Hello fellow NADRA Members, I recently read an article on one of our manufacture members and wanted to pass
it on. I have been using EZ Stair products for years now, with the large number of decks we build the system works quickly
and adds to the overall quality and long term durability of our decks. The new stair post mounting option discussed in this ICC-ES eNews article about stair rail safety concerns http://www.ez-stairs.com/
How many of you have gone out to an existing deck to talk about replacement or re-skinning and found the stair posts to be strong, safe and capable from breaking someone’s fall? Usually they are calling us because the stairs and rail are no longer safe. It is amazing how the force on the top of the rail is multiplied by the lever action of the post against the stringer.
Quote from the article:
“The post acted as a lever against the stringer,
magnifying the load on each bolt. A 20-pound pull at the
guardrail level resulted in a 120-pound force at the base of the
post and caused the top bolt to pull through the stringer. Once
the top bolt had broken through, the bottom bolt was left to
resist the entire load. The mechanical advantage was further
amplified by the lower position of the bottom bolt, and the final
50-pound pull on the guard rail became a 1,200-pound force
at the base. This was enough to twist the stringer and cause it
to crack longitudinally”
Give it a read, it may change how you think about post mounting. Is a bolt into a cut stringer going to hold up for long term?
Pat Noonan
NADRA Member, Deck and Basement Co.
Minneapolis MN
