As you walk up and down your home’s stairs, you may have noticed that the handrail has started to grow loose or to pull away from the wall. This sort of problem is known to contribute to accidents, like people tripping or slipping down the stairs, so it is important to fix it as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can tighten your handrail.
Method 1: Drill a hole at an appropriate angle through the stair post and into the handrail or tread. Insert a wood screw into the hole and tighten using the drill. Then, spread a thin layer of wood putty over the hole and leave to dry for about an hour.
Method 2: Apply some wood glue to the joints of the handrail until they’re almost overflowing. Drill some holes at an appropriate angle through both sides of the rail into the post. Then, hammer some nails through the rail from both sides, wipe away excess glue and spread a thin layer of wood putty over the hole.
Method 3: Measure the space between each post and cut some pieces of wood blocking to size. Cover the back of the blocking with wood glue and set it in place (remember that the tighter the fit the more secure the handrail will be) and hammer some nails in.
Each of the above methods will be highly effective in helping you to tighten your handrail and ensure that safety of those walking up and down your stairs. To simply tighten the posts or the handrails, use methods one or two, but to stabilize the entire rail, use method three.