Creative Alternatives: Wood Railing for the Handrail Grab Rail
This customer decided to do something a little bit different with the handrail for their home. Instead of using a metal pipe for the handrail they chose to use some wooden railing. The railing is attached to our standard Simple Rail uprights. While wood is not as durable as pipe it offers a couple of unique features:
- Not as cold to the touch. - Wood doesn't have the same cold feeling as metal.
- Can be easily painted - We wouldn't recommend leaving the railing "naked", but with a coat of paint (that was maintained on a regular basis) I'm sure the wood would last for quite a long time.
- Slightly easier to install - Instead of drilling up into metal pipe, you only have to screw into wood, making installation just a little bit easier.
We don't recommend using wood for a commercial pipe railing installations that get lots of use. But for residential railings that are being installed to meet code, it might make and ideal solution for the reasons listed above.