Design options to terminate the handrail.
There are 2 instances for the handrail termination, wall mounted or free standing.
Some of these terminations can be used in either instance.
We will look at the different terminations, the positions in which they may be used and the disign variations.
Free standing.
Monkey’s tail.
The Monkey’s tail or wreathing volute, is used over a feature tread.
This may be set on either a Bird’s cage of spindles or a newel post.
To add more magnificance these are often embelished with carved details.
Ram’s horn.
The Ram’s horn is normally used at the end of a straight run of handrail, This may be either pitched at the end of a flight or flat at the end of a landing run.
When used at the bottom of a pitched flight it can carry on at the same pitch as the main handrail or be bought to horizontal.
The Rams horn may sit directly over a newel post or continue on a short distance past the post.
The ram’s horn hay even be used upside down when terminating a rolled over handrail, as used on return flights with narrow offset and stringer mounted balusters.
Opening cap.
The opening cap may be used at the start of the flight or set over any newel post mid flight.
The cap will sit centrally over the post and may be used mid run of the handrail as well as a termination.
The cap may be used to join two straight lengths of handrail or to change direction over a newel post.
They may be square, round, octagonal or any other configuration that suits the purpose.
Profiled end.
The profiled end is most often used to terminate the landing handrail when set behind a feature tread.
The end may be set at the end of a straight run or on a flet 90º bend turning back towards the flight above.
The profile end is also suitable to terminate any handrail that stops short of running into a wall or floor.
The ends may be either radiused or square cut, with the profile running around the end.
I still have to add a page for this one!!
Wall mounted.
Ram’s horn.
The Ram’s horn may be used to terminate the wall handrail.
This is used when the wall handrail is designed to complment the main handrail .
I could not find images for this but will hunt through my album, must have some somewhere.
Profiled ends.
The profiled end is a voery popular way to finish the ends of a wall rail.
The end is often tipped down first, this helps prevent snagging clothing etc. On to it.
The ends may be square cut and profiled or radiused and profiled.
Wall return.
The handrail may be returnd through 90º into the wall.
This can be acheived by a simple mitre and keeping the top of the handrail at the same pitch as the flight or by wreathing it to horizantal through the 90º bend.
I could not find images for this but will hunt through my album, must have some somewhere.