Curved & Bent Handrails in Chicago, IL

What Is a Bent Handrail, and Where Does It Fit?

A bent handrail, also called a curved or laminated handrail, is a rail whose curve is built into the wood itself. The curve is not cut out of a wide board, and it is not a series of straight pieces joined at angles. It is a single shaped piece that follows the line of the stair.

These rails fit wherever a stair changes direction. That includes quarter-turn and half-turn stairs, stairs that curve along a rounded wall, landings that wrap around a corner, and stairs with an S-curve where the wall bends one way and then the other. They work in new builds, where the rail is planned along with the stair, and in remodels, where an old rail is replaced to match a stair that stays.

Wall-mounted rails are the most common use for our bent work. The rail runs along the stair wall on brackets and gives you something to hold on the way up and down. A curved wall with a straight rail leaves gaps and awkward angles. A bent rail follows the wall.

• Turning stairs and landings that change direction
• Stair walls that curve through the turn
• S-curves where the wall bends in two directions
• New builds and remodels where the old rail has to go

How Is a Curved Oak Handrail Made?

We use a method called laminated bending. Instead of forcing a thick piece of wood into a curve, we build the curve from many thin oak strips. The strips bend easily on their own, and once they are glued together they hold the shape.

The first step is a form. We cut a plywood form to the radius of your stair, so the curve of the rail matches the curve of the wall. Then we glue the oak strips together and clamp them around the form. The clamps run along the whole length of the curve, so the pressure stays even and the strips pull tight against each other. The rail stays on the form until the glue has cured.

After the glue cures, the rough curve comes off the form. We then shape it into a handrail, with a profile that feels natural in the hand, and sand it smooth. Finished sections can be fitted to the stair one after another, so a long run with several turns comes together as one rail.

• A plywood form cut to the radius of your stair
• Thin oak strips glued and clamped around the form
• Time to cure before the rail comes off the form
• Shaping and sanding into a finished handrail

Why Oak for a Curved Handrail?

Oak is a hardwood with a clear grain, and it is common in stair work for good reason. It is strong, it takes stain and clear finish well, and it holds up to daily hand contact. Many Chicago homes already have oak floors, trim or stair parts, so an oak rail often blends with what is already there.

Oak also works well for laminated bending. Thin oak strips bend around a tight form, and the glued layers form a solid rail. A laminated rail is made of many layers, so the grain runs along the curve instead of across it. That helps the curve keep its shape once the rail leaves the form.

Wood species and finish are decisions we make with you. Oak is our standard for bent work. Ask us during the visit if you want to match another wood in your home, and we will tell you what we can do. We talk through the finish at the free visit, so the rail matches your stair.

How Do You Measure and Plan a Curved Rail?

A curved rail is only as good as the measurements behind it. Every stair is a little different, even when two stairs look alike. The radius of the turn, the angle of the steps, the length of each landing and the shape of the wall all affect the rail.

At the free in-home visit we look at the stair and the wall, take the measurements we need and talk through where the rail should start and stop. Then we build the form to match. If the stair is not finished yet, we plan with your builder so the wall and the rail fit together. Planning the rail while the stair is still open to the framing is easier than adding it later.

You also decide how the rail ends. In our work, the rail often finishes with a return, which is a small turn of the rail back toward the wall. A return gives the rail a clean end that is easy to see and does not catch on clothing.

• The radius and shape of the turn
• Where the rail starts, stops and returns to the wall
• Wall condition and how the rail will be mounted
• The finish that suits your floors, trim and stair parts

How Is the Handrail Mounted, and What About Building Code?

In our bent oak project, the rails are mounted on black round wall brackets. The brackets hold the rail away from the wall so your hand can wrap around it, and they carry the load when someone leans on the rail. We fit the brackets to the wall behind the rail and choose positions that suit the curve. The brackets also help the rail look finished against the stair.

A handrail is a safety part of the stair, so it must meet your local building code. Rules about where the rail goes and how it is shaped are set by the city or village where you live. In Chicago that is the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, and each suburb has its own department. We follow the inspector’s requirements, and we plan the rail so it can pass inspection.

If your project has a permit, the rail is part of the work the inspector may look at. We will talk about this at the visit, so there are no surprises when the inspector comes. If you are building or remodeling the rest of the stair too, our general contracting team can manage the whole job.

Bent Oak Handrails: From the Form to the Stair

Photos from a recent bent oak handrail project, from the glue-up to the rails on the stair. See more in our project gallery.

How We Build and Install a Curved Handrail

Curved Handrail FAQ

More General Contracting Services

Other general contracting work we do across Chicago and the suburbs. See everything on our general contracting page.