Stainless Steel Handrail Tube for Glass Railing System Durable Handrail Pipe for Balcony Staircase

Stairs put a handrail under repeated gripping load and constant hand contact, so the tube needs adequate wall thickness and a finish that does not show wear. We supply 1.5-2.0 mm wall in 304/316, with the brushed finish recommended - polished chrome on stairs shows scratches within months. For landings and turns we provide the bends and elbows that match the same tube so the rail runs continuously.

For the standard stair pitch (roughly 30-35 degrees) a straight run of tube with a top-rail bracket set handles it without bending. If the stair has a curved flight or a wrap-around landing, we can radius-bend the tube to your drawing - send the rise, run and radius and we confirm feasibility before quoting. Bent sections add a little lead time over the standard 15-25 days.

For a 42.4 mm tube with 2.0 mm wall we normally design to post centres of 1000-1200 mm, which stays within the common 0.5 kN concentrated / 0.36 kN per metre distributed handrail load requirements. If the local code is stricter or you want a lighter 1.5 mm wall, spacing drops to about 800-900 mm. Send the code requirement and we confirm the wall/spacing combination.

Either. We supply plain tube for welded installation, or tube pre-drilled with the top-rail bracket holes in the exact pattern of your posts. For glass-railing systems we also make the glass clamps that hold the tube above the panels. Factory drilling means your installer lines up every bracket instead of marking out on site.

For a fully indoor stair, 304 is normally the right call - it saves cost and the environment is benign. Go 316 when the stair is in a busy entrance lobby, or the stair leads to a roof terrace or outdoor area where rain and salt reach the rail. Mixing grades is acceptable if the joint line stays away from the most exposed sections, but keeping one metal at every joint is the rule we recommend.