How to Mount Stair Railings

Measure between 34 to 38 inches up a 4-foot level. Place a mark on the level's edge. Set the level in front of the first step. Adjust the level so it is straight up and put a mark on the wall next to the level's mark. Move up three or four stairs and mark the wall again. Continue all the way up the stairs.

Connect all the measurement marks you made on the wall with a chalk line. Snap the chalk line against the wall. Run a stud finder along the chalk line. Mark the location of each stud along the line.

Select two or three studs, depending on the length of the stairway, to secure brackets to. Place the brackets no further than 4 feet apart. One should be near the bottom stair and one near the top stair. If you are using a third bracket, center it between the top and bottom brackets.

Hold a bracket in a carpenter square's corner to determine the bracket's height. Transfer this measurement to the wall studs you selected for the brackets, measuring down from the chalk line.

Set the bracket's top edge on the mark you made in Step 6. Hold a level against the bracket and adjust it so it sits straight. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes through each of the bracket's screw holes. Drive the bracket's supplied screws through the pilot holes to secure the bracket in place. Repeat with the remaining brackets.

Measure the length of the stairway using the molding next to it. Start at the top, where the molding running along the stairs meets the molding running along the upper landing, and measure down to where the molding next to the stairs meets the bottom landing. Transfer this measurement to a new handrail. Cut the handrail using a miter saw.

Set the handrail on the mounted brackets. Line up the handrail's bottom edge with the seam where the stair molding meets the landing molding. Ask a friend to hold the handrail in place.

Put a bracket's supplied collar over the bracket, with the flat edges resting on the handrail's underside. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes through the collar's screw holes and into the handrail. Drive the supplied screws into the pilot holes. Repeat with the remaining brackets.