Safety and Style: Handrails for Outside Concrete Steps
Outdoor concrete steps get wet, icy and slippery, and a handrail gives people something solid to hold on the way up and down. It also finishes the steps off and ties them into the rest of the garden or entrance.
At The Outdoor Look we supply three ways to put a handrail on concrete steps: a stainless steel handrail fixed to a wall, our black aluminium balustrade, and our post & handrail glass balustrade. All three are supplied as kits for private homes.
Why add a handrail to concrete steps?
Support in all weathers
Concrete steps can be slippery in frost, rain and shade. A handrail gives children, guests and older family members a secure grip and more confidence on the steps.
A tidy, finished look
A slim metal rail suits rendered walls, porcelain paving and composite decking, and makes plain concrete steps look deliberate rather than an afterthought.
Your options for concrete steps
Wall-mounted stainless steel handrail
Where the steps run alongside a wall, a wall-fixed rail is often all you need. Our stainless steel handrails use 42.4mm round tube on wall brackets, in satin 316 marine-grade stainless steel or 304 stainless steel with a black powder coat. The wall-mounted handrail kit comes in 1.2m, 1.5m, 3m and 5.8m lengths with the brackets and end caps included.
Choose satin 316 near the sea or around pools. Black 304 is not recommended for coastal or poolside sites.
Black aluminium balustrade
Where the side of the steps is open, our aluminium balustrade guards the edge as well as giving you a rail to hold. It is black powder-coated aluminium (RAL 9017), finishes at 1100mm to the top of the rail and is load tested to the domestic (Category A) barrier loads in BS 6180:2011 and PD 6688-1-1. A stair bracket kit sets the rails to the pitch of your steps on site.
Post & handrail glass balustrade
For a glass look, our post & handrail glass balustrade holds 10mm toughened glass between 42.4mm stainless steel posts under a continuous handrail. It is the glass system we recommend for stairs, and it is designed in line with BS 6180:2011.
Fixing to concrete
Wall brackets and post base plates must fix into sound, solid material. Fixing bolts are not included, because the right fixing depends on the concrete or masonry you are fixing into. Your installer will choose suitable anchors or resin fixings for the depth and condition of the steps.
At a glance
| System | What it is | Finish | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted handrail | 42.4mm stainless tube on wall brackets | Satin 316 or black 304 | Steps beside a wall |
| Aluminium balustrade | Posts, rails and pickets | Black (RAL 9017) | Open-sided steps and landings |
| Post & handrail glass | Stainless posts, handrail and 10mm toughened glass | Satin 316 or black 304 | Open-sided steps where you want glass |
Get the right rail for your steps
A handrail is one of the simplest ways to make outside concrete steps safer and smarter. Send us your measurements and a photo of the steps through our quote form, or call 01282 526 428, and we will tell you which system suits.