. I have an 8 foot staircase so an 8 foot 2×4 was good for me. 2x4s come in lengths up to 16ft. Take the 2×4 and cut it lengthwise on the 2 inch side. You are creating a notch for a hand to grab the railing so you want it to be wide and deep enough for a hand to fit in the notch and grab it. You also don’t want to make the notch too wide that it compromises the strength of the wood.
Make lengthwise cuts
Wear goggles and dust mask! I cut the 2×4 lengthwise half the width of the 2×4. Set your saw blade depth to 2.5 inches so the notch is deep enough to accommodate a hand but not too deep that it will compromise the strength of the wood. After making the first cut half the width of 2×4, make multiple cuts on one side of the original cut as pictured above. I made 8 cuts lengthwise along the 2 inch part of the 2×4. This will allow you break these pieces out to create the notch.
Cutting the notch
After you make enough lengthwise cuts on the 2 inch part of the 2×4 now you want to make a lengthwise cut on the 4 inch part of the 2×4. Shorten your saw blade length accordingly to the width of the notch you are creating. Make the cut on the side you are making your notch. I made 3 cuts lengthwise along the 4 inch part of the 2×4 being careful to not have my blade set too deep. Making this cut will make breaking out the wood easy.
Pry off shards
Use a flathead screwdriver to break out the cut parts of the wood to make the rough notch pictured above. Put the screw driver in the cuts and pry until it breaks loose. If you are having trouble breaking out the wood it means you didn’t make enough cuts. It doesn’t have to be perfect just a rough notch as pictured above.
Belt Sander
After you make the rough notch you can use a belt sander to smooth out the rough bits. Make sure its nice and smooth everywhere as this will be a surface that will be touched often. Fill in any cracks, holes or mistakes with wood putty. After the putty dries hand sand the railing again until its smooth everywhere and is looking pretty.
Paint
Now is the time to paint! I chose orange because I had some left over and it fit the rest of the house. This is pretty easy just brush on any color you want and let it dry. After the orange dried I decided to make the railing glow in the dark as well. I did this for safety purposes but also it looks cool. I put 3 coats of glow in the dark paint over the orange paint. You can’t see the paint unless the light is out so It wont mess up your main paint color. After adding your paint you want to add 2 layers of an oil bases sealer and let it dry for 24 hours.
The DIY stair railing should be done and ready for install. Find where the studs are in wall you will be attaching the railing. It’s important to drill screws into studs as the railing needs to be sturdy under weight. Drywall will not support a railing. Lay the railing against the wall level with the staircase at hand length with one end of the railing at the beginning of the staircase and the other end of the railing at the end of the staircase. Drill 2.5 inch screws through the railing into the marked studs securing it to the wall.
Conclusion: DIY Stair Railing
Making a railing out of a 2×4 is a quick, easy and looks nice. If you have been following along the tiny house journey after this is when I decided to focus on finishing the bathroom.
Next Step: Build a Bathroom in the Tiny House
More resources: https://www.thewoodgraincottage.com/diy-staircase-makeover/