Stairwell wall needs to be higher!

Hi all!
I have just bought a place in Strathpine, Brisbane and it was built 1970 before the building codes came in that the interior walls need to be at least 1m height.
I have a wall on the second floor that stops people falling down the stairwell - and its 850mm, so I need to make it higher! Ideally 1m but if I can put something in place to stop people sitting on it and falling down then that should be the minimum. Here are some pics.

What are some options?
I was thinking possibly something like a handrail like the one running up the stairwell but on top of the wall as to make it higher and so no one sits on it.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Thanks!

 

Frame out another 150 mm stud wall clad & with plasterboard.

@A.Baxter - the second photo doesn't open.

 

Id get brackets and sit a handrail on top. Otherwise you start blocking that window light.

 

You bought something!!! Congrats.

I'd put a handrail on top of it, if that makes it meet the requirements.

 

I'm leaning towards a handrail as it seems to be the easiest option.. (still open to more ideas), maybe something like this:
Porta 70 x 31mm 1.2m Tasmanian Oak Oval Handrail
with some 10cm high mounts...
I would have been ok with it being close enough to 1m but if a couple with young kids come in and the kid grabs the handrail and pulls him/herself up and over, then there could be an issue there! might just look a little odd to have a rail that high up? might look ok.

 

I will look into this option too does the photo work now? both images have the same number of views and works on my comp

 

Yes.

How about a glass wall or glass blocks?

 

I was going to suggest a glass wall too but the back of the TV is not a good look!

 

ah yes the height requirement could easily be met with a glass wall without looking odd. The photos are from the home-open / pre-settlement inspection, so the old owners had it that way, the new tenants may have a different set up... regardless its a good point, maybe a textured glass...

 

Ewww not a textured glass.

If you don't HAVE to make it legal height but you WANT to then I think the handrail idea will work a treat.

If you HAVE to make it legal height then you need to work out what that entails to make it comply - it would probably be considered the same as a balustrading for stairs/balconies. If the wall is a framed wall then it would probably be simplest to take off the capping and extend the wall 150mm and re-gyprock. I think glass would be more expensive but custom glasswork for a small area might not be that bad - I would just use clear glass though.

 

So this is what I ended up making!
Bunnings did the cutting to size for free, so just the wood, brackets, paint and a few screws.

 

Looks really good

 

Also make sure sure that the mounts are of a height that won't create another building code violation ie. if the mounts are too high (if the gap between the top of the existing wall and the hand rail is wider than a certain distance), then a child might get their head stuck, or some other such nonsense that they'll try and make you accountable for. So, for example, you may not be able to mount the railing more than 8cm above the top of the wall. Get a builder/inspector who knows the rules to help you get sorted out, especially if you plan on renting it out (the rules are tougher than when you live in it yourself - my tenants have their smoke detectors inspected far more regularly than I ever have .... )

We had a similar issue to yours, and needed to increase the total height of the stairwell railings, as it didn't meet the minimum height restrictions. However, we needed to make sure that the gaps between the new horizontal slats fell within certain measurements (not too big, or too small).

 

This is clearly set out in the NCC - here is the extract:

‘3.9.2.3 Construction of barriers to prevent falls
(a)
The height of a barrier Open link in same pagerequired by Open link in same page3.9.2.2 must be in accordance with the following:

(i)
The height must not be less than 865 mm above the nosings of the stair treads or the floor of a ramp.

(ii)
The height must not be less than—

(A)
1 m above the floor of any access path, balcony, Open link in same pagelanding or the like (see Open link in same pageFigure 3.9.2.1); or

(B)
865 mm above the floor of a Open link in same pagelanding to a stair or ramp where the barrier is provided along the inside edge of the Open link in same pagelanding and does not exceed a length of 500 mm.

(b)
A transition zone may be incorporated where the barrier height changes from 865 mm on the stair Open link in same pageflight or ramp to 1 m at the Open link in same pagelanding (see Open link in same pageFigure 3.9.2.2).

(c)
Openings in barriers (including decorative balustrades) must be constructed so that they do not permit a 125 mm sphere to pass through it and for stairs, the opening is measured above the nosing line of the stair’